Deschutes Brewery partners with Fish and Family Seafoods (unfortunately, not for a collab beer)

Don’t worry my fishy friend, you’ll be on my plate soon enough.

For brewpubs, brewing excellent beer is only half of the recipe for success. The other half? A killer menu to pair with your excellent craft beers. That’s why Deschutes Brewery has partnered with Fish and Family Seafoods to source “fresher than fresh” wild Alaskan salmon for its Bend and Portland public houses. The Alaskan fishing company is owned by Adam Hackett and Lexi Fish Hackett, the niece of Deschutes Brewery founder, Gary Fish, and it offers line-caught, frozen-at-sea fish. The Fish and Family process prevents the fish from degrading and keeps high-quality protein intact, preserving the day-of-catch fresh taste.

Executive chef Jill Ramseier, who heads up the brewery’s Portland pub, said, “This partnership allows us to serve salmon that is peak quality and flavor because of the way it is caught and preserved. Our kitchen is thawing and utilizing entire fish daily, having fun experimenting and creating delicious dishes from every part of the salmon — including collars and fins — in order to minimize waste while offering variety to our customers.”

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Fish and Family is part of a small fleet of salmon trollers producing a limited supply of high-quality, frozen-at-sea salmon. Soon after a fish is caught and immediately cleaned, it is blast-frozen aboard the family’s boat — usually within an hour. The fish remain in the boat’s hold — which is actually a freezer — until arriving at port. The detailed cleaning and blast-freeze process prevents the fish from degrading and keeps high-quality protein intact. In addition, Fish and Family fishing grounds are located in cold Alaskan ocean waters, which makes for great fat content and flavor.

Not only is the new partnership a family affair, but the fish are caught sustainably with hook and line — an important factor for Deschutes Brewery. Fish and Family values align with the brewery’s culture when it comes to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

The salmon can be found on the menu at both the original downtown Bend Deschutes Brewery location at 1044 NW Bond Street and at the Pearl District location in Portland at 210 NW 11th Street.