When Mike Weyandt and Eric Drew, founders of Casa Agria, were roommates at the University of Oregon, they developed a penchant for beer. But not cheap, throw-it-down-the-hatch-as-fast-as-you-can-type beer like other college kids. No. They liked the good, high-quality beer, the kind you swish around in your mouth like wine.
That appreciation only deepened during their college years as they immersed themselves in Oregon’s craft beer scene. In 2008, a few years after they graduated — Weyandt in 2002 and Drew in 2004 — Weyandt’s uncle, taking note of their interest, presented them with an offer they couldn’t refuse: Do you guys want to learn how to make beer?
Having brewed in the early ’80s, Weyandt’s uncle knew his stuff. “And so, my uncle took us under his wing, taught us everything he knew,” explained Weyandt. “And then, you know, all of us were brewing every single weekend.”