Chris Nemlowill
North Coast
Chris Nemlowill is the co-founder of Fort George Brewery and Public House in his hometown of Astoria, Oregon.
After earning a marketing degree from Southern Oregon University, Nemlowill knew he didn’t want to work in a cubicle. Instead, he found his passion in home brewing and learned everything he could from mentors in Oregon and Europe. While attending international marketing classes, he was especially inspired by Germany’s community-centered, family friendly beer culture.
Back in Astoria, Nemlowill worked as a barista and developed his brewing craft on the side. In 2007, he co-founded Fort George Brewery and Public House and demand grew quickly. “We couldn’t make beer fast enough,” he says. The brewery eventually transformed a once-dilapidated warehouse — pigeons and all — into a full city block of community gathering space.
Fort George has grown to 150 employees. In 2024, the company installed the largest private single-building solar array in Oregon, providing more than 70% of the brewery’s electricity.
Nemlowill and his wife, Zetty, are raising three kids while continuing to grow community partnerships in Astoria.
“I’ve been a promoter of community my whole life, so of course I’m drawn to an organization like Oregon Community Foundation,” he says. “I’ll do anything I can to help our state and our community remain a great place to build a business and raise a family.
Chris Nemlowill is the co-founder of Fort George Brewery and Public House in his hometown of Astoria, Oregon.
After earning a marketing degree from Southern Oregon University, Nemlowill knew he didn’t want to work in a cubicle. Instead, he found his passion in home brewing and learned everything he could from mentors in Oregon and Europe. While attending international marketing classes, he was especially inspired by Germany’s community-centered, family friendly beer culture.
Back in Astoria, Nemlowill worked as a barista and developed his brewing craft on the side. In 2007, he co-founded Fort George Brewery and Public House and demand grew quickly. “We couldn’t make beer fast enough,” he says. The brewery eventually transformed a once-dilapidated warehouse — pigeons and all — into a full city block of community gathering space.
Fort George has grown to 150 employees. In 2024, the company installed the largest private single-building solar array in Oregon, providing more than 70% of the brewery’s electricity.
Nemlowill and his wife, Zetty, are raising three kids while continuing to grow community partnerships in Astoria.
“I’ve been a promoter of community my whole life, so of course I’m drawn to an organization like Oregon Community Foundation,” he says. “I’ll do anything I can to help our state and our community remain a great place to build a business and raise a family.