(Photo | courtesy of Riff Cold Brewed Coffee)
Featuring Unique Two-Barrel Pilot Brewing System as its Centerpiece
Riff Cold Brewed Coffee, a new craft beverage company founded by veterans from Crux Fermentation Project, Stumptown Coffee and LinkedIn, has opened a 3,700 square-foot Taproom in the heart of Bend’s emerging craft corridor with a grand opening celebration that took place on December 15.
Located in the Box Factory, a recently renovated 100-year-old mill building echoing Bend’s timber heritage, Riff’s Taproom features a custom designed two-barrel pilot brewing system by Marks Design and Metalworks out of Vancouver, Washington. This unique pilot brewing system enables Riff to produce small batch experimental cold brewed coffees and get immediate feedback from customers on the other side of the bar.
“This place is like a brewer’s creative playground,” said Nate Armbrust, Riff co-founder and director of Brewing and Innovation. “Marks built an incredibly beautiful and functional pilot system that offers so much flexibility. And, to get direct feedback from customers within 24 hours of brewing — unheard of.”
The Taproom’s one-of-a-kind sculptural tap system includes 30 taps, each built with its own tower to allow for flexibility and adaptability, pouring cold brewed coffees, teas and cold brewed collaborations with friends in the craft brewing, kombucha, cider, spirits and CBD spaces. With 30 beverages available on tap, there’s something enticing for everyone:
• Hot Nitro Cold Brewed Coffee — with the temperature and mouthfeel of a latte without the dairy, bitterness and acidity
• Alter Ego — Riff’s new refreshing sparkling coffee fruit tea (~200mg caffeine)
• CBD-infused Cold Brewed Coffee (~300mg of caffeine and 50mg of CBD)
• Riff’s line of RTD Cold Brewed Coffees, each served in nitro-infused and regular formats:
– Off The Cuff, with notes of Dark Chocolate and Toffee (~300mg caffeine)
– Arm In Arm, with notes of Red Berry and Stone Fruit (~300mg caffeine)
– Paint The Town, with notes of Blueberry and Bing Cherry (~300mg caffeine)
– Southpaw, half the caffeine and notes of cocoa nibs & nougat (150mg caffeine)
– Doubletake, a delicious decaf with notes of Caramel and Hazelnut
• Hold That Thought — a blonde nitro coffee stout collaboration with Crux Fermentation Project
• River Riffle — a coffee sour ale collaboration with Deschutes Brewery
• Two Cold Brewed Coffee Cocktails— made with decaf (caffeinated options available upon request)
• Three of Oregon’s best craft beers
• Two of Oregon’s best wines
• Oregon’s best Kombucha, Cider and Craft Sodas
“Between our brewing team, bartenders, hospitality, and kitchen staff, the Taproom is turning out to be a super fun and creative place to hang out,” said Bobby Evers, Riff co-founder and Taproom general manager. “This isn’t the head-down, headphones in, kinda place. We’re celebrating coffee in a fun, lively and approachable way.”
The Riff Taproom offers a contemporary and refreshing food menu featuring salads, sandwiches, grain bowls and build-your-own cheese and charcuterie boards. Riff’s unique approach to brewing coffee cold allows for more of coffee’s natural flavors and aromatics to come forward and provide for some fun food pairing opportunities. Many of the items featured on Riff’s food menu are inspired by, and sometimes infused with, cold brewed coffee. “Coffee is not just for a chocolate dessert or an ingredient to add earthiness to your barbecue sauce anymore,” said Riff’s Head Chef, Jackson “Rooster” Higdon.
The main wall in the Taproom acts as a canvas to a 1,000 square-foot collaborative community mural led by local artist, Megan Stumpfig. Nearly 200 people participated in the project which depicts coffee beans and leaves in bright colors acting as a metaphor for the incredible range of flavors naturally available in coffee. The mural also expresses Riff’s cultural values anchored in collaboration, creativity and community.
“This is the first space of its kind devoted to cold brewed coffee,” said Paul Evers, Riff’s CEO and co-founder. “We’re inspired by the possibilities within coffee and believe there’s so much more we can do with it.”
