Experience meets expertise — and customers win.
At Oregon Fruit, leadership in the aseptic puree space isn’t an accident. It’s the result of decades of obsessing over quality, building a team of real industry experts, and showing up for customers in ways our competitors simply don’t.
Which makes it especially satisfying to introduce the newest member of our Fermentation team: Dan Wirth
A decade in craft beer, grounded in real-world experience
Dan brings ten years in the beer industry; the kind of hands-on background that matters when your job is helping brewers solve problems and bring ideas to life. He got his start building draft systems and running beer festivals, before moving into brewery-side sales at Migration Brewing in Portland. There, he managed key accounts, grocery programs, distributor relationships, and helped launch Migration’s first packaged products after a decade of being draft-only.
Migration used Oregon Fruit in their beers, so Dan already knew our purees were considered the benchmark for real fruit in fermentation. Our products shaped his seasonal planning, and he regularly heard Oregon brewers speak highly of the brand.
Joining a team built for brewers
Dan steps into a team led by Chris Hodge, a Certified Cicerone® with 30 years in craft beer, both in distribution and production brewing. Chris is one of those people you want in your corner — the kind who’s spent decades helping brewers navigate flavor, process, and industry change.
Together, Chris and Dan deepen Oregon Fruit’s advantage:
- Unmatched product quality
- Fast, reliable fulfillment (yes, we save people in emergencies more often than you’d think)
- Deep industry fluency
- A diverse bench of specialists — from food scientists to culinary professionals to fermentation experts
Our customers tell us repeatedly: this combination is rare. It’s why brewers return to Oregon Fruit after trying “the other guys.”
What they’re focused on next
Chris is laser-focused on helping craft brewers stay true to their roots while embracing the innovation needed for long-term growth. Fruit is driving much of that expansion: in beer, in taproom beverages, and in entirely new categories.
“We’re a trusted source of innovation,” Chris says. “Our experience in both craft beer and foodservice gives breweries real leverage, from what they brew to what they serve in their taprooms.”
Dan, in his first year, is diving straight into customer conversations. He wants to understand how brewers across North America are using our fruit, and discover new applications he hasn’t seen yet. He recently spoke with a customer interested in using our plum puree to make jerky. Yes, jerky.
He’s also energized by the wider beverage landscape:
- Hard juice
- RTDs
- Real-fruit seltzers
- THC drinks and gummies
- Bigger, bolder flavor trends across alcohol and NA
“Brewers are just starting to explore these options,” Dan says. “A lot of successful ideas start as a simple conversation. I want to be a resource — someone people trust to toss ideas back and forth with. There’s no such thing as a bad idea.”
Craft Inspiration
Dan calls Great Notion a “hometown hero of using fruit,” and he’s a huge admirer of Spindrift’s approach to real-fruit seltzer. On the beer side, his gateway brands included Cigar City in Tampa — especially Jai Alai IPA — and his fruited favorites range from Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin to Cantillon Fou’ Foune.
Chris didn’t want to call out any one brewery but instead says he was struck by the craft beer industry’s resilience during the pandemic — how quickly breweries shifted to retail, rethought their business models, and proved just how resourceful and entrepreneurial small producers can be.
Where is Fermentation Headed
Looking ahead five years, Dan sees drinkers seeking fewer drinks overall but far better ones. Flavor and ingredient quality will matter more than ever. Brewers will also expand their offerings to reach a broader audience. “Oregon Fruit can help brewers create memorable beverages that meet those expectations,” he says.
If they could brew with anything…
Dan? A crisp Mexican-inspired lager with lime and sea salt — the perfect real-fruit refresher for any sunny day.
Chris? A return to the classics: a true aged raspberry framboise or sour cherry kriek, honoring the Belgian beers that first showed him what fruit in fermentation could be.
The future is fruit-forward — and we’re ready
Oregon Fruit has been rooted in fruit since 1935 and crafting aseptic purees since the 1990s. With food scientists, culinary developers, fermentation specialists, industry veterans, and now Daniel Wirth onboard, our team is ready to help breweries and beverage makers build the next year — and the next decade — of innovation.
Let’s make something exceptional together.
Reach out to the Oregon Fruit Fermentation team today at fermentation@oregonfruit.com
