People from across the continent visit Bend to take in both the inspiring beauty and the inspiring-in-other-ways craft beer at the same time. Those who live here all year, though, might have a jaded sense of that—like the proverbial New Yorker who’s never been to the Statue of Liberty. To bring back that sense of […]
Microbrew Oregon
The Elusive Oktoberfest Beer
Oktoberfest, the weeks-long Bavarian beer festival and fun fair that is to Germany what apple pie is to the USA, kicks off in Munich Sept. 17. Bend’s own downtown Oktoberfest, somewhat smaller-sized but no less ribald and fun, takes place on the 16th and 17th. The main difference between the two: Germans will drink Märzen […]
The Best Beerfest on Earth
Summer might be ending, but beer events continue to downpour across all of Oregon. The Bend Brewfest has ended, yes, but it won’t be long before both Sisters and Hood River hold their respective fresh-hop beer festivals, for example. (And speaking of Hood River, Crow's Feet Commons is holding an event this Thursday, Sept. 1, […]
Ain’t No Party Like a Small Batch Party
Way back when, The Little Woody started with a small group of local brewers getting together to share the barrel-aged beers they were producing. The small batches of brew were made as a way to celebrate craft brewing as an art form, back when every element of beer culture wasn’t soaked up by the general […]
Bend’s Chinese Beer Connection
It’s probably not a great surprise that Beijing, the third-largest city in the world, has a couple of breweries. It is a surprise, however, that one of them has a connection right here in Central Oregon. Jing-A Brewing Co., which opened its own facility and taproom in China’s capital a couple years ago after a […]
Festivals of All Kinds
The paddleboard’s been paddled, the lake swum in, the trail hiked, an unduly large number of food-stall dumplings consumed; now it’s time to cap off the summer with some beer. Summer is always a busy time for craft enthusiasts, but over the years, Bendites have seen the second half of August turn into an unofficial […]
Best Lunch – Sunriver
BEST LUNCH – SUNRIVER 1st Place | Sunriver Brewing Company 57100 Beaver Drive, Building 4, Sunriver Open Daily: 11 am-11 pm 2nd Place | Cafe Sintra
Best Brewer
Deschutes Brewery is typically regarded as the best craft beer in Bend, with its brewmasters regarded as kings of their profession. Now a queen has come along to add to the brewery’s winning formula. Brewmaster Veronica Vega of Deschutes Brewery has brought her creativity, experience and passion to Bend’s beer scene to become the Source's […]
Best Seasonal Beer
One beer is a good start and a pair is even better — but everyone knows that three of a kind is the way to go. Deschutes Brewery is holding that winning hand with its seasonal offerings: Red Chair NWPA, Jubelale and Twilight Summer Ale. Packing a variety of malts with a small punch of […]
A Vessel Worthy of the Craft
For the past 10 years or so, the watchword for Central Oregon beer has been “expansion.” It’s a trend that continues apace, although it’s perhaps not so noticeable at the moment because not as many new breweries are opening. But our existing breweries are expanding like there’s no tomorrow. So it goes, as well, for […]

