For the beer lover visiting Bend for the first time, the natural place to go first would be to the Deschutes Pub, located on Bond Street in the heart of downtown. First brewery in Bend, check. But for those who have sampled Deschutes’ favorites (and perhaps a seasonal or two) and want to try a wider selection, across the street is Brother Jon’s Alehouse, a bit of a locals spot that also gets its fair share of visitors looking to down a pint and grab some food. Recently, readers of the Source Weekly gave this spot the distinction of “Best Mac n’ Cheese,” and while the food menu is solid, it’s for the beers that I made my recent visit.
On tap that day was a selection of about 17 different beers, about half of which represented Bend breweries including Boneyard Beer, Bevel Brewing, Boss Rambler and Oblivion Brewing. Also on tap were far-flung options including a Coconut Porter from Maui Brewing Co., a German pils from Weihenstephan Brewery in Germany… and for those looking for the old trusty, a Coors Light from the venerable city of Golden, Colorado. There was a bit of a fall chill in the air and I’m always a sucker for a porter, so I went for the Maui Brewing selection. Dark and full-bodied with a hint of sweetness, it was less bitter than the OG Black Butte I could get across the street at Deschutes, but still worth a stop.
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Best Mac'N Cheese
This article appears in Aug 31, 2022 – Sep 6, 2023.
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