Beer

Homebrewers rejoice. It’s officially safe to share your beer, again.

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.

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.

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? 

Those waiting anxiously for the next brewery in Bend to open are going to have to wait a few more months for Noble Brewing Co. to begin pouring beers.