Exclusive: Logsdon Reopens Onsite Service & Prepares for Move to Portland

Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, based in Washougal, Washington, has officially announced the reopening of their taproom for a final three weeks at their present location before moving into a new brewery & taproom space in Southeast Portland this summer.

For almost three years, the brewery has leased their present turn-key brewery and taproom, formerly occupied by Amnesia Brewing and located in downtown Washougal. The move was instigated by the building’s owner who is selling the building, along with a number of others owned in the area, effectively ending the brewery’s 10 year lease initiated in 2018.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the brewery’s taproom has remained closed, though starting April 21st it will reopen for on-site service Wednesday through Saturday for three weeks – 3 to 8pm each day, with their last day of service being May 8th.

“To our patrons in Washougal, we hope you make the trip down to Portland once we are moved, but we are happy we get to invite you back to our taproom for three last weeks before we leave,” says co-owner John Plutshack. “We have missed serving you the last calendar year during the pandemic.”

In mid-May, the brewery will begin moving their conical fermenters, fruiting tanks, two 40 hL foeders, barrels, and more into their new space, most recently occupied by the Southeast Wine Collective, located just off Division at 2425 SE 35th Place in Portland. “Being a former winery, the new location has temp controlled barrel storage  and plenty of space for clean fermentation vessels, so we’re excited for the new dynamic” said Head Brewer Shilpi Halemane. It also allows them the opportunity to set up a brewhouse similar to the 2-vessel, 15bbl PUB brewhouse that was used at the original Hood River location.

“When we reached capacity at Hood River and needed to find a new place,” said Halemane, “there were no quick options for a location in Portland. Now we have this great opportunity to set up in our primary market, as Portland has always been instrumental to our success as a brewery.”

On the upcoming move, Plutshack notes: “while Jodie and I are sad we have to leave Washougal after being here for the past two plus years, we are very excited for this new opportunity in Portland.  Portland is the city we moved to 19 years ago and we are relishing the chance to be a bigger part of the best beer city in the United States. SE Belmont already has an amazing beer scene with various great bars, taprooms, and Little Beast Brewing. We can’t wait to share our beer with the area soon!”

Logsdon has been open solely for curbside and delivery service since last March because of the pandemic. This week, the entire brewery staff is being vaccinated which is why they feel safe about opening at this point.  “All of us at Logsdon felt that was important for both our own safety and the safety of the community during covid,” says Plutshack.

Over the past few years, since the move to Washougal, the brewery has continued to expand their brand beyond the barrel-aged, mixed-fermentation Farmhouse Ales that put them on the map. Under Halemane’s tutelage, along with Assistant Brewer Mark Pearson, they’ve diversified their portfolio to now include a variety of Lagers, IPA, and other non-barrel aged offerings.

“We have been tidying up the barrel library and getting it down to the projects we are most enthusiastic about.” says Halemane. “That will allow us to balance our time between the wild projects and our recent growth in lager beers and other non-sour styles, making sure nothing gets neglected.”

The brewery anticipates the new location to have licensing in place and hopes to open before the end of the summer.

About Logsdon Farmhouse Ales

Logsdon Farmhouse Ales was founded in 2009, on a farm in Hood River, Oregon, by David Logsdon and Charles Porter. Brewing in a barn on David’s farm, the brewery made a name for themselves with a stellar array of Farmhouse-style Ales including Seizoen Bretta and Peche ‘n Brett, plus a number of other mixed-fermentation, spontaneous, and wild Ales. 2015 saw the brewery restructure ownership, with Porter departing to start Little Beast Brewing, then John Plutshack and Jodie Ayura – among others, taking on an ownership role going forward. In March of 2018, the brewery left Hood River to occupy the former Amnesia Brewing space in downtown Washougal, with David Logsdon retiring from day-to-day operations around the same time. For over a decade, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales has been recognized for their quality beers, awarded with medals at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, as well as being named Small Brewery of the Year at the 2018 Oregon Beer Awards.

Cover image by Joshua Chang