Brewing Up Expansions

Three Redmond-based brewpubs have expanded throughout Central Oregon in the last several years. Wild Ride Brewing expanded to Prineville in 2022, with Initiative Brewing and Sunriver Brewing Company expanding more recently. Brian Mitchell, co-founder of Wild Ride Brewing, agrees that production and taprooms have felt economic challenges but says, “In general, both of our Taprooms are doing well, as we have amazing communities that support us in Redmond, Prineville, and, in general, Central Oregon.”

Kobold Brewing has also expanded in the region. Its original venue, The Vault, is located in downtown Redmond. Kobold’s second location, The Lair, is on Bond St. in downtown Bend and is currently under renovation. Read on to find out more about each of these expansions.

Initiative Brewing

Initiative Brewing opened its first location, The Hub, on 5th St. in downtown Redmond. Since The Hub’s opening in 2019, Initiative has added two more breweries in Central Oregon. The company’s latest venture, The Fortress in Madras, opened in November with an easy-to-find location just off SW 4th St.

While the other locations serve food from the kitchen, Initiative does things a little differently at The Station. Located on 3rd St. in Prineville, patrons can enjoy Thursday evening campfire sessions with live music, a beer garden with 16 taps and rotating food trucks. The food trucks cycle throughout the week and include Renegades BBQ, Toni’s Tacos and B’s Teriyaki.

Initiative’s newest location, The Fortress, is a family-oriented brewpub with allergen-conscious pub fare. The Fortress has over 16 craft beers on tap, along with complete bar service. The family-friendly venue features multiple TVs and ample seating. Full menu items are available daily from 11am-8pm, with late-night options available until 11pm.

Nearby and not to be missed is The Spot, which also opened in Madras at the same time as The Fortress. Owner Andre Jackson’s venue features local breweries, including Initiative, Cascade Lakes and Sunriver. Plans are in place for the John Brown Entertainment and Event Center, scheduled to open in summer 2026, which will accommodate up to 770 concertgoers or 231 for dining events.

Sunriver Brewing Company

Sunriver Brewing Company, founded in 2012, opened its sixth location in Redmond in July 2025. The new brewpub can be found in the Westmount building across from Ridgeview High School.

The indoor layout is open and inviting, with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of seating. There’s also a spacious outdoor beer garden patio with a fire pit, and guests have access to a shared rooftop area offering stunning views of the mountains.

Sunriver’s Redmond location features 16 craft beers, hard seltzers and non-alcoholic selections on tap, along with full bar service and a variety of cocktail offerings. The food menu showcases house-made artisan pizzas like a creamy chicken alfredo and spicy Italian with hot honey. Bonta Gelato and Backporch Coffee Roasters are also located in the Westmount building.

Wild Ride Brewing

The original Wild Ride Brewing in Redmond opened in May 2014 as both a production brewery and taproom. It expanded to Prineville in May 2022.

Both the Redmond and Prineville locations are family-friendly with plentiful indoor and outdoor seating, as well as nearly two dozen different beers and seltzers on tap.

“We have quite the variety of beer styles available in our taprooms at all times… typically 20-25 different beers/seltzers on tap,” said Brian Mitchell, co-founder of Wild Ride. He told the Source that their “Cole’s Light Lager is very popular” for its low ABV and low price, adding it’s “only $4 per pint, which customers appreciate!”

Food trucks rotate regularly and include a variety of options like Mexican-Asian fusion Shred Town and Wild Catch, which features English style fish and chips.

This article appears in Source Weekly July 24, 2025.