Boy, do we love water. Especially water with a dash of malt, yeast and hops. Springtime in Bend means a fresh round of seasonal releases from breweries around town. Here's a short list of what will be available soon, and the beers that their brewers are looking forward to drinking this spring.
10 Barrel Brewing
OG Ale—7% ABV
Paying their respect to Oregon's original craft-brewing gangsters, Widmer's Hefeweizen and Bridgeport's IPA, the OG will sit somewhere between the two as a wheat IPA that replaces the brewery's popular India Session Ale.
Release Date: May 1
Swill—5% ABV
Based on the German-style Radler beer (a mixture of lager and citrus soda), 10 Barrel has created the sweet, sour and citrus-filled Swill. Owner Jeremy Cox told The Source that the brewers have been working on nailing this light, highly drinkable beer for six months.
Release date: May 15
10 Barrel Owner Jeremy Cox says: Try Deschutes Brewery's Fresh Squeezed this spring.
The Ale Apothecary
El Cuatro—11-12% ABV
Paul Arney, brewmaster and vintage-brewing technique enthusiast at the Ale Apothecary, has done it again with El Cuatro, a sour ale that's been aging for a year in brandy barrels. Interestingly, the beer contains no hops. The malt is instead balanced with acidic elements in an Old World brewing technique. Arney put out El Cuatro in late March and has another batch ready for release soon. Get 'em while you can— El Cuatro is flying off shelves into the cellars of beer hoarders as Arney recommends aging (like a fine wine) for an additional year, and serving at 50 degrees for the very best flavor.
Release Date: On shelves now
Ale Apothecary Owner Paul Arney says: Drink Swill by 10 Barrel Brewing Company.
Boneyard Beer
Bone-A-Fide—5.5% ABV
Boneyard's original flagship beer is back! This pale ale is what co-owner and brewmaster Tony Lawrence calls a baby IPA, on the lighter side for Boneyard but still busting with hops.
Release Date: This week!
Tony Lawrence says: "I'm excited to see what the new player in town, Worthy, has to bring to the table."
GoodLife Brewing
Redside India Red—6% ABV
GoodLife recently released this red ale with bright hop flavors and fruity guava-like notes. The brew is named after local trout in the Deschutes River (way to keep it local!). On top of this great spring sipper, the brewery is also continuing to can its Sweet As IPA for spring.
Release Date: Available on tap at GoodLife
Co-owner and brewmaster Kurt Plants says: Deschutes Twilight is the one to try this season—it's rumored to have more Amarillo hops than previous versions.
Deschutes Brewery
Deschutes River Ale—3.9% ABV
Deschutes Brewery's first session, River Ale, was released in early March. With its signature full Deschutes body, the beer isn't light, but it is a totally drinkable alternative to its heftier Mirror Pond Pale Ale.
In addition to River Ale, Deschutes has teamed up with a group of breweries from across the country for the "Class of '88 Project." These breweries, which opened in '88 just like Deschutes, are releasing two spring creations.
Barley Wine (with Rogue Ales and North Coast Brewing Company)—10.2% ABV
Release Date: Available now
Imperial Smoked Porter (with Great Lakes Brewery)—9.5% ABV
Release Date: May 19
Brewmaster Cam O'Connor says: Pick up some Sierra Nevada's Summerfest.