JOHN MORAN/PHOTO It takes Alesong an average of 18 months to make its beer.
A small artisan brewery on Territorial Highway intends to give wine a run for its money.
Alesong Brewing & Blending at 80848 Territorial Highway only makes barrel-aged beer, which is a higher-end, complex beverage, said Doug Coombs, 35. He is one of three partners in the business, along with brother Brian, 31, and friend Matt Van Wyck, 48.
The brothers originally hail from Tahoe and Matt is from Iowa, but they all call Eugene home.
Doug said this type of beer can hold its own alongside wine. Their business model is loosely based on successful winery practices, such as the use of tasting rooms and the use of stemware in which the beer is served to customers.
The brewery recently released a few new beers, including Gose Añejo, a sour ale inspired by a margarita and aged in tequila barrels, and Raindrops on Roses, a rosé-style sour ale aged in French oak barrels with local pinot noir grapes.
Their barrels were once used to age wines and various liquors and the brewery adds its own bit of character to the mix with ingredients it adds and the length of time they age the beer. Doug said, “The beer tells us when it’s ready.”
The blending process inspired its name, Doug said, because making a great beer is much like composing a great piece of music. While each individual instrument sounds good, Doug said the magic is in the way in which they are combined.
The brewery has expanded its distribution and its beer can be found locally at Market of Choice and several other locations. You can find a complete list on its website, alesongbrewing.com.
