Hair of the Dog Brewing Company

Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Name	Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
Location	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Opened	1993
Key people	Alan Sprints
Owner	Alan Sprints

Hair of the Dog Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded in Portland, Oregon, known for strong ales, bottle-conditioned beers, and a focus on traditional European styles. The brewery gained notoriety for barrel-aged beers and specialty releases that attracted collectors, connoisseurs, and collaborations with other breweries and restaurants. It became a notable player in the Pacific Northwest craft beer movement alongside peers and influenced barrel-aging trends nationally.

History

Hair of the Dog was established in 1993 in Portland, Oregon by brewer Alan Sprints, joining an emerging scene that included Deschutes Brewery, BridgePort Brewing Company, Widmer Brothers Brewing, and Rogue Ales. Early operations overlapped with the rise of Seattle and Oregon craft brewing movements associated with figures such as Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. The brewery built reputation through strong ales, bottle conditioning, and occasional collaborations with regional brewers like Ninkasi Brewery and Fort George Brewery. Over decades, Hair of the Dog interacted with national trends shaped by events like the Great American Beer Festival and institutions such as the Brewing Industry Guide and the Brewers Association.

The founder, Alan Sprints, was influenced by historic European breweries including Brouwerij Westvleteren, Trappist breweries, Cantillon, and Brewery De Dolle Brouwers. As the brewery matured it navigated regulatory environments involving the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission and federal rules of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The brewery’s timeline intersects with wider craft milestones like the expansion of craft beer distribution networks and the proliferation of beer-focused publications such as All About Beer and BeerAdvocate.

Brewery and Facilities

Located in Portland industrial neighborhoods, the brewery’s physical site sits among other craft producers like Portland Brewing Company and Cascade Brewing. Facilities included stainless steel fermenters, oak barrels sourced from cooperages associated with Bourbon and Port producers, and a bottling line reflecting boutique production scales similar to The Bruery and Russian River Brewing Company. The brew house equipment and conditioning cellars paralleled investments seen in operations by Anchor Brewing Company and Atwater Brewery.

The brewery’s barrel program used barrels formerly holding products from producers such as Jim Beam, Buffalo Trace, and European wineries connected to brands like Château Margaux. The site’s tasting and bottle-shop activities followed models employed by Stone Brewing and Victory Brewing Company, while interactions with local institutions such as Portland State University and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry were occasional through events and education.

Beer List and Brewing Philosophy

Hair of the Dog focused on strong ales, bottle-conditioning, and long maturation with a lineup including barleywines, imperial stouts, and mixed-fermentation sour ales. Signature beers drew inspiration from historic European and American examples like Old Ale traditions, Belgian Lambic methods at Cantillon, and English strong ale practices observed at Fuller's and Samuel Smith Brewery. Releases often referenced collaborators and influences such as Michael Jackson (writer), whose beer writing influenced modern craft palates, and breweries like Goose Island Beer Company and Founders Brewing Company that popularized barrel-aged programs.

Brewing philosophy emphasized traditional ingredients and time-intensive processes akin to practices at Brouwerij Rodenbach and The Kernel Brewery, with bottle-conditioning approaches paralleling Gueuze blending techniques used at Drie Fonteinen. Yeast strains and barrel microbiomes were treated with specificity comparable to protocols at Jester King Brewery and Cantillon. The brewery produced limited-run bottles that entered secondary markets frequented by collectors of beers from Russian River Brewing Company, AleSmith Brewing Company, and The Lost Abbey.

Awards and Recognition

Hair of the Dog and its beers received attention from judges and publications associated with Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup, RateBeer, and BeerAdvocate. Individual releases were discussed in national outlets like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and specialty periodicals such as Draft Magazine and Celebrator Beer News. The brewery was cited in guidebooks and histories by authors linked to Oxford University Press and Yale University Press beer scholarship, and featured in broadcast pieces on NPR and regional coverage by the Oregonian.

Peers and commentators from breweries such as Russian River Brewing Company, The Bruery, and Stone Brewing recognized Hair of the Dog for influence on barrel-aging and strong ale presentations, while festival panels at events like Brewcon and Epcot Food and Wine Festival sometimes included references to the brewery’s methods.

Distribution and Availability

Production remained small relative to national brands like Anheuser-Busch InBev, Molson Coors, and Heineken International, focusing distribution in the Pacific Northwest and specialty beer shops across United States markets with connections to retailers such as Whole Foods Market and independent bottle shops influenced by communities on BeerAdvocate and Untappd. Limited bottle releases reached collectors in cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, and New York City via specialty importers and auction platforms discussed in The New York Times and Esquire features.

Occasional collaborations and tap takeovers linked the brewery with venues like Deschutes Brewery Public House, BA Baracus-style bars, and craft beer festivals including Portland Craft Beer Festival and regional tasting events promoted by Oregon Brewers Festival organizers.

Controversies and Legal Issues

Over time, craft breweries have faced legal and regulatory disputes involving labeling, distribution rights, and trademark issues seen in cases with firms such as Boston Beer Company and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company; Hair of the Dog navigated similar challenges related to Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulations and state-level retail frameworks administered by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. Debates in media involving allocation of limited releases and secondary-market reselling paralleled controversies that affected breweries like Russian River Brewing Company and Tree House Brewing Company.

Legal conversations around barrel sourcing, import of cooperage previously used by spirit producers like Jim Beam and Buffalo Trace, and trade practices occurred in the broader industry context including precedents involving Anheuser-Busch and independent craft brewers. Media coverage by outlets such as Willamette Week and The Oregonian discussed market dynamics and consumer expectations around limited releases and brewery transparency.

Category:Beer companies based in Oregon