Robin Shepard
The interior of Bodihow Brewing in Oregon.
A comfy afternoon hang at Bodihow. Open the garage door, it’s spring!
In just over a year, Bodihow Brewing Company has become an Oregon destination. On a recent Saturday afternoon there was barely an available seat as hockey fans leaving the nearby Oregon Ice Arena celebrated with coffee, craft beer, tacos and nachos. There is more to this craft brewery than good beer. It is also a taqueria, coffee bar, and bicycle shop — joyfully sharing space at 201 Concord Drive in Oregon.
The offbeat formula seems to be working for Bodihow. “I can’t tell you how many people walk in for whatever reason, and they say ‘I had no idea these other parts of the business existed,’” says co-owner Jamie Bush.
The first year of the business has been a bit of a whirlwind. “The focus is on not going crazy,” says Bush’s partner and brewmaster, Mac Schroeder, responsible for keeping at least a dozen different beers on tap.
Schroeder doesn’t like to pick favorites and the brewery’s bestsellers are still emerging. Many of his patrons come in wanting to try everything that the new brewery in town has to offer, he says. And out of a similar sense of experimentation, he hasn’t been repeating many of his beers. But he expects that he’ll eventually find a rhythm for what’s coming out of the brewhouse. One beer that may be close to a signature for Schroeder is a smooth, malty scotch ale that has been on tap pretty consistently since the brewpub opened in fall 2023.
A notable beer on the current taps is Schroeder’s honey lager, made with American honey malt that gives it a light biscuit sweetness. Also notable are a Mexican lager, just in time for Cinco de Mayo; and a big 11% ABV Belgian tripel that made my best of April list. Topping my list of Bodihow’s several hoppy brews is the Mosaic IPA with its juicy, tropical Mosaic hops. Coming up is a seasonal maibock. And as summer kicks in Schroeder plans to serve variations of his blonde ale using strawberries, blackberries and raspberries from nearby Carandale Fruit Farm. Most Bodihow beers fall between 5-7% ABV, and sell for $6-$7/glass.
Bodihow established itself quickly on the craft beer scene in Oregon, which had not had its own microbrewery. Annual barrelage for Bodihow’s first year topped 200 barrels, which Bush and Schroeder see as a very promising start. To meet the growing interest, the brewery just added two additional bright tanks so it can turn out more beer faster.
Bush says that everything in the original business plan has changed in some way to correspond with what people want. The food menu, built around tacos, now includes tortas. They added Sunday brunch. Table service was added from the original counter service. Behind the bar, wine, cocktails and liquor have also been added to the menu.
Bodihow’s coffee business, too, found a niche. The dining room has become a local morning gathering spot. Bush says students like to come in before classes start, and at least a half-dozen local church groups turn up over the course of a week.
The Oregon Bicycle Company occupies about a third of the building and it collaborates with Bodihow on sponsoring weekly runs and bike rides. Bush is also working with village officials and the International Mountain Biking Association to create a bike and skate park adjacent to Bodihow. Bush is hopeful that construction will be underway by the end of the year.
