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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Since You Asked: Canned corn OK for fishing, not for chumming ... Last hours of armed standoff play out online for listeners ... UPDATED: Oregon Senate approves bill to increase minimum wage ... Since You Asked: Canned corn OK for fishing, not for chumming ... Last hours of armed standoff play out online for listeners ... UPDATED: Oregon Senate approves bill to increase minimum wage ... AT THE EXPO Craft beer makers proliferate in Southern Oregon The Southern Oregon Brew Fest is the place to quench your thirst for beer born here. Comment By Sam Wheeler Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Sam Wheeler Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 20, 2014 at 5:45 PM By Sam Wheeler Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 20, 2014 at 5:45 PM » Social News The Southern Oregon Brew Fest is the place to quench your thirst for beer born here. Today, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the The Expo in Central Point, is the final chance to fill your glass with ales, lagers, porters and pilsners from Southern Oregon and across the state, all under one roof. Jesse Andreatta, 35, of Medford, who moved to the Rogue Valley about two years ago from Nevada, says he's delighted by the boisterous beer scene here. "I can't drink the generic beers like Budweiser anymore; I've been spoiled with too much good beer," Andreatte said. " I dig these kind of events ... . It's nice to be able to try so many awesome beers in one place." The craft beer scene in Southern Oregon is growing faster than many brewers can brew, but that's not a terrible problem to have, according to Rusty Bucket owner and brewer Paul Woolley. Woolley started nano brewery Rusty Bucket in February out of his home in southwest Medford and likes the brewery's chances of expansion in the future, because, he says, everyone who takes a sip of his beers likes them. "I expect that the Rogue Valley will likely be another mini-Bend when it comes to beer," Woolley said. "This place is ripe for craft beer." Woolley, who was set up at the Brew Fest Saturday pouring Rusty Bucket beers from taps installed into the side of a 1930 Ford Tudor Sedan, isn't alone in that thinking. "The Medford scene is getting big," said Travis Fiebelkorn, a sales representative for Southern Oregon Brewing Company, which started brewing in Medford in 2006. "We've had pretty much year-over-year growth, production hasn't slowed down," Fiebelkorn said. "(Craft beer) is making Medford a destination. We love it, you'll get people that come to Medford just to visit the breweries." "Oregon is becoming the mecca for beer," said James Smith, brewer at Gold Beach-based Arch Rock Brewing Company. That's precisely the reason Smith and his wife Kristen Smith moved to Gold Beach from Utah to help start and run Arch Rock two years ago. "We've been brewing at maximum capacity pretty much since we started and we can barely keep up," James Smith said. The Smiths attend as many craft beer festivals and events as they can in order to increase Arch Rock's exposure. "People taste the beer and are calling us back, so that's a good sign," said Kristen Smith, who expects more sip-producing smiles today at The Expo. Reach reporter Sam Wheeler at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/swhlr . By Sam Wheeler Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Sam Wheeler Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 20, 2014 at 5:45 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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