Sad news coming in from 45th and Belmont. Don Younger, the undisputed godfather of Oregon craft brews and proprietor behind the Horse Brass Pub, is reportedly unconscious and on a respirator in the cardiac intensive care unit. OregonLive is reporting that he’s not expected to survive long. Younger’s influence on NW beer can’t be overstated. Any number of heavy-hitter breweries—Widmer, Bridgeport, and Full Sail, among others—can trace their roots back to conversations over pints in Younger’s bar.
John Foyston at OregonLive is reporting from the Horsebrass, where friends, brewers, fellow-publicans, and admirers are raising pints of Younger’s Special Bitter. I imagine the toasting will carry on late into the night, and we’ll update you with news of Younger’s condition as it becomes available. For those unfamiliar with the Portland legend, I might point you to Brian Libby’s 2006 profile in Imbibe.
Updated:It’s been reported that Younger passed around 12:30 this morning. He will be missed. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on any word of a public memorial.
I don’t think I was ever formally introduced to Don, but I’ve been the beneficiary of his passion and largesse on many, many occasions. When I moved to Portland more than a decade ago, the Horse Brass was the only bar I knew of ahead of the move, and the first place I sought out when I finally landed. Many good times have been had in the Horse Brass, even when the smoke was so thick you could barely see two feet in front of you. Amazing to think there was a time when Blitz and Oly were all that was on tap there… I wish Don the best, but from the sound of things, he would appear to be in pretty dire straits. Wherever you’re going, Don, I’m sure you and Billy will have some pints lined up for us when we meet up with you!
Don passed around 12:30 this morning. He was great host, a great friend, a great boss, and a great man.
http://twitter.com/#!/lompocbeer
Legend holds that he acquired the place in a poker game. Woke up on the floor of the joint one morning, only to find himself holding a deed. He once explained the intricacies of liquor pricing to me at length just because I pointed out to him that I was going to be waiting tables at another restaurant that evening.
His incredibly bad habits are also the thing of legend, and I’m not a hundred per cent surprised that he’s probably gonna be leaving us, but all that aside, he’ll be missed.
Pardon. Posted that ‘probably’ before I had a chance to read ElGordo.
Also: it would be great to be described as a “publican” on the occasion of one’s death.
It’s a sad, sad day for Beervana.
Tom May, MC of the annual Winterfolk benefit concert for Sisters of the Road, is currently composing a tribute piece to be performed at Winterfolk this Saturday, Feb 5th, at the Aladdin.
Would love to be there, but Motorhead at the Roseland trumps it, I’m afraid. Raise a toast to Don for me…