(It’s also taxonomically related to cannibis, but I’m sure that has nothing to do with it.)

Why do you suppose that was/is with Oregonians (and now a widespread affliction)?

Is it because increased hopping added the most distinct flavor character to an otherwise bland beer world, thus drinkers knew that if it was hop-bombed it would actually have flavor?

Two stories. Back in the 90s, there was a brewery here called Saxer, helmed by a brewer of pristine German lineage, Tony Gomes. The brewery produced only lagers and the flagship was a decoction bock. When I visited, the owner, Steve Goebel, was raving about the beer but made the comment that their bock was partly good because of the increased hop rates Oregonians demanded. Poor Gomes’ face fell. He instantly apologized, which caused Goebel to react in alarm. (This was a beer that won three consecutive golds at the GABF–no one had anything to apologize for.)

Second story. This weekend I was visiting breweries in Astoria, and the new brewer at Astoria Brewing relayed an amusing tale about the flagship beer, Bitter Bitch. It’s a 100+ IBU hop monster, totally out of balance but beloved by locals. The brewer decided to ratchet the beer back to 93 IBUs (!), the threshold at which he figured people couldn’t taste further IBUs. But people knew and complained. He had to go back to the original hop schedule.

We’re getting better about expanding our horizons, but hops are a big deal.

“Certainly (ours) was more heavily hopped, as we are in the Pacific Northwest…”

Pac Northwest is a reason for heavily hopping? Hmm.

“The key thing, I guess, is that our yeast handling was very rudimentary and we were terrified of things microscopic.”

Hah — I like that honesty, might even make me try out the Widmer again with that sort of perspective in mind.

Actually, I was — and did, and was shocked to taste this murky thing called a “Hefeweizen”… and there was none of that character I was expecting (as you point out).

I understand the inspiring part, but I wonder why the name was hijacked — off to the interview.

Oh, and I don’t really remember seeing much Bud drunk at all in Portland then — after all, it had the most brew-pubs per capita (maybe still has) than any other city in the US.