The owners of The Brew Shop, aka the homebrew shop on Division, have signed a lease for the iconic Ernesto’s building on Third Street. Owner Tom Gilles said he and his partners signed a lease earlier this week that will allow them to open an expanded brew shop and basement pub in the Ernesto’s building by early summer, depending on how their city permitting process goes.
Gilles said the space needs some minor remodeling to suit their needs, but is largely ready to go. The building will allow the Brew Shop to add to its existing inventory, upping the shop’s supply of grains and other accessories that Bend’s growing homebrew community desires. The Brew Shop will also be bringing over its walk-in cooler and expansive collection of bottled microbrews that Bend beer lovers know is unrivaled among Central Oregon suds purveyors. Gilles said the additional space would only add to the dizzying array of ales and lagers at the Brew Shop.
Most interestingly, the new digs will allow Gilles and his partners, all of whom have retired from the Bend post office, to expand into the restaurant and pub business by reincarnating the former Ernesto’s lounge as a downstairs pub. Gilles said the partnership would likely expand the existing bar, a holdover from Ernesto’s, from six handles to something on the order of 15 beers.
Beer
Boneyard Beer Wins Bend March Madness
The ongoing head-to-head tournament at Old Mill Brew Werks pitting locals beers against each other has come to an end and it looks like Boneyard Beer has won the first-ever March Madness of beer contest.
Boneyard’s RPM IPA took the top honor, beating out all the other local breweries, including the host Old Mill Brew’s new Irreverence IPA.
Beer and Chocolate tonight at Deschutes Brewery
People like chocolate. And people, especially in Central Oregon, like beer. Tonight, the two come together at Bend’s most venerable brewery, Deschutes, for a five course feast, each course featuring – surprise, surprise – chocolate, paired with a Deschutes Brewery beer. Tickets are $70 and can be purchased here. I’ll be covering the event and expect to have to be rolled out of the Deschutes Brewery Mountain Room on a keg trolley. It’s gonna be a good night.
Below is tonight’s menu:
Homebrew on Tap Again in Oregon
Homebrewers rejoice. It’s officially safe to share your beer, again.
Deschutes Brewery Continues Eastward Push: Now in South Dakota
Whenever I reconnect with a long-lost friend and tell him where I’m living, he’ll almost certainly respond by saying something along the lines of, “Oh Bend. Yeah, that’s where Deschutes Brewery is, right?”
Well, that phenomenon isn’t going to die out anytime soon, especially with Deschutes announcing today that their push into the Midwest has now expanded sales of Mirror Pond and Black Butte Porter into South Dakota.
Expansion in Hand, Cascade Lakes Looks to Boise Market
Fresh off an upgrade to its Redmond brew house that will allow Cascade Lakes to expand its production capacity by 25 percent, Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. announced that it plans to expand into the Boise market while increasing its presence in the valley where the company has hired a regional sales manager.
New Belgium Brewing Comes to Bend on Friday
We just got word from The Brew Shop that New Belgium Brewing, the Colorado company best known as the author of Fat Tire, will have some folks in town on Friday to give us a taste of their beers.
The brewery’s Ryan Stahel will be on hand to hand out samples and give some insight into New Belgium’s beers.
Walgreens wants YOU to drink cheap beer
As a formerly disgruntled Walgreens cashier (read: ex-employee, still disgruntled) I witnessed curious marketing choices made by the faceless corporation first-hand. I remember the individually wrapped pickles near the register, the countless automatons and the brief appearance of Venus fly traps.
So was I surprised to see something at Walgreens resembling beer recently with a sign boasting two 6-packs for $5?
Actually, yes. I’m one to spot beer branding from a mile away. I can spy the girl with a big hat sitting on the moon, a blue ribbon or an ubiquitous mountain range without blinking an eye. So when I saw these new cans, very cleverly designed ones with a waterwheel, I was as perplexed as I was curious. Big Flats 1901: It’s the water that makes it. Was this a trick? A sick joke? Was it non-alcoholic? It looked like other cheap beers, but where did it come from?
Download A Pint With New Bend Ale Trail App
The ever expanding Bend Ale Trail took a cyber leap forward this week when Visit Bend announced that the DIY beer drinking tour map and website is now available as an interactive iPhone app.
The program, which is downloadable, through the bendaletrail.
Bend Beats Portland Breweries in the Beer Olympics!
This past Saturday, I attended the Beer Olympics at the Old Mill Brew Werks. From what I can gather, it was the first of its kind to take place in Bend.

