Henry Weinhard's

Lore & Background

Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve was launched in 1976 by the Blitz-Weinhard brewery, a Portland institution first brewed in 1856 by Henry Weinhard. The brand was positioned as a premium beer through a notable advertising campaign in the late 1970s and 1980s. The campaign featured a fictitious beer called Schludwiller, brewed by the fictional California-Eastern Brewing Co. Television commercials showed a border patrolman, played by actor Dick Curtis, questioning drivers Earl and Vern of a Schludwiller beer truck. Schludwiller had a Latin motto: Quod Nesciunt Sibi Damno Non Erit, roughly meaning 'What They Don't Know Won't Hurt Them'.

The Blitz-Weinhard brewery survived multiple ownership changes, including by Pabst, Miller, and eventually MillerCoors (the U.S. unit of Molson Coors). The original Portland brewery, located in what became the Pearl District, was closed in 1999 after being sold to Miller. Production then moved to the Olympia brewery in Tumwater, Washington, which closed in 2003, and later some beers were brewed under contract at Full Sail Brewing Company in Hood River until 2013. In August 2021, Molson Coors announced the end of production for Henry Weinhard's Reserve, but the brand was revived by Eugene, Oregon-based Hop Valley Brewing in 2022.

Reader's Guide

Henry Weinhard's holds significance as a regional Pacific Northwest beer that successfully repositioned itself as a quality microbrew, helping to sustain its popularity against encroaching national brands. Its introduction in 1976 is regarded by many as Oregon's first craft beer, marking an early response to the craft beer movement. The brand's advertising campaign, built around the fictional Schludwiller beer, became a distinctive element of its identity in the late 1970s and 1980s. Despite its favored status with beer drinkers, the original Portland brewery could not be saved and closed in 1999, leading to a massive urban rejuvenation of the Pearl District. The brand's legacy includes its survival through multiple corporate acquisitions and its eventual revival by Hop Valley Brewing in 2022 after Molson Coors discontinued it in August 2021. Additionally, the Henry Weinhard's name has been extended to a line of gourmet sodas, including root beer, vanilla cream soda, orange cream, and black cherry cream, distributed by Molson Coors from Colfax, California.

Did You Know?

• Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve is considered by many to be Oregon's first craft beer, introduced in 1976.
• The brand's advertising campaign featured a fictitious beer called Schludwiller with the Latin motto 'Quod Nesciunt Sibi Damno Non Erit'.
• The original Blitz-Weinhard brewery in Portland was located in what later became the Pearl District and closed in 1999.
• After discontinuation in August 2021, the brand was revived by Hop Valley Brewing in Eugene, Oregon in 2022.