This is interesting: Oregon Public Broadcasting‘s "Oregon Experience" program is debuting a beer history documentary on November 5: "Beervana".

Beer brewing has a long, colorful history in Oregon. Today, Portland is known as the beer capital of the world.

Oregonians have long been enthusiastic about their beer. In 1852, beer came to the Northwest when Henry Saxer opened the Liberty Brewery at the corner of First and Davis in downtown Portland. Many came in Saxer’s wake — most notably fellow German immigrant, Henry Weinhard — to quench the thirsts of loggers, miners, fishermen and farmers who would build the region. The next installment of Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Oregon Experience series looks at the history of beer brewing in the state and at the vibrant craft beer industry that exists today. Tune in to the stations of OPB on Monday, November 5 at 9pm to find out about how the adventurous tastes of Oregonians inspired a micro-brewing movement.

It’s the craft beer of Oregon — made locally, recognized worldwide — that contributes significantly to the state’s economy and fuels a vibrant social culture in the form of numerous brew pubs. With its clean water, hops and barley production, Oregon is fertile ground for the beer industry. And with a population willing to try a range of styles and categories of beer, it’s no wonder that Portland, with more breweries than anywhere — including Germany — is now considered the beer capital of the world. With ingenuity and determination, the industry survived the temperance movement and prohibition, and now pumps over $2 billion into the state’s economy.

This documentary tells the story of this industry through compelling and amusing anecdotes from the fascinating characters of the Oregon beer community.

It’s a half hour, premiering Monday, November 5th at 9pm. If you’re in the Oregon area, check it out (on whatever your local OPB channel happens to be).