Widmer Brothers Brewing Collaborates with Timbers Goalkeeper on Centennial Celebration IPA

Portland, Ore. – Widmer Brothers Brewing and Portland Timbers Goalkeeper Jake Gleeson teamed up to brew a small-batch, commemorative beer – “Centennial Celebration IPA,” a pineapple rye India Pale Ale– to mark the 100th consecutive Portland Timbers regular season match sellout. Centennial Celebration IPA will be tapped exclusively at Providence Park at the Timbers match on Saturday, September 10th as the team hosts Real Salt Lake.

Centennial Celebration is a fitting name for the Timbers’ impressive regular-season sellout streak, which spans every regular season home game dating back to the club’s inaugural MLS season in 2011. During that time more than 2 million fans have attended games.

Gleeson, from Palmerston North, New Zealand, has been with the Timbers since 2011, and worked on the recipe with the Widmer Brothers innovation team, led by brewmaster Tom Bleigh. The collaboration included a nod to Gleeson’s home country as it included New Zealand hop varietal Wakatu.

“This chance to collaborate with Widmer Brothers on such a bold and unique beer is very exciting,” said Gleeson, of the collaboration. The combination of Wakatu, Citra, and Mosiac hops with fresh pineapple highlights an amazing tropical fruit profile in Centennial Celebration IPA.

“This is a fun, unique combination of ingredients that make for a flavorful, vibrant IPA, worthy of celebration,” said Bleigh. “When we first started talking to Jake about recipe ideas, we wanted to take inspiration from his background and taste preferences, as well as our innovation team’s creativity. The result is something we feel Timbers fans and beer fans alike will enjoy.”

While the beer is expected to sellout in short order at the September 10th match, fret not Timbers and Widmer Brothers fans: Centennial Celebration IPA will be tapped at the Widmer Brothers Pub in North Portland the following Saturday, September 17th after the club’s match with the Philadephia Union. At 6pm you can join members of the Portland Timbers at Widmer Brothers’ North Portland pub and enjoy a pint of the Centennial Celebration IPA, or Widmer Brothers’ array of beers.

About Centennial Celebration IPA

  • Style: Pineapple Rye IPA — To mark the occasion of the Timbers’ 100th consecutive sellout—which includes a whopping two million fans through Providence Park turnstiles—Widmer Brothers and Portland keeper Jake Gleeson made a small-batch tropical IPA whose flavor, as the New Zealanders might say, is Chocka. Gleeson chose to spice this IPA with rye malt, and complemented his choice of Citra, Mosaic, and Wakatu (NZ) hops with some fresh pineapple – like the Timbers and the 2015 season, a winning combination.
  • MALT: 2 Row, Flaked Rye, Rye Malt, and C-40
  • HOPS: Citra, Mosaic, and Wakatu
  • ABV: 5.5% | IBU: 60

For more information on Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit widmerbrothers.com or see what the brewery is up to on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Widmer Brothers Brewing

Widmer Brothers Brewing helped create the Pacific Northwest craft beer movement in 1984 when founders Kurt and Rob Widmer, then in their 20s, began brewing unique interpretations of traditional German beer styles. In 1986, Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced the original American-style Hefeweizen, which elevated the brewery to national acclaim. Since then, the brewery’s iconic Hefe, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2016, has grown to become Oregon’s favorite craft beer. For more than three decades, Widmer Brothers has continued to push the boundaries of craft beer. Based in Portland, Oregon, the brewery currently brews a variety of beers including Hefe, Upheaval IPA, Steel Bridge Porter, Drop Top Amber, Replay IPA, and a full seasonal lineup. Additionally, the brewery continues to make a series of limited edition, small-batch beers available in Oregon and at the Widmer Brothers Pub in North Portland.