Brewery Tour: pFriem Family Brewers

In a craft beer world rife with experimentation and envelope-pushing, sometimes making excellent beers to style with near-perfect precision is a lost art.

As the hype cycle for new, massively-hopped Double and Triple IPAs continues to wax and wane nationwide, pFriem Family Brewers in Hood River, Oregon produces stellar creations in a variety of styles all packaged in elegant, stylish bottles with well-designed labels and an engaging logo.

Founded in 2012 by the Pfriem family, the goals of the brewery – as outlined on its website – are modest: “to build a business that was tightly integrated with our family lives, to honor the place we call home and love so dearly, and to create a warm, friendly space where others could experience our creations,” according to the pFriem website.

The goals of pFriem were modest: “To build a business that was tightly integrated with our family lives, to honor the place we call home and love so dearly, and to create a warm, friendly space where others could experience our creations."

Many of pFriem’s marketing materials are festooned with the phrase “Op uw gezondheid,” which is Flemish for “Cheers!” The phrase is so beloved by the brewery that their website leads with that phrase. It serves as a perfect reminder that pFriem is a family-owned and operated business that focuses on quality and providing a pleasant and welcoming environment in which to imbibe the family’s delectable wares.

The delicious beers that pFriem Family Brewers produces are far from simple, however. With production at 20,000 barrels a year, pFriem’s beers are “rife with complexity and elegance,” according to their website – delivering historically accurate beers that are true to style and artistic achievements by themselves. Featuring three different lines, Classic, Select and Barrel-Aged, pFriem Family Brewers covers all the bases when it comes to craft beer drinkers’ palates.

Starting with the Classic line-up of beers, pFriem has all the styles you would expect. As the company’s website says, these beers “are approachable and flavorful, the perfect reward for a long work day or a strenuous float down the river. Building on centuries of brewing, the style of beers might be familiar but the complexity will surprise you.”

Featuring an American IPA, a German Pilsner (silver medal winner at the 2013 GABF), a Helles, a single-hop Pale Ale and other interesting styles, pFriem’s Classic line-up of beers employs a wide range of interesting styles created with high-quality local ingredients, brewed in the same tradition as the regions they were born from. Housed in slender and elegant 12-oz. bottles, these Classics are sure to impress any and all craft beer enthusiasts that get their hands on them.

The Select line of beers features more rotating, seasonal and limited-release batches of beer, featuring delightful concoctions such as a Belgian Strong Dark, Belgian Strong Blonde, numerous strengths of Saison (ranging from 4.5 to 9.5% ABV), a Gose, a Brett Beer and seasonal favorites such as a Winter Warmer and a Pumpkin beer.

Last but certainly not least are the brewery’s barrel-aged offerings. pFriem expanded its barrel-aged program in early 2016, filling out its 20,000 sq. ft. location with a dedicated barrel room. The barrel-aged beers run the gamut of styles, including the ever-popular barrel-aged imperial stout, numerous fruited sours (oude kriek, framboise, peche are amongst the favorites), a Flanders Blonde and a Flanders Red.

If you ever find yourself in the Hood River area (which you should, it’s one of the best places for craft beer in America), stop by pFriem and sample some of the homey vibe and stellar craft brews on display at pFriem. Op uw gezondheid!

Featuring three different lines, Classic, Select and Barrel-Aged, pFriem Family Brewers covers all the bases when it comes to craft beer drinkers’ palates.