Any Bendite who’s ever gone on a cruise or stayed at a fancy Nevada casino resort knows that good craft beer just isn’t part of the package there, most of the time. This much is clear upon stepping through the doors of the Grand Sierra Resort, a complex about three miles east of downtown Reno—a […]
Beer & Drink
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The Hefe-Weight
Widmer launches 100 events for 100 days of summer
Oregon beer, astounding as it is to believe, continues to grow. Crux has just announced plans to expand distribution to a few hot craft-beer markets in the East, including New York City, Washington ,D.C.,—and Vermont, where it’ll be joining Boneyard on the taps alongside Lawson and Hill Farmstead. Oblivion Brewing, which just won Central Oregon […]
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A Visit to the Apothecary
Paul Arney’s wild-ferment brewery finally opens a tasting room
It’s hard to believe, but Paul Arney has been producing some of Oregon’s most unique and complex beers for nearly six years now. It’s been a long road for him and his team at The Ale Apothecary, the unassuming little brewery off Skyliners Road that’s built its name on wild fermentation, long-term aging in oak […]
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For New Beer, Head Northeast
Monkless joins a new corner of Bend’s beer scene
It wasn’t terribly long ago that residents of Bend’s northeastern quadrant didn’t have much in the way of local beer. Folks nearby downtown or in the Old Mill are spoiled for choice, with 10 or so craft brewers and many more fine pubs within walking distance. Around the northeast, though, Bridge 99 Brewery and the […]
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A Day in Hell (or Eugene)
Hellshire Day kicks off Oregon’s busy beerfest season
Warmer weather is finally here, and with it comes the irresistible desire to go out, purchase some wooden tokens, and try every beer in the universe, four ounces at a time. Most of the big beer festivals around Oregon have announced their 2017 plans by now. Central Oregon Beer Week begins two Fridays from now […]
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Bend Brewsters
The scene stands out for its female D leaders
It is no longer a great novelty to see women in professional brewing—especially in Oregon, where the sheer size of the scene dictates that at least a few must be involved, statistically speaking. Among Bend’s breweries, though, women still stand out, thanks to the roles they’ve taken as brewmasters focused on research and development. “I […]
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Get Sour for May
A small flood kicks off the heart of spring
Ten years ago, when craft beer was just beginning to explode across Bend, the average beer drinker in the region could be asked about their favorite “sour” beer and left wondering what the heck that meant. Now, there are legit efforts to make springtime into a sort of invented “season” for everything sour, tart, Brett-infused, […]
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Some of That Sweet, Sweet Hop Bud
Lagunitas and its nod to the origin of “420”
The Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma, Calif., is such a massive brewery these days that—thanks to being half-owned by Heineken International—it no longer counts as a “craft brewer” the way the Brewers Association defines it. With a second large production facility in Chicago and a third opening soon in Azusa, Calif., Tony Magee’s brew operation […]
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Grounding the Flight
A case for enjoying a taproom visit without a billion little glasses
It’s a typical Saturday afternoon at Crux Fermentation Project: families and dogs outside, diners and beer nerds inside, and what seem to be half a dozen taster trays underneath the taps, waiting to be filled. “They tend to come and go in waves,” the bartender comments. “It’s sort of the same deal as Bloody Marys. […]
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Drinking In the Spring
Go a little citrus-y, a bit red or a lot hoppy
It’s a couple weeks into spring, and despite the fact that people could be skiing until the summer solstice this year, it’s finally starting to feel juuuust a bit like the season around town. To the season-aware beer connoisseur, warmer months always bring saisons to mind. Originally brewed during cooler times of the year in […]