The Bend Ale Trail is arguably one of the best ideas that Visit Bend has ever come up with. Thousands of visitors to Central Oregon have picked up a free map and embarked on a tour of the 15 breweries listed inside, and the number of people who’ve completed the entire run is in the […]
Bend Oregon Beer
Posted inOutside
Ales and Astronomy
Worthy Brewing Shows Off Its New Observatory
In 2012, Roger Worthington had a vision of building his own “Beertopia.” The Worthy Brewing founder and owner describes it as “a mini-campus, a place where a person can make connections, can be stimulated, a place where the mind can expand.” His first step toward Beertopia: Looking to the stars. Worthy Brewing is finishing construction […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A New Barrel-Aged Collage
Deschutes and Hair of the Dog team up for more complex booziness
Four years ago—longer than many people reading this have even lived in Bend—Deschutes Brewery launched a beer called Collage, a collaboration between the Bend-based giant and Portland’s Hair of the Dog Brewing. The beer actually had its genesis earlier than that, in 2010, when HotD owner/brewmaster Alan Sprints stopped by Deschutes’ production facility to brew […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Little Bites: Need a Great Beercation?
Maybe make it a staycation
I know what you’re going to say once you read paragraph #2 of this report: We already know we rule in the craft beer world. Still, it’s fun to remind ourselves how awesome we are. Last week, travel booking site Travelocity released its new “beer tourism” index, which ranks cities on the strength of their […]
Posted inFood & Drink
From Boneyard to Bellevue
Two new developments hitting Bend’s brew scene
As the last of the fresh hop releases come dripping out and the beer fans of Central Oregon prepare for a genteel end-of-year segue into stout season, a couple exciting things are hitting the scene at the same time: the commemorative IPA from Boneyard, and a new name visiting from the suburbs of Seattle. By […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Little Bites: Local Breweries Take Gold at the Great American Beer Festival
When it comes to bastions of beer culture, Oregon definitely represents. We already know it to be true, but some validation from the outside world never hurts. This past weekend, 21 medals went to Oregon breweries during the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Here’s a brief recap of some of the local winners. Local […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A Goblin in Your Goblet
Kobold Brewing prepares for year two
When Steve Anderson retired from his career with the Federal Aviation Administration, he knew what he was looking to do next. “I worked for 26 years in air traffic,” he said, “looking at a radar scope. When I left, I figured I’d run my own business of some sort. I wanted to follow a passion, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Bourbon County Gets Flashed
How would pasteurization affect a barrel-aged stout?
It seems fair to say that Chicago’s Goose Island Beer Co., owners of the largest barrel-aged beer program in the United States, would like to have a do-over on last year’s Bourbon County Brand Stout release. Four out of the six BCBS variants released in 2015, including both the original and variations like the Coffee […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
The Beer Issue
You drink it, maybe even daily. You wear the swag and you herald the scene. When you live in Central Oregon, a love of fermented beverages comes almost as natural as a daily dose of full sun. In this year’s beer issue, it’s not just about flavor and the end product. Like all craft products, […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
How ‘Bout them Apples?
A look at sourcing in cider—the beverage cutting into beer’s bottom line
When it comes to locally-sourced beverages, cider makers have no trouble finding their main ingredient pretty close to home. With the plethora of apple varieties available, one might think a blend would go into making a hard cider. Alas, that’s not the case. At Bend’s Atlas Cider Company, it’s the Granny Smith that contains just […]
