So word on the street* is the beloved community** brewery Prodigal Son has a new brewmaster since Brian Harder has moved back to Portland or thereabouts.
*By ‘street,’ I mean overheard during a city council meeting.
**And I feel qualified to say beloved community brewery, because even casual observers will note that at some point, nearly everyone in Pendleton goes to Prodigal for dinner and/or drinks. Some more frequently than others.
In the course of my writing (and drinking) career, I’ve talked to a lot of brewmasters.
Brian came across as a man dedicated to the art of beer. He showed me around the brew facility once for a story, and he talked about yeast strains and brew temperatures like a chemist talks about molecular structure. For a man who makes brewskis for a living, he would stare at pints with a sober, fervent intensity, and bustle around in Carhartts like a mad scientist explaining what went on in the shiny, stainless steel tanks. It was hard to picture him actually kicking back and drinking.
Under Brian, Prodigal earned a reputation for big, complex, tasty brews like Beer Named Sue and the Bruce/Lee Porter. They recently released the Machtl Lager, which I thoroughly enjoy quaffing.
So here’s wishing him well…and now I better go find out who the new brewmaster is.
–Kate
kwhittle@eastoregonian.com
The Pendleton Papers 