First Cask-Only Brewery in Oregon Sold to New Ownership

Eleven years ago, the woodsy town of Oakridge, Oregon got a new reputation. Ted Sobel, fresh out of a career in computers and sore-footed from a long, inspiring walk in England opened the first cask-only brewery in the state, Brewers Union Local 180. Shortly after its opening, another fresh face – one John Crane – set foot in Brewers Union for the first time, and had some epiphanies of his own. Eleven years later, Crane takes the keys from Sobel and rechristens the pub The 3 Legged Crane Pub & Brewhouse.

“People are excited about what’s going on,” says Crane of the change in ownership. Oakridge and nearby Westfir residents have packed the pub on weekend nights for live music, and a craft fair in December drew artisans from Eugene for a locally-produced showcase. The official “Passing of the Paddle” from Sobel to Crane is scheduled for Saturday, January 18th at 7pm. The official ownership change came on January 1, 2020.

* Reported by Beerstone