Oak Union Brewing, the mythology-inspired craft brewery that has been quietly winning over Oregon’s beer community since 2023, is coming home. Founder and head brewer Trevor Lauman is opening the brewery’s first permanent taproom and restaurant at 10909 SE Main Street in downtown Milwaukie. Construction is already underway, with a late 2026 opening targeted.
For Lauman, this isn’t just a business milestone. It’s deeply personal. He was born and raised in Oak Grove, the small Portland suburb directly south of Milwaukie, and has spent years brewing at other facilities while searching for the right permanent home in the community he grew up in. He brewed his first public releases in February 2023 at Beer Store Milwaukie and has since created more than 25 distinct beers, building a reputation as one of Oregon’s most promising independent craft breweries.
The vision for the taproom leans hard into the brand’s dark folkloric identity — timber, hearth, and stone, with an atmosphere inspired by centuries-old European brewhouses and village taverns that Lauman and his wife, Brittany, discovered during a honeymoon trip that culminated at Oktoberfest. The beer program blends European lager traditions with Pacific Northwest hop-forward styles, with standouts like the Oak King IPA, the Oakenbrau German Pilsner, and a growing catalog of stouts and seasonal releases that have earned the brand a loyal following.
According to New School Beer, Lauman also plans to host uniquely Oak Union-flavored community events at the taproom, including a Krampusnacht celebration, a sign that when this place opens, it won’t feel like anywhere else in Milwaukie.
