Last week's guests on the Grand Craft Beer podcast, Shannon McMenamin and General Manager Rob Vallance, discussed launching the homegrown beer empire's foray into podcasting to reveal the hidden stories—much like many of its properties' hidden bars—behind 40 years of putting out beer, putting on concerts, and putting Cajun tots on the map.
This is an excerpt of that conversation, edited lightly for clarity.
Source Weekly: How did the Red Shed Tapes podcast originate?
Shannon McMenamin: It's been something that we've talked about for a long time. With the 40th anniversary this year, it was a great opportunity. We really explored the option a lot during that pandemic period where we were really reflective on what we've done and what the future would hold. It became apparent that we needed to get those stories put together somewhere because...none of us are going to be around forever. People don't know about what we do and who we are, and that's really integral to what we do as a company. And it's a lot of fun.
SW: There's no end to the number of stories given that McMenamins has so many locations in operation over so many years. What can you tell me about what it's been like to add different facets, different properties and different beverages?
SM: It happened pretty naturally. In the early days with the historic locations and antiques, those things were less expensive, once upon a time. So that was a good way to decorate. And back then you could get into a space for what seems like not very much money. But historic preservation is not what it seems at first.
It's just, it's been just an evolution, really. Originally it was, well, I guess we could probably make our own beer; that would be pretty fun. You know, and then both people also like wine so it could be kind of fun to have a winery. And what about liquor? And you need music. People would be into that. And what about hotel rooms. It builds upon itself over time.
SW: What can you tell us about bringing Old St. Francis here in Bend into the fold coming up on 20 years ago?
Rob Vallance: I was a district manager at the time. I helped with the installation of the brewery but was not primarily involved with it. The longtime brewer, Curly, he and I actually worked together at West Linn. He started at West Linn when I was the brewer (there) in the late '90s. So I've known him since he basically was just out of college and looking for a job and got on it with us at West Linn.
SW: Was Curly the original brewer at Old St. Francis when it opened in 2004? I know he's now at Wild Ride Brewing up in Redmond and Vance Wirtz has taken over at your brewery. It's a lot to keep track of, considering McMenamins operates 17 breweries across Oregon, 24 in all counting Washington.
RV: (Dave "Chowder") Fleming was the original brewer there for less than two years.
SW: Yeah, Chowder! He's been all over the Oregon beer industry. Which brings up how many renowned brewers in the industry have come up through McMenamins. So, I'm interested in how many episodes of Red Shed Tapes there will be in the future simply given the number of brewers who are so well known and well regarded who got their start there including Jamie Floyd, co-founder of Ninkasi and John Harris, who just retired after launching Ecliptic 10 years ago.
RV: And Jack Harris from Fort George Brewery.
SW: Yeah. Yet, when people think about the overall concept of McMenamins beers they think Terminator, Ruby Hammerhead and a rotating IPA like Sunflower. Do you have any handle on how many beers between all those breweries have been concocted?
RV: So many hundreds. It'd be fun for our blog to make one of our historians actually go through and try and get a list together.
SM: I know we're definitely going to do multiple ones on brewing and beer and the history there. Because like you said, there's all these brewers who have kind of spun off from the company, but not just that because there are so many people who are still working with us, too. Like, there's a ton of us and we have so much fun and there's so many cool things. But our next episode, already in the hopper, is about music.
SW: I love how the restaurant at Crystal, Zeus Café…
SM: We just renamed it Hal’s Café after the former manager who passed away in 2022.
SW: No secret your dad and Brian are huge Deadheads. So the story about how there are musical notes in the stained glass at Hal’s Café that are the actual notes to “Dark Star,” one of the most famous Grateful Dead songs. But then, there's these Easter eggs all over Crystal and probably every other property. Is there a book that lists all those secret things from the art to the hidden bars to the simple fact that one of your chefs, Gina Niesel, who literally invented Cajun tots.
SM: This is the problem! It’s all in Dad’s and Brian’s heads. Everything in all of our locations are deliberate and tied to our history. With the podcast it’s important to have all of those voices that bring our company to life. We’ve got brewers and winemakers and coffee makers, but also gardeners and music directors. And yeah, Gina’s awesome with how she approaches her philosophy with both food and really helps to kind of make the places have an identity because she's been a long-term, long-term employee.
—Listen to the rest of the conversation (and the extended version of this transcription!) by visiting the podcasts tab of bendsource.com.
