Henry Weinhard's Goes National: Is Miller-Coors Co-opting the Portland brewers legacy?

As if to underline my scoop on MillerCoors taking the Henry Weinhard's brand nationally and out of Full Sail's hands, today the company announced that this month it is taking three beers nationally: Private Reserve, Redwood Flats Amber Ale, and Woodland Pass IPA. 

Some think this is great news, while others think this will signal a slow death for the once great Henry Weinhard's brewing legacy. Though I haven't been a Henry's drinker since college, I briefly delved back into the company's beers when it released the uber-cheap IPA that was pretty decent. Recently, when confronted with a lack of good beer choices, I had a Private Reserve and it was a decent lager with more bite than the typical macro.

While I have no urge to become a Henry's drinker, the saddest part of the whole thing is that the brand is being co-opted by the big guys and Henry Weinhard's legacy of brewing in Oregon is being exploited. Sure, it hasn't been owned by the Weinhard family in a long time, but at least it still kind of had Oregon roots. I don't know that MillerCoors has thought through this marketing strategy, as there are a gazillion beers touting their long legacies and I am not sure that means anything to the modern beer drinker.

According to the press release:

Henry Weinhard spent considerable time and effort exploring the Pacific Northwest and searching for the perfect location for his brewery. More than 150 years later, beer drinkers across the country have the chance to explore the taste of the Pacific Northwest. 

The affordable, uncomplicated craft beers pair well with easy-going foods, such as nachos, burgers and steak.

• Woodland Pass India Pale Ale: Originally developed for British sailors stationed in India, IPAs were aggressively hopped to help prevent spoilage on long ocean voyages. Henry’s has eased up on the hoppiness just a bit to let the caramel malts shine through and let beer drinkers appreciate the hops in all their glory.

• Redwood Flats Amber Ale: With its beautiful copper color and subtle hop aroma, Redwood Flats Amber is our traditional take on a modern American classic. Featuring a unique blend of American hops and malts, this beer is bold and assertive, with a smooth, hoppy flavor that’s easy to drink.

• Private Reserve: A crisp, clean, American Pale Lager, Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve blends Henry’s German heritage with the natural ingredients of the Pacific Northwest. It’s brewed with 100 percent Cascade hops from Oregon.

“Today, we swim in an ocean of beer options, from ultra hoppy IPAs to stouts aged with kiwis in whiskey barrels,” said Katie Cowan, brand manager for Henry Weinhard’s. “While we respect these breweries for pushing the boundaries of beer, Henry’s is serving up rock-solid, uncomplicated beers that are textbook examples of Henry’s original motto: craft good ingredients into quality products.”

There’s never been a guy who cared more about making good beer easy to enjoy than Henry Weinhard. He left Germany in 1856 with nothing but a recipe, a copper kettle and a thirst to share his beers with the people of America.  He was a savvy businessman, a straight shooter and generous to a fault. Legend has it, he even offered to pump free beer through a public fountain so people could enjoy it at will.

The three Henry Weinhard’s beers are now available in bottles, priced around $6.49 per six-pack. Woodland Pass IPA and Redwood Flats Amber are also available on draft.