May 17, 2018
Slideshows » Scout
Keely Damara // Source Weekly
The Ale Apothecary
Founder Paul Arney and his team are focused on one thing at the Apothecary—making truly unique beers, aged in oak, waiting patiently for the right moment to express themselves. It takes time, making Arney's bottles highly sought-after, but the taproom (open afternoons from Thursday to Saturday only) always has a selection from which to sample, all guaranteed to both taste great and like nothing else anyone in the state is doing.
30 SW Century Dr. #140, Bend
541-797-6265
thealeapothecary.com
Keely Damara // Source Weekly
10 Barrel Brewing
Expansion, and a rich uncle named A-B InBev, has allowed this veteran Bend outfit to spread its name far beyond the neighborhood Galveston location—still a great local hangout. The much-larger factory and brewpub in northeast Bend (a region now home to a wide range of new breweries) is also a good place to try out their more experimental stuff, involving wild fermentation and aging beers in assorted exotic barrels.
1135 NW Galveston Av.
62950 NE 18th St., Bend
541-678-5228
10barrel.com
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The Brown Owl
No doubt about it—The Brown Owl is one of the snappiest-looking places to drink in town, with high ceilings and reclaimed wood that gives it an authentically majestic Pacific Northwest look. The atmosphere, though, is Bendian casual, featuring a lovely selection of taps, a surprisingly extensive list of bottles and cans (just clap your hands) and some killer grub whipped up by the bar's original food truck out front.
550 SW Industrial Way #120, Bend
541-797-6581
brownowlbend.com
Grant Woods // Source Weekly
Crow's Feet Commons
On the edge of downtown where the center of the city meets Drake Park, the Commons cafe—located in one of the oldest houses in town, built by Bend's first mayor—oozes atmosphere. Grab a seat by the fire in the wintertime, or head out to the front porch and sip something from Hood River-based pFriem Family Brewers as the sun gradually edges behind the trees and houses that line Mirror Pond. It's the perfect end to any day.
875 NW Brooks St., Bend
541-728-0066
crowsfeetcommons.com
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Crux Fermentation Project
Founded by the former brewmaster at Deschutes Brewery (the two breweries will release a collaboration this summer to toast Deschutes' 30th birthday), Crux is a must for its location alone—atop a hill with great sunset views, with a large outdoor space for dogs and food trucks. It certainly helps that the onsite brewing program reigns supreme, too, covering everything from light lagers to intense Belgian stouts.
50 SW Division St., Bend
541-385-3333
cruxfermentation.com
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Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House
Nobody would be talking about Bend as a beer town if Deschutes Brewery hadn't come around in 1988. The Black Butte Porter and Fresh Squeezed IPA are just as tasty in Bend as they are in bars across Texas and Virginia, but the original Bond Street brewpub is still worth visiting for its exclusive one-off beers, as well as a dinner menu that goes well beyond stereotypical bar food. The steaks alone make this place a must.
1044 NW Bond St., Bend
541-382-9242
deschutesbrewery.com
Keely Damara // Source Weekly
Brother Jon's Public House
There's also a downtown location (Brother Jon's Alehouse) right on Bond St., but for an even more local experience, check out the original Brother Jon's, situated in what's basically a residential house. The bar is small and the space can grow pretty busy on the weekends, but the well-curated tap selection always offers something nice, and the menu (especially the enormous sandwiches) always matches well with the beers.
1227 NW Galveston Ave., Bend
541-306-3321
brotherjonspublichouse.com
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The Brew Shop / Platypus Pub
Many great local brewers (and quite a few hobbyists) got their start with the equipment sold at The Brew Shop, a homebrew supplier and bottle store located in an old church. Stop on by to pick up some local beers to take home, from the big names to the littler guys around the area, including Monkless and Immersion. After that, head for the basement pub, with lots of Oregon beer on tap and a scene that's chill, lively and totally local.
1203 NE 3rd St., Bend
541-323-3282
thebrewshopbend.com
Cole Davis
White Water Taphouse
Conveniently located right across the street from Deschutes (resist the urge to jaywalk), White Water is one of the nerve centers of Bend brewing, offering 30 taps of beer, cider, wine and coffee, nearly all from the Northwest. It's also a super-chill, down-home place, where patrons sit around on slow evenings playing cribbage and brewery-themed bingo nights turn into major social events. It's the kind of joint where everyone would want to be a regular.
1043 NW Bond St.
541-797-2178
whitewatertaphouse.com
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Sunriver Brewing Co.
Just when everyone thought there was no way Central Oregon could support yet another brewery, here comes Sunriver out of nowhere, dazzling with its beer and winning tons of medals at national competitions. It was one of the first breweries to bring the vaunted New England IPA style to Oregon, and it's still among the few to do it well—to say nothing of the rest of their lineup. (The main brewery is in Sunriver itself, 20 minutes away.)
1005 NW Galveston Ave, Bend. / The Village at Sunriver, Sunriver
541-408-9377 / 541-306-5188
sunriverbrewingcompany.com
Tom Beans, Dudley's BookShop Cafe10 images
Annette Benedetti10 images
The Source Staff10 images
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Keely Damara // Source Weekly
The Ale Apothecary
Founder Paul Arney and his team are focused on one thing at the Apothecary—making truly unique beers, aged in oak, waiting patiently for the right moment to express themselves. It takes time, making Arney's bottles highly sought-after, but the taproom (open afternoons from Thursday to Saturday only) always has a selection from which to sample, all guaranteed to both taste great and like nothing else anyone in the state is doing.
30 SW Century Dr. #140, Bend
541-797-6265
thealeapothecary.com
Sure, there's lots to see and do around Central Oregon, but what about after all the hiking and biking and SUP'ing is done? The answer (for the over-21 crowd, that is) is to head out for a beer. Here are 10 places that evoke everything that makes up one of the coolest small-town brew scenes in the United States.
Cascades Reader
