Home Brewers Square Off | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Home Brewers Square Off

Local beer enthusiasts team up with pro brewers in a people's choice competition

With so many breweries to choose from in Central Oregon—let alone the rest of the state—one might imagine that the art of brewing your own could be less attractive or just plain unnecessary for the lover of all things hops and barley. But nope—a vibrant home-brewing scene operates in the Beervana of Central Oregon, and this week, some of those home brewers are even bringing their creations out for the public to enjoy.

Home Brewers Square Off
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Brewers from Redmond, Madras and Bend have teamed up with local home brewers to compete in the Central Oregon Pro-Am People's Choice event this weekend, on Nov. 5. Each homebrewer is partnered with a "pro" from a local brewery to brew up beers in a host of styles. Locals can show up between noon and 5pm at the Boneyard Pub on NE Division Street to vote for their favorites and award one local home brewer some bragging rights, along with dollars heading toward a charity of the brewer's choice.

Participating brewers include Tony Rau from Boneyard Beer, Seth Klann from Mecca Grade Estate Malt & Tasting Room, Chris Brumley from Initiative Brewing, Nate Doss from Bevel Craft Brewing, Todd Clement from Monkless Belgian Ales, Michael "Curly" White and Jonathan Cano from Wild Ride Brewing, Vern Johnson from Deschutes Brewery, Melanie Betti from Spider City Brewing, Grant McFarren from Crux Fermentation Project and Deven Roberts from Porter Brewing Company.

The beers in the competition run the gamut from a light Berliner Weisse to a Belgian Tripel to an Imperial Stout.

"This promises to be a fun event for any beer enthusiast, offering an opportunity to try some delicious, unique brews brought to you by the Central Oregon brewing community," stated a press release on the event from Jon Abernathy, a local beer enthusiast and Central Oregon Homebrewers Organization member who writes regular reviews at thebrewsite.com. Abernathy is also the author of "Bend Beer: A history of brewing in Central Oregon."

The 10 beers in the homebrew competition will come in two flights of five beers. Attendees can buy a flight for $10 or pints of a particular beer for $6. The event will also include a raffle that includes Central Oregon beer swag.

COHO, which is putting on the event, was started in 2005 to bring brew enthusiasts together for education and fun. The group meets the third Wednesday of every month at the Aspen Ridge Retirement Community on Bend's east side. More info is available at cohomebrewers.org.

Central Oregon Pro-Am People's Choice Tasting
Sat., Nov. 5. Noon-5pm
Boneyard Pub
1955 NE Division St., Bend
More info at cohomebrewers.org
$10/flight

Nicole Vulcan

Nicole Vulcan has been editor of the Source since 2016. You can mostly find her raising chickens, walking dogs, riding all the bikes and attempting to turn a high desert scrap of land into a permaculture oasis.
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