Legends never die. But one, La Pine's Legend Cider Co., is being reopened. Born in The Dalles in 2016, and still sourcing its unfiltered juice from the Columbia Gorge on both sides of the state line, Legend relocated to La Pine in 2018. After five years it had outgrown its original location and is now ready to open its doors with more than double the capacity. Of course, the old taproom's capacity was around 40, so the two spots aren't exactly—sorry—apples to apples.
Owners Tyler and Adrianne Baumann, originally from Gold Beach and Ashland, Oregon, respectively, opened a second taproom in Talent, a small city between Ashland and Medford. According to Tyler Baumann, they're even keeping an eye open for a third location, likely in an equally charming but less-heralded Oregon town. The fact that Legend survived the pandemic and opened its auxiliary tasting room that had been devastated by the Alameda Fire is a testament to its resilience.
Beyond the up-sized taproom in La Pine, Legend's production capacity is growing by leaps and bounds with the addition of a pair of 90-barrel fermentation tanks. That means more Legend Cider locally and around the state, where Tyler Baumann makes a large loop for self-distributed ciders. That said, he mentioned they're likely to start sending beverages to neighboring states such as Washington, California and Nevada.
The new digs, designed by Adrianne Baumann, down to the handsome bar topped by vintage maps and postcards from the area, is finally set to welcome families and other locals. The Baumanns are parents to a four-year-old daughter and the space is exceedingly kid and grown-up friendly. The entrance area feels like a well-appointed living room, replete with board games, plush seating and a gas flame space heater. The main bar area resembles a cross between a general store and a fashion boutique, featuring women's wear, home décor and house-screened Legend merch. The art lining the walls is naturally from local artists.
Of course, the focal point of the bar is Legend's whopping 27 taps. Legend has created nearly as many flavored ciders over the years. Some of the most popular being POG (pineapple orange guava), blueberry and the nostalgia-tinged Columbia Gorge Grape, made with the pureed Concord grapes commonly found in kids' juice boxes and grape jelly. There's always some research and development going on, including experimenting with teas, herbs and spices. The Peach Cobbler cider, for example, features a kick from whole cinnamon sticks.
But cider doesn't flow from each handle. Especially since La Pine doesn't have its own brewery and therefore brewery taproom, Legend aims to offer a variety of Oregon craft beers as well as non-alcoholic options. The Baumanns are also ramping up a cocktail (and mocktail) program. The sky's the limit for cider-based cocktails, including mulled ones served warm to fend off the impending fourth and fifth winters. Examples include Bluebird Day made with Legend's Bachelor Blueberry cider, limoncello and huckleberry, as well as Full Send made with Paulina Pomegranate cider, Oregon Spirit bourbon and a house-made grenadine.
To soak up the drinks, the goal is to always have two food trucks serving clientele: Bend Kneel Brisket and El Buen Zason Del Mago. Tyler Baumann says they're also considering making some foods in house, but more on the panini press side than the full-kitchen scale.
As a complement to the artistic ciders, the Baumanns plan on booking lots of musical talent to round out the living room hangout vibes.
