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| 6/3/2005 9:31:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article
Comment on this article | Terminal Gravity caps its brewing success
If you’ve always loved Wallowa County’s local microbrew, now you’ll be able to find it bottled, though it may take some searching. Terminal Gravity’s IPA (India Pale Ale) is a much-in-demand beer. The company ships to distributors in Eugene, Portland and La Grande, which are making the brewery’s most popular beer available to buyers outside the county. While the company has shipped kegs west for some time, the bottled brew is a new treat for TG fans.
Terminal Gravity started bottling on Nov. 20, and IPA has been rolling off the line since then, although with a few fits and starts in the beginning. Co-owner and general manager Steve Carper worked through a transition period.
“It (was) just the logistics of ramping up production, especially during construction,” he said. Construction at Terminal Gravity will continue through June, as the brewery plans to add four more buildings to house its recent acquisition — the facility workings of a larger brewery that went out of business in Crescent City, Calif.
Does he think bottling will work out for the company?
| Directions | | Terminal Gravity’s pub and brewery is located in Enterprise south of Highway 82 on School Street. TG may be reached at 541-426-0158. |
“It’s already worked out. We’ve got orders right now for 72 pallets (of IPA),” Terminal Gravity currently produces three to four pallets a week, each consisting of about 63 cases, but that looks to change in the future as the brewery expands.
Anyone driving past Terminal Gravity has probably noticed the shiny tanks and complex machinery that appeared at the end of August and the cluster of new buildings that have appeared since. Once installed and running, the new facilities will jump the brewery’s output by a factor of 16, Carper estimated.
“The new line can run pretty hard. It could do 40,000 barrels per year. We did 2,400 this year,” he said.
The upgrade was an expensive investment, but Carper is confident of its wisdom. He stressed that Terminal Gravity has a history of never financing too heavily, or spending its gains on sales and marketing. “Too many (microbreweries) see the golden egg in their future,” he said. “That’s what happened in Crescent City.” Terminal Gravity is following a path of slow and steady improvement, not speculation, Carper explained.
In addition to providing its critically acclaimed beer, Terminal Gravity provides jobs. The company has become a significant employer in the county, with “about 15” employees at or near full-time this spring, Carper said. “And we’ll be looking to hire more as we ramp up,” he added.
Initially, there were no plans to bottle any of the Terminal Gravity brews other than IPA, so lovers of a quality stout, an ESG or any of the seasonal beers will still have a good reason to escape to the brewery.
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Reader Comments
Posted: Sunday, October 30, 2005
Article comment by:
Charles Royer
I recently discovered your IPA on a trip to Oregon. Any way to ship to state of WA? How can I assist? Think i can spread the word among many beer affectionados. thanks.
Chuck Royer
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