The Pale Ale I’ll Never Forget - And the Brewery That Closed That Day

I’ve had a lot of beers in a lot of places, but only two have made me pause mid-sip and think,“Damn… I’m going to remember this.”

I grew up just outside of Chico, California - the home of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - so my first real beer wasn’t some random lager. It was a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. And if you’ve ever had one, you get it. That bold, balanced, floral burst. The way it cuts through a long day like a song you didn’t realize you missed.

Since then, no matter where I am or what kind of beer menu I’m handed, I measure everything against that pint.

Call it nostalgia. Call it bias. Call it taste. Whatever it is, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is still my first and favorite and the one that defined the rest.

So when a friend and I found ourselves in Reedsport, Oregon on October 20, 2019, walking into a place called Defeat River Brewing, I wasn’t expecting magic. Just a beer. A decent pale ale to cap off a long day.

I asked for a pale ale and was handed a cold pint — I wish I remembered the name. It came in a no-frills glass, the kind that lets the beer do all the talking. I took a sip. Then another.

And just like that, I found it: probably my second favorite beer of all time.

I took a picture of the glass like a tourist spotting Bigfoot. I was thrilled, not just that I found a new favorite, but that it was in a small, unassuming brewery in coastal Oregon. It felt like a discovery.

Then something happened. The owner walked in, pulled the server aside, and had a hushed conversation. You could feel the air shift. A few minutes later, the server leaned back over the bar and said:

“The brewery’s closing. Today. That was the announcement.”

And just like that, the beer I’d just fallen for… was about to disappear.

I don’t know if they actually closed that day, or a few days or weeks later.

But in that moment, it felt final. Like I was witnessing the last call for something special.

It’s always hard when a local business closes. Behind every small taproom or coffee counter is someone’s dream.

But there was something especially poetic about finding an unforgettable pale ale on its last day of existence.

I’ve had a lot of beers since then. Still love Sierra Nevada. But that unnamed pint in Reedsport? It’ll always sit on the shelf next to it in my memory.

To Defeat River Brewing, wherever you are now, cheers and thank you.

That beer mattered to me.

And I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.

💬 What about you?

Have you ever found a business you loved right before it disappeared? A bar, bakery, bookstore, or band that left too soon?

Drop the name below and let’s give them a little shout one more time.