E-Malt.com News article: USA, OR: Three Creeks Brewing’s facility still for sale

Three Creeks Brewing has been an important fixture of the Central Oregon beer industry since opening in 2008. A popular attraction in this heavy outdoors destination just northwest of Bend, Three Creeks has been distributed throughout the state from the times of bottles, to cans and draft, winning many awards both locally and nationally over their 16 years. In 2020, Three Creeks was named Brewery Group and Brewery Group Brewer of the Year at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival®, New School Beer reported on July 2.

Three Creeks founder Wade Underwood announced in June that he had sold the brewery to Jacob Whitney, who is the owner of five or so bars in the Gresham and Troutdale area. Whitney got his start in the industry bartending at Main Street Ale House, a now defunct brewery in Gresham. He purchased Bar 33, also in Gresham, in 2011, and the Skyland Pub in Troutdale in 2019. According to an announcement by Underwood, the pub staff at Three Creeks Brewing will be retained but the production brewery will be shuttered.

“Jake not only understands but firmly embraces the small community engagement that Three Creeks has been a proud steward of since inception, and we are excited to have found such a strong, capable individual to take the reins,” said Underwood. “Unfortunately, it is also with great sadness that our Production Facility is no longer a tenable endeavor.”

But with the closure of the Three Creeks production facility at 265 E Barclay Dr., Sisters, OR 97759, they lose both a seasonal tasting room, and most importantly the ability to package cans for distribution, and their events venue.

“The production\retail beer industry has been ravaged by challenges the last few years with rising costs, increased competition on multiple fronts, wholesaler consolidations, supply chain challenges and economic strains which all brands are facing. With today’s industry realities in mind, we are simply not able to sustain the production brewing operations to provide beer at retail in our current form.”

The brewery and offices on 1.11 acres and 48,352 square feet of land are for sale for $1,900,000, but is also open for negotiations on a lease with the 30bbl brewhouse included. The property includes an open production area with ample cold storage area, a tasting room, two restrooms, locker room, office, and grain room on the first level with a mezzanine area that includes two offices, restroom, equipment room and a break room area. Site improvements include asphalt paved parking areas & driveways, concrete walkways/patio, fencing, drainage swale. For $600,000 they will also throw in the brand rights (not sure how this would effect the ongoing brewpub brand? emails to the owner have been unanswered) and distribution sales, all brewing equipment, and all tangible assets, as well as intangible assets such as recipes, marketing material, goodwill, TTB and OLCC, county health licensing transition.

A second 1 acre parcel of 43,560 square feet of vacant land is also for sale for $500,000. This was the events area that hosted the 12th annual Sisters Fresh Hop Festival in 2023. That festival featured 20+ breweries and nearly 2,000 people attended, making it one of the more significant beer festivals in Oregon, and the second largest fresh hop event in the state outside of the Hood River Hops Fest.

For now Three Creeks Brewing is still alive, and seeking ways to move forward on continuing the brand retail sales from an off-site brewery (most likely contract brewing.) What this will mean for the overall brand is still TBD, but atleast the now classic brewpub at 721 Desperado Court Sisters, OR 97759 is continuing under new leadership that will hopefully bring more energy and life into it while continuing the commitment to quality.


03 July, 2024