(Photo above: Ryan Duley, Sales & Marketing Director & Brett Thomas, Head Brewer | by Cascade Business News)
Company Continues Rise with Bold New Look and Expanding Footprint
Sunriver Brewing Company is flying the flag as a stand-out south Deschutes County success story, winning accolades for its ales and landmark restaurants and a fast-track growth trajectory showing no signs of slowing.
The company originally began just over four years ago in The Village at Sunriver as a family-owned pub that became quickly known for serving great food and brewed its own beer.
Utilizing the area’s famously pure water resources, the founders went on to establish their own production facility in Sunriver to meet rising demand for their beer and expanded the distribution footprint, before opening a second pub in Bend and widening their offerings — most recently with the introduction of six-pack 12oz. cans which are proving a summertime splash hit.
Sunriver Brewing sales and marketing guru Ryan Duley said, “Since our original launch, demand for our beer has continued to increase and we’ve continued to expand production to meet that demand. We are almost at capacity at our production facility and are working on building new cellar space to try to keep up with the market.
“Our awesome craft beer is rivaled only by our commitment to great service which extends from our Sunriver brewpub to the distributors and outlets that sell our brew.
“The folks who work at Sunriver Brewing Company are about the best you can find anywhere. We care about what we do, we care about the people in our community and we care about each other.
“We also care about the planet and source products and services locally and regional whenever we can. Sustainable practices include compostable to-go containers made out of sugarcane as well as a recycling program in the Sunriver village.
“We believe that by paying a little attention to environmental issues, we can do a lot to improve the state of landfills, rivers and watersheds.
“In addition to being stewards of our environment, we enjoy supporting local charitable organizations. In short, we put a lot of energy and time into trying to do the right thing.
“Central Oregon is home to some of the heartiest craft beer enthusiasts in the country. So naturally you’ll find some of the best breweries in the country right here. We are proud to be a part of that community.
“The growth of Sunriver Brewing Co. has happened at an exponential rate. We are very pleased to see the increased popularity of our beers and pubs happen so quickly. With the aggressive growth pattern we do find ourselves in need of employees for both the brewery and pubs often.
“As a company we look to find quality employees that adhere to our high standards and culture. Both the Sunriver Chamber of Commerce and EDCO have been working hard to help us with our growth by making Sunriver and La Pine more attractive for people to live and work.
“There are many reasons for people to come live and work in South Deschutes County and we hope that Sunriver Brewing Company is one of them.”
The Sunriver hotpsot, which Duley says often sees some 1,300 visitors in a day, offers pub fare with a twist, spearheaded by Chef Nick Felschow, a La Cordon Bleu Western Culinary Institute graduate who makes his own stocks, sauces and dressings from scratch.
The restaurant also bakes its own beer pretzels, calzones and buns daily and makes every effort to source locally and regionally and to offer natural, healthy ingredients.
Just in time for the advent of summer, Sunriver Brewing Company also rolled out its award winning Rippin NW Ale and Fuzztail Hefeweizen in 12oz cans and both brands are now available year round in six packs throughout Central Oregon and in select stores around Oregon.
“With Oregon being mainly wilderness, it makes perfect sense to put our beer in cans,” added Duley. “Snowboarding, skiing, campfire, fishing, hiking, biking, you name it, all things we do with beer in a can.”
With the new launch came a new look for Sunriver Brewing. Bold colors and clean lines reflect all the packaging for the company’s bottles and cans and with the recent opening of its second pub location on Galveston Avenue in Bend, Sunriver refined its branding with updated logos, graphics and signage.
The Rippin Ale recently earned a silver medal at the 2016 Best of Craft Beer and a bronze at the 2016 Oregon Beer Awards. Fuzztail also earned a gold medal at the 2016 Best of Craft Beer awards.
“Fuzztail Hefeweizen and Rippin NW ale are excellent choices for canning,” says Brett Thomas, Head Brewer for Sunriver Brewing Company. “Both beers are designed for session drinking and are a perfect match for the outdoor lifestyle of the Central Oregon and the Pacific Northwest”.
The awards have continued to pile up for Sunriver Brewing over its relatively short history to date, including:
2014 North American Beer Awards
Silver Medal — Hop Shop Series Session IPA
2015 North American Beer Awards
Silver Medal — Grandma’s Blonde Ale
Bronze Medal — Dark Willie Belgian Imperial Rye Stout;
2016 Best of Craft Beer Awards
Gold Medal — Fuzztail Hefeweizen
Silver Medal — Rippin Northwest Ale
2016 World Beer Cup
Gold Medal — Fuzztail Hefeweizen
Regional — First Place Best in Show People’s Choice Awards
Duley added, “There are many great things happening in the Sunriver area including the ongoing thoughtful evolution of the Village and the resurgence in tourism and visitors in the last few years and we are excited to be an engaged and enthusiastic part of the community.”
Sunriver Brewing Company, 57100 Beaver Dr., Bldg. 4, Sunriver, OR 97707, 541-593-3007, 1005 NW Galveston Ave., Bend, OR 97703, www.sunriverbrewingcompany.com
