SEATTLE -- Fremont's Oktoberfest has no shortage of Washington beers, but to get from one local beer to another, drinkers first had to pass by two people dressed as bottles of the state's most iconic brew.
"It's part of the history of me," Jonathon Voyce said.
Voyce remembers Rainier as his first beer. It's a beverage friendship with a future that's not quite the way Voyce envisioned.
The big red "R" doesn't stand for Russia, but it might as well for Voyce.
"I will definitely buy less of that product," Voyce said. "I'm not very happy with Russia right now because they're still in this old world sentiment where they only worry about themselves."
Rainier's parent company, Pabst Brewing, was just sold to a Russian beverage company. It's already prompted protests of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Rainier.
In the age of the craft beer boom, however, beer aficionados had already started their migration. Seattle beer drinkers may have heart strings tied to Rainier, but their taste buds appear to be changing.
"I live within 3 square miles of 14 breweries," said Neal Bernard. "It's booming right now. Craft brewing is enormous."
At Fremont's 18th annual Oktoberfest, microbrews filled the kegs, which actually made Voyce even more sad. He prefers the lighter taste of Rainier.
"75 cents and kind of watered down," he laughed. "These craft beers, so many of them kick you in the face."
Voyce expects he may no longer buy his "lifestyle" beer until Russia changes its ways, and so where craft brewing couldn't break his loyalties to Rainier, it appears Russia could.
"It's sad to see it change," Voyce said.
