Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 This week's Rogue has amateur brewers across Oregon crying in their beer. In a move that has sent shockwaves through Oregon's homebrewing circles, Katie Cannon, the new director of the Oregon State Fair, has pulled the plug on the fair's amateur brewing competition. The more than 600 members of brewing clubs around the state aren't taking Cannon's blast lightly. "It's unfathomable, particularly in this state," says Curt Hausam of Salem, an avid brewer and the organizer of the fair's beer competition. "This is microbrew country." Hausam expected that 150 to 200 beer geeks would submit the required three 12-ounce sample bottles for this summer's fair, to be held Aug. 24 through Sept. 4 in Salem. Hausam had already lined up renowned beer writer Dave Miller as guest judge and speaker. But Cannon, who took control of the fair less than a month ago, says she had to make hard economic decisions. Fair attendance has waned in recent years, and state legislators aren't thrilled about subsidizing it. Cannon decided that the beer contest's $6,700 budget (and $25,000 devoted to floral competitions) could be better spent elsewhere with minimal disruption to the average fairgoer. That argument, however, is hard to swallow, given that Cannon made no cuts to the wine competition. Although Cannon professes to enjoy the odd Widmer Hefeweizen, Hausam wonders if beer guys aren't being categorized as second-class citizens in the world of amateur fermentation. "To give the impression that wine has a bigger status is insulting," he says. "It's just a slap in the face."     - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published May 10, 2000