While January is Dry, February is Frigid, which is why the Oregon Brewers Guild started Zwickelmania to help breweries survive slow winters.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Dry January gets most of the attention, but February beer sales are nearly as bad, according to data from the Brewers Association. Zwickelmania, which is Saturday, Feb. 22, is an opportunity for Oregonians to get a behind-the-scenes look and taste of how local brewers work their magic.
“While January is dry, February is frigid and we definitely see sales in brewpubs and taprooms down both months,” said Sam Pecoraro, President of the Oregon Brewers Guild and Brewmaster of Von Ebert Brewing. “That’s one of the reasons the Oregon Brewers Guild started Zwickelmania in 2009. Local businesses like ours need the support of loyal customers to survive the winter so please go to your favorite brewery this weekend to see how some of the world’s best beers are made.”
According to the Brewers Association, nearly 50% of breweries, taprooms and brewpubs experience their slowest month in either January or February. If you include the other slow onsite months of November and December, 66% of breweries, taprooms and brewpubs experience their slowest month between November and February before things start to pick up in March.
“We always plan for slow winters but we’re still not seeing customers return the way they did pre-pandemic even in warmer months, making it an incredibly challenging time for breweries,” said Colin Rath, Co-founder of Migration Brewing. “Oregon’s breweries need you to not just come out for Zwickelmania but all winter because if you don’t, your favorite spot might not be around come summer.”
More information on Oregon breweries participating in Zwickelmania can be found here: https://www.oregoncraftbeer.org/zwickelmania
The Brewers Association also reports, more breweries, taprooms and brewpubs have closed than new ones have opened – 399 closures compared to 335 openings nationwide in 2024. Since the pandemic, Oregon lost nearly 75 – at least 35 of those in 2024. Craft beer volume is also down -2% this year, as people are drinking less.
Beer is an essential part of Oregon’s identity and economy. Oregon is home to more than 300 breweries, brewpubs and taprooms generating more than $8.7 billion in economic output, $2.8 billion in wages, creating 50,000 jobs in the state. Unfortunately, some state lawmakers are considering a tax increase proposal on these homegrown businesses despite a recent task force declining to recommend a tax increase and 87.5% of the public comments submitted opposed tax increases.
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About the Oregon Beverage Alliance
The Oregon Beverage Alliance is made up of local brewers, winemakers, cidermakers, distillers and their supply and hospitality partners creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and generating $17 billion of economic activity for Oregon annually. Learn more: www.DontTaxMyDrink.org
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