Occidental Brewing Company

Dan Engler, Brewmaster and Proprietor

Since Montana's statute of limitations on a minor possessing alcohol has long since run out, it's safe to say that Dan's been brewing beer since he was 17. After some early batches with extracts, it took less than a year to trade up to all-grain brewing in a friend's basement apartment. The youngest of six in a family of caterers, he may have it in his genes to provide others with food and drink, and the early experiments proved a hit at weekly parties on Missoula's University Avenue. Dan tried his hand at the homebrew standards--stouts, porters, English-style ales, etc.--but also made a mean hefeweizen (no lemon, please), alt, marzen, dunkel, and other Continental styles. Since moving to Portland in 2001, he's quenched the thirst of friends, neighbors and guests--not just college partygoers but beer geeks who live in Beervana for a reason. After a slight detour for law school and the cat-herding world of criminal defense, Dan swapped his back-porch setup for a bigger set of kettles and fermenters.

Dan has lived in North Portland since 2003 with his wife, Margaret. Their daughter, Jane, can legally sample Daddy's product in 2029.