Visiting Bend/Sunriver (late 2017)

My family and a few other beer nerd buddies will be in Bend this weekend. Planning on hitting Ale Apothecary on Saturday. Our rental is right nearby Crux and Boneyard so we'll be hitting them a bunch. I did the whole ale trail thing in 2014, so I'm going for quality over quantity here, plus we have a baby now so yeah. Thanks for all the helpful info as usual in these threads!

 

Let me know how Ale Apothecary and Boneyard go.

 

How was it?

 

Good times! Sorry, between baby and hanging with friends, my schedule was wildly unpredictable. But I did make it to Ale Apothecary on Saturday and to be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed with what they were pouring. The best ones they were pouring were Salahie and LaTache, both of which I'd already had. Very good beers, but the other ones (Brew200 and 2 others I can't recall) were just very uneven and a bit too wild for my tastes. YMMV. Still think they're a good and unique brewery, particularly in Bend's scene, but at the end of the day I still think their bottles are overpriced for what they are.

Made 2 visits to Crux, which definitely solidified them as my favorite Bend brewery. They manage to do at least 3 different styles (lager beers, hoppy ales, and funky sours) extremely well. Best taproom layout in Bend, as well.

I'd been to Boneyard before so I knew their tasting room is a joke, but those hoppy beers are still fantastic. Glad to hear their new space is nearing completion. Our rental house was literally within sight of Boneyard, so several crowlers were consumed.

Biggest surprise to me was how good Sunriver Brewing has gotten. That Rippin' Northwest ale is a new summer favorite for me, for sure. Insanely well balanced and resin-y pale ale.

I love Bend and want to either live there or go in on a vacation house with friends/family some day.

 

Sunriver makes amazing beer. We always stock up on Rippin six pack while in town.

Glad you enjoyed Crux. I'll pass the good word on.

 

How are the fires currently around Bend, is the air quality being affected?

 

Crux made a dark lager for the eclipse party out in Madras, I'm guessing it will be on at the taproom as well. If you're gonna be with @sharpski at Mecca Grade Estate Malt Farm in Madras, say hi to my mom who will be there representing the brewery.

 

The fires are definitely causing quite a bit of smoke around Bend. With the exception of one or two days lately, seeing Bachelor has been a challenge from the Old Mill.

 

Thanks, we got a lot in Boise right now too but the wife was worried about it being worse in Bend even though its still a couple of weeks away.

 

Dude, the last few days, we've been barely able to see Lummi Island from downtown Bham. It's only a few miles across the bay, and tops out at a couple thousand feet ASL. This is the weirdest shit Ive seen in my 17 years here. And, this town has shown me some weird shit.

 

Heading to Sunriver soon. I'd like to make a couple trips into to Bend, but the group is more wine than beer people so it's a tougher sell. Any recommendations on places serving both or close together? The Wine Shop looks promising, especially if they have actually have Russian River (I always forget Oregon still gets it). The Ale Apothecary should also be an easy sell since it's right next to the winery.

I'm hoping I can also get to see the new outdoor space at Bend (who doesn't like drinking by a river?), but anything more than that I'll consider a bonus.

Does Deschutes have any brewery-exclusive beers currently?

 

Deschutes ALWAYS has brewery exclusive beers, and I've noticed that they have been selling bottles out of their cellar with increased frequency as of late.

Ale Apothecary would be a great stop, and Goodlife is in the same commercial complex. Depending on how many cars you will have, I'd send the wine drinkers to Faith, Hope and Charity for a day trip and crush out as many breweries/ bottle shops as you can.

 

Uh oh. Some people are obsessed with that sangria and will not be happy to hear this news. Guess I'll end up visiting Growler Guy's and a few other shops in Bend trying to find it.

 

Wow, Primal Cuts looks pretty great too. Whats the best bet to pick up a couple of RR sours? Found some at Whole Foods two years ago, but haven't been to too many spots.