The Ninkasi Better Living Room is a restaurant and gathering space to celebrate beer, food, art, and community. Our kitchen celebrates locally sourced food and flavors of the region while complementing the unique flavors craft beer drinkers enjoy. Plus, our expanded bar provides more taps to share our unique and innovative small-batch beers brewed on our 5-barrel Pilot Brewery.New Hours:Tuesday-Thursday: 12-9pm, Friday & Saturday: 12-10pm, Sunday: 10am-4pm with a brunch menu, Monday: Closed, beer-to-go sales only from 12-5pmReservations are encouraged, but not required. Due to occupancy restrictions, we ask that you limit your experience with us to 2 hours as a courtesy to those waiting to be seated.
Two friends share a pint at a small beer bar in Eugene, Oregon and begin a conversation that undoubtedly involves the craft they are imbibing.Ninkasi NikosBack in 2005, neither Jamie Floyd nor Nikos Ridge knew exactly where their friendship would lead. What they did know was it would probably center around beer.Born and raised in Eugene, Nikos moved to Manhattan to begin a career in finance. After five years, he began to pine for the West Coast lifestyle of his hometown and moved back to Eugene in 2004.Simultaneously, Jamie began to discover his love of brewing. Born in Livermore and raised in Cupertino, California, Jamie moved north to attend the University of Oregon in 1990. He brewed his first batch of homebrew in the kitchen of a campus co-op called The Lorax. That first stout propelled Jamie into an 11-year brewing career at Steelhead Brewery in Eugene.Introduced through mutual friends, the two had become buddies at a time when Jamie was ready to embark on his own. Over a pint of Jamie’s beer, Nikos and Jamie discussed the potential of opening a brewery – a dream Jamie was certain to make happen. With Jamie’s brewing background and Nikos’ finance knowledge, the two had a winning combination to successfully open a business. After leaving the pub, Jamie eagerly waited an hour before calling Nikos with an affirmative, “this is happening.”Ninkasi - JamieEnter the Goddess.Jamie and Nikos knew they not only wanted a brewery, but they wanted to do things a little differently. The dream: become “the village brewer,” providing a place for people to come together over a pint. Looking to brewing history, the two decided to name the brewery Ninkasi [nin-kah-see], the ancient Sumerian Goddess of Fermentation.After scraping together enough funds from friends and family, the two produced their first batch of beer in June, 2006. This inaugural batch of Total Domination IPA was the result of a 17-hour brew day inside a leased space in Springfield, Ore. The following six months, Jamie and Nikos continued to brew on a 15-barrel brewhouse located within a German restaurant.In 2007, Ninkasi moved to its current location in Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood. Known for its eclectic art, the two knew this neighborhood would easily foster community. Fast forward to 2011, and the hard work of both founders landed them the fastest growing craft brewery in the United States with a top selling IPA in Oregon. Fast forward to present day, and Ninkasi ranks the 38th largest craft brewer in the United States (Brewers Association, 2018).Independently owned. Community-driven.The brewery continues to grow while remaining fully independent and continuously focused on community. A team of two has increased to over 100 employees who operate Ninkasi’s Better Living Room, production and lab facilities, sales force, marketing teams, local distribution arm, and a donation program.
Beer Is LoveOur Beer Is Love program is just that. We believe we can help others do good by using beer as the liquid to bring people together. Our program offers beer donations to registered 501(c)3 non-profit organizations throughout every community where our beer is sold and enjoyed. Beer is Love supports non-profits doing work in five core categories: animals, arts and music, equality, outdoors, and women.Donation Requirements:We only donate to registered 501(c)(3) non-profits. We ask for a copy of your tax determination letter in the donation request form.The donation request must be submitted 14 days before the event! We get a high volume of donation requests and need to be fair to organizations who submit on time. No exceptions will be made.Non-profits must follow its state’s licensing laws. We will be diligent in making sure you have the licenses needed for your event – it protects your organization and ours!What we look for in a donation request:WE DONATE TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT FIT THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:Animals – we love all animals but this is specifically for humane societies caring for dogs and cats. #dogsofninkasi #catsofninkasiArts and musicEquality such as LGBT groupsOutdoors – if you are helping the environment or playing outside, we want to support it!WomenSchools in Eugene and Springfield onlyWE ARE UNABLE TO DONATE TO THE FOLLOWING:Schools outside of Eugene and Springfield – we want to support all schools but we get a large volume of requests and are unable to accommodate everyone.Religious or political organizations – to be fair to all religions and parties, we refrain from donating to anything with a religious or political focus.Organizations that do not promote positivity or inclusivity – we aim to perpetuate better living for all of our communities!Requests that are not submitted through the request forms (below). How to apply:Click on the corresponding state and read your state’s alcohol donation laws.If you agree to follow your state’s laws, fill out our donation request form.Complete the form with as much detail as possible. The valid requests we receive are reviewed under our program criteria.
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2645 Suzanne, Way Suite 2A, Eugene, OR
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