Ninkasi Brewing of Eugene, Oregon has given Northwestern handcrafted beer enthusiasts something to feel even more enthusiastic about.
By Angelo M. De Ieso II
Started by former Steelhead brewer Jamie Floyd and his two partners Nikos Ridge and Tom Kamis, the neoteric company brings to the table a wealth of brewing savoir-faire with a business practice that is community-minded and enviromentally cognizant.
The name Ninkasi is that of the ancient Sumerian goddess of beer who is believed by many to have created the original recipe for beer some 4,000 years ago. And while a few other beer-related organizations around the world have made reference of her, the concept of innovation is refreshing, even in a part of the world that demands inventive and originative brewing practices.
For nearly a decade, Floyd served as brewer at Eugene’s Steelhead Brewing innovating such delectable recipes as the monstrously hoppy Hopasaurus Rex. However, his taste in beer is not limited to American ales, but rather a variety of worldly favorites. Kamis brings a wealth of restaurant knowledge to the operation with his more than 14 years of experience working at Eugene’s popular Café Soriah. In another light, Ridge is an erudite financial officer with a decade of experience working the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and earned an economics degree from NYU. Despite variant backgrounds, the three share a deep-seated passion for innovative, handcrafted brewing and a sincere respect for their community.
Currently leasing and brewing from the space at Sofia’s restaurant in Springfield’s Gateway district, the group plans on relocating in the not so distant future to downtown Eugene on Van Buren Street in the Vos Plumbing building. With Kamis and Ridge holding down operations in Eugene, Floyd has been been spanning the globe in the name of quality beer. Floyd’s ability to correctly identify ten out of twelve IPAs at a charity blind tasting at the 2006 Oregon Brewer’s Festival won him a trip to Munich, Germany where he experienced the historical significance of brewing first hand. He then headed directly to Denver, Colorado for the 25th annual GABF. I recently caught up with he and Ridge to get some insight on the past, present, and future of Ninkasi Brewing.
What was the inspiration behind being a brewer and starting Ninkasi?
NR: (As for brewing), you'll have to ask Jamie, I'm not sure what his original inspiration was, but for me, after having worked in such an abstract intangible industry (The Stock Exchange in New York), the idea of creating a tangible and enjoyable product, where at the end of the day you have something real to show for your efforts, that isn't just some number on paper, was what drew me to the idea of this business and made it enjoyable to me. Eugene is a good scene, lots of beer enthusiasts and a few breweries, but there was definitely room for another, and with the best water in the country here in Eugene it made sense to build our brewery here. The desire to create a good sustainable business that we had control over the direction of, was my main purpose. I've always wanted to work for myself. Jamie with all his brewing experience and skill had been waiting for his opportunity and this proved to be the right time to try it, and it seems to be working out well so far.
JF: I’ve always been fascinated with brewing and began homebrewing in college. After college I got a job as a cook at Steelhead in Eugene. I knew I didn’t want to be a cook forever and thought about my options. I considered opening my own coffee shop. It was about a year before moving on to assistant brewer at Steelhead. Now with this opportunity I can combine the creative and scientific aspects of brewing; the manual, physical labor with thought provoking work. When I am brewing I am introvertive, but when I am sharing our work with the public, I am extrovertive. It is a balance that I enjoy.
What is it that you believe sets Ninkasi apart from the several breweries in Oregon?
NR: We're new and we're young. We have different ideas about the way that things should be in the way we run our business and in how we create our products. We're not just about profits. Quality of life, and the environment we create related to our business are very important, because it's what we spent most of our time doing these days. Jamie is definitely a very talented brewer as well and even though Ninkasi is new there is a lot of experience within the company already. We want to eventually, when we have the capacity, introduce some other less represented European styles into the market, different lagers, and eventually some Beligian styles as well.
JF: Also, I wanted to offer something different like our Lady of Avalon Münchner Dunkel and our Helles Lager, not just the standard American-styled beers—though that is also a big part of what we do. Taking risks and being different is important. I knew that I wanted to be more independent. I have believed in longterm dedication to the community and wanted to be “Eugene’s brewery”; something people of my town could feel proud of and identify with as their own. There are a lot of breweries in Portland, but not so much in Eugene.
Any particular style of beer that is a favorite?
NR: It changes seasonally, but I love trying new styles and new beers. Northwest style ales are excellent and I really like all the monastic breweries in Europe, both the idea of them as well as the beers they produce.
JF: People are always asking me this question and it’s a tough one because I really love beer. I am a serious beer geek. It depends…What season? What hour? I just returned from Munich, Germany tasting some incredible Münchner Dunkels and now I am in Denver enjoying super-hopped IPAs. I am excited about brewing lagers, Belgians, and different beers. I just love beer!
What is the approximate annual (or other) production of the brewery? Will that change when you move?
JF: Right now we are at about 1,100 bbl/year. With the move there will be no overlap in production, but it’s hard to say exactly when the move will occur. Right now we are looking at about six months.
NR: We're growing every month, and have about 25 accounts so far between here and Portland. Were currently limited somewhat by the size of the brewery we're leasing and the number of fermenters, and will definitely have more capacity and will need more capacity when our permanent site opens. We're really excited with the response so far to our business, the beers have been very well received, especially the Total Domination IPA, and it's great to have support from so many people. Eugene is a great place to start because the people here have an interest in supporting a local business and a local product, and for the most part have been very open to doing business with us.
What is on the horizon for Ninkasi?
NR: I’d say it is my goal to make and sell lots of good beer. We're excited to start work on our permanent facility and hope to have it done in the next six months. We're focusing on local distribution first and then when we've reached a saturation point locally in Eugene we'll start with a larger focus on Portland and other areas.
JF: It has been my life-long cause to create quality beer and to educate people on the complexity of beer while still learning myself. When I was in college, I originally wanted to be a teacher. I have taught some pallet classes and some involving beer history and cooking with beer. I think that many people are still unaware that beer is so much more complex and well suited to a variety of menues than wine. From fruit beers and lambics, beer can serve as a deglazer such as wine, but offers up so many more options. Also, the longterm dedication to community is most important.
