Heater Allen Brewing

Rick Allen spent thirty years in investment banking before deciding he wanted something else. He considered becoming a vintner, then went the other way entirely. Reasoning that a niche product made more sense than another IPA brewery, he spent a year on technique, consistency, and recipe development — at one point brewing fourteen batches of pilsner in a row, which no home brewer does — and opened Heater Allen in April 2007 on a side street in downtown McMinnville. He picked the town for its naturally soft water.

The name is his wife Jan’s maiden name and his own. As he puts it, you should always give your wife first billing. Which makes his daughter Lisa, as he says, a true Heater Allen.

Everything here is German and Czech tradition: German malt, German, Czech, and Oregon hops, a German-style step mash, and long, low-temperature lagering that produces malty, naturally clear beer without filtration. Beers are conditioned in the fermenter and canned unfiltered, which gives a finer bead and a smoother texture. This was a strange bet in 2007, when Northwest craft beer meant ales and extreme flavors. Rick sold hand-labeled bottles out of the back of his garage to people coming through for the wineries. The craft lager boom arrived about eleven years later and found Heater Allen already there.

Lisa Allen came from the wine industry in late 2009 for what she thought was a temporary stint, became head brewer in 2017, and in November 2022 bought a majority share with her partner Kevin Davey, founding brewmaster at Wayfinder Beer and the person credited with creating the Cold IPA style. Rick remains a partial owner and still does the accounting. In 2023 the couple launched Gold Dot Beer, a second brand made at the same brewery, specializing in premium lagers with the occasional IPA. Gold Dot’s Pils de Pils won the Bitburger Pilsner Challenge in 2024.

The taproom was closed for years and reopened after a substantial renovation once a longtime winery tenant vacated the building. There’s a roll-up door and a dog- and kid-friendly patio framed by shipping containers. Brassi’s food truck operates out back. The room is deliberately plain — the beer is the point.