As one of the only country clubs brewing on property, Arlington Club has learned a thing or two about beer.
Portland, Ore.’s Arlington Club has been brewing its own beer since 2012. Spearheaded by Executive Chef Leonard Greco and General Manager Mike Legg, the club’s program has grown from very small seasonal batches to one that now features a half-dozen different brews, with a twice-a-week brewing calendar.
“We started on a very small scale,” says Greco, who has been with the club for 19 years. “Mike [Legg] and I were having fun with it. We thought it would be something the membership might enjoy, so we began to look into brewing at the club.”
Legg did extensive research into licensing, and the two talked with local breweries to learn more about what it would take to make their own. They began developing recipes and soon enough, they had an amber ale that members loved.
“From there, we started experimenting with other beers,” says Greco. “Before, I didn’t think our members were beer drinkers—but now we know they are.”
Arlington now brews six different beers, including an amber ale, an India pale ale, a red ale (known as Lip Ripper Red), a “presidential” porter/big brown (to celebrate each new club president), a platinum pale (to celebrate the club’s new Platinum status) and a pilsner.
Here are five tips that Greco is happy to share with other clubs that might want to follow in Arlington’s house-brewing footsteps:
- Research what you want to brew. “Look into what you think would be successful with your membership and then gather as much information as possible before starting,” says Greco. “Sample styles that may be specific to your area or to your members. Treat it like you’d treat food, and try to find local sources for quality hops.”
- You’ll need a license. “Start with federal licensing,” says Greco. “It’s a lot of paperwork, and it’s typically more difficult than local licensing. At Arlington, we’re a ‘public house,’ which means we can brew on-premise and sell our beer in growlers, kegs or barrels. We cannot bottle or can; that requires a different license.”
- Figure out the logistics. “How, where and on what you’re actually going to brew the beer are important steps in the process,” says Greco. “We started with basic home-brewing equipment and quickly outgrew it. We purchased a bigger system and set it up in part of our dry-storage room. You’ll also need a logo, a name and some sort of marketing plan, so your members are aware of what you’re doing.”
- Evaluate your water. “Water can have a big impact on the taste of the beer,” says Greco. “Make sure you get a water test report that shows a list of contaminants and their concentrations and highlights any problem contaminants. Those things can affect the beer and the equipment. We’re fortunate to have really great water here at Arlington.”
- Begin the trial-and-error process. “Funny little problems will come up along the way, but you won’t know what they are until you start brewing,” says Greco. “Start small and get comfortable with it, then grow. It’s helpful to have access to a fermentation expert, too. We’ve struck up friendships with local breweries who have people who have been able to assist us. We’ve also reached out to the manufacturer who makes our brewing equipment, to ask for help when we’ve needed it.”
Once you’re set up, it’s all about consistency and experimentation, says Greco. For one such experiment at Arlington, members began growing, harvesting and delivering hops for the club’s annual fresh-hop beer. “Members typically forget what kind of hops they’re growing, so the beer becomes kind of a mutt—but it’s our mutt, and they love it,” he says.
Going forward, Greco wants to find a way to use some of the honey from Arlington’s rooftop hives. “We use the honey in the kitchen, so why not in the beer, too?” he says. “It’s inverted sugar, but I know there are breweries doing it. So why can’t we?”
