With only two years in operation, Arable Brewing Company is a small, craft five-barrel brew house with all beer brewed in-house and poured straight from the tap. This owner-operated establishment officially became a business in 2020 but delayed its grand opening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tasting room debuted in 2022, and ever since, spouses Amy Wells and Cameron Wells and their close friend, Chris Archer, have been running the show.
Between Cameron and Chris, they have over 15 years of experience in the brewery industry, and Amy comes from a business background, handling all the behind-the-scenes company logistics. Since opening, one of them has always been working behind the cash register, greeting regulars.
Wells says, “We’ve been in the industry for years and have watched the small local businesses start out as a neighborhood situation and have grown above and beyond that.” She says, “Our drive is to stay local. It is to keep it in the community. We don’t have any aspirations for distributing outside of Oregon or beyond, even outside of Eugene. We are self-distributed, we keep it close, which allows us to keep a tight handle on the product that we serve, so I’m very proud of the beer that we put out for everybody to try.”
Every few weeks, the brewery features new, rotating IPAs to keep the selection fresh for even the most regular of customers. On the patio of the brewery, there are food carts, such as A Little Pizza Oregon and Rico Bueno Mexican Grill. This makes it easy to grab a pint and find a bite to eat without needing to go far. The tasting room is a small, cozy and inviting space for anyone to enjoy — minors are even allowed until 9 pm. In addition, the brewery has just opened a second space, dubbing it the 21-plus lounge, so adults can enjoy a calm environment.
Having a staff of three gives the Arable Brewing Company the ability to connect with customers and build lasting community relationships. “We have created these relationships with our customers, who, some of them, we now consider friends.” Wells says, “And for example, we have this one couple who they started coming when she was pregnant, then they had their little boy and then he had his one year birthday at our brewery and he is about to celebrate year two, and they’re already celebrating his next birthday at the brewery.”
She says, “I’ve been able to watch him grow over the last few years, and it’s just been really fun to be a part of all of that, and for these people to feel comfortable enough to come and want to hang out with us like that. I love that.”
Arable Brewing is located in the industrial area in west Eugene, where Wells says the local businesses have welcomed them with open arms. She says she has met with and maintains relationships with several local business owners who erode the sense of competition in an otherwise competitive business market.
“As far as the industry itself, I don’t know any other industry that is as welcoming and as encouraging,” says Wells, adding that Arable Brewing has even been able to do collaborations with other breweries in town.
She says, “There’s no animosity. Other brewers come to our spot to drink our beer, and we go to their spots to drink their beer. And, I just love that about the industry.”
When asked what inspired them to start their own brewing company, Wells says it started with many pints shared around the fire pit late at night.
“The guys had been doing it for so long for somebody else, and we had real ideas about how we wanted people to feel when they went out to drink beer, and we just thought, ‘We can do it. We can create a spot that is welcoming to everyone, and we can make really good beer to go along with that,’” Amy says.
Amy says Arable aims to create a soothing space for people that feels like they’re at home in their living room. She says it’s a big compliment when people say anybody can come and feel comfortable in their space.
“Good people making good beer. We’re just a couple of average folks, on a shoestring budget, I know that sounds kind of goofy or whatever, but it’s true. We don’t come from a lot of money, we’ve done all the work ourselves, and we pride ourselves on that from the ground up.”
Arable Brewing Company is open from 2 pm to 8 pm every Wednesday and Thursday, 2 pm to 9 pm on Fridays, noon to 9 pm on Saturdays, and 2 to 6 pm on Sunday at 510 Conger Street. 541-844-1296. More at WeAreArable.com.