by RENEE PATRICK Cascade Business News Feature Writer
Avid beer lover and blog author of Hack Bend and The Brew Site, Jon Abernathy, has been instrumental in the creation of a new celebration of all things beer: Central Oregon Beer Week May 21-27.
Taking place during the last week in May, Beer Week will tap into the thriving craft brewing scene in one of the largest per-capita brewery communities in the country. With 13 active breweries ranging from Prineville, Sunriver, Redmond and Bend, events will highlight the collaborative nature of the business as well as introduce beer lovers to the brew masters.
“This beer week has been something in the back of my mind for a while,” said Abernathy. “Many cities around the country are doing one: Portland, Medford, Eugene and Corvallis all started their beer weeks last year. It’s a growing trend to celebrate the beer culture of a certain region; it’s natural for Central Oregon of all places.”
With the help of the newly formed Central Oregon Brewers Guild, the first annual Beer Week’s list of events is growing, and will primarily focus on smaller more intimate happenings with the hope of creating larger events next year.
Through his beer blog, Abernathy has created some close relationships with the local breweries and has been struck by the friendly atmosphere among the local brewing culture. Beer Week will highlight what he sees as the unique atmosphere among craft brew makers who work together, share ideas and even brew together. The result? An even better array of options for those of us who enjoy a frosty pint after a day on the greens, the trails or the mountain.
“I love that Bend is such a hotbed for breweries right now,” commented Abernathy, “even if it does puzzle me a little bit.” When will Central Oregon reach its saturation point for good beer? With the area now attracting beer tourism, the answer is not an easy one. New brewing ventures continue to open and thrive and with beer’s integration with other activities like the Cycle Pub, Wanderlust Brews & Views tours and the Bend Ale Trail, the thirst for brew-related businesses, events and partnerships keep rising.
Central Oregon Brewers Guild
The Central Oregon Brewers Guild (COBG) will host a kick-off event during Central Oregon Beer Week to introduce themselves to the region. Through a brewer’s roundtable, representatives from the member breweries will take part in a question and answer session followed by beer tastings.
Garrett Wales, president of the new Guild and partner at 10 Barrel, explained the formation of the group came about as the brewing community saw a need for local representation above and beyond what was possible from the Oregon Brewers Guild. “The majority of the efforts and resources and events take place in the valley, to no fault of their own, but we felt we didn’t have the collaborative base to promote us and support the industry locally.”
The new Guild is a nonprofit professional advocacy group, and a separate entity from the state organization. All breweries will maintain membership with the Oregon Guild, Wales explained, adding, “we just thought it was an appropriate time to focus on the local industry.” To become a member, brewers need to own and operate a brewery, own their own equipment and have a Federal Brewer’s Notice. The Guild is 12 breweries strong and hopes grow the flagship beer culture with the goal of promoting and highlighting Central Oregon breweries.
A recent New York Times article about the local beer culture highlighted what most locals already know: the craft beer industry has become a unique attraction in the country. “We have become a shining light in a down economy, and are honored to be looked at in this light. We do it because we love it and have a passion for it,” Wales commented. “The collaborative environment that we have in Central Oregon is one of a kind…We know that the strength of all the breweries improves the strength of individual breweries, if we can work together, it helps in the long run. There is plenty of room for everyone at this point, we are primarily competing with outside breweries not in the area.”
www.centraloregonbrewersguild.com.
www.bendbeer.org, jon@thebrewsite.com.
Central Oregon Beer Week Events
Monday, May 21
GoodLife tasting at Whole Foods
Meet the Brewer and Tour Bend Brewing – 4-6pm, Bend Brewing Company open-house, meet Brewer, Ian Larkin. 1/2 priced appetizers during this time and live music from 6:30-8:30pm
Brews & Bands at BTBS featuring Below Grade Brewing’s Head Brewer Dean Wise and music by Brad Jones (aka Keez)
Scholarship BrewFest & Basket Raffle – Kick off Central Oregon Brew Week with a sampling of local brews while supporting the Bend Youth Collective’s 2012 Urban Immersion Trip to Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, May 22
Phat Matt’s Tasting at Whole Foods
Brews & Bands at BTBS featuring 10 Barrel Brewing’s Brewmaster Jimmy Seifrit and music by Matt Murphy
Wednesday, May 23
Phat Matt’s Tasting at The Wine Shop
Brews & Bands at BTBS featuring Deschutes Brewery’s Brewer John Abraham and music by Greg Botsford!
Brew Werks Beer Dinner – (Tentative date) A coursed beer-pairing dinner
Thursday, May 24
Deschutes Brewery tasting at The Summit Saloon
Open House at Old St. Francis School – (Tentative date)
Brews & Bands at BTBS featuring Bend Brewing’s Head Brewer Ian Larkin and music by Mai of the Moon Mountain Ramblers 5–7 pm at Broken Top Bottle Shop & Ale Cafe
Friday, May 25
10 Barrel Tasting at Whole Foods
Three Creeks Beer Tasting at Ray’s Food Place in Sisters
GoodLife Sweet As Pacific Ale Release Party and Biergarten Grand Opening Music, Food, Games, Fire Pit….and Sweet As
Phat Matt’s Tasting at The Wine Shop
Brews & Bands at BTBS featuring Boneyard Beer’s founder and owner Tony Lawrence and music by The Pitchfork Revolution!
Boneyard Beer 2 Year Anniversary Party featuring a tap takeover, food made with beer and more!
Saturday, May 26
Mt. Bachelor Brewski – Beer City USA comes to Mt. Bachelor! Enjoy select brews from all of Central Oregon’s 13 breweries in the on-snow lounge with a BBQ outside West Village Lodge on closing weekend!
Silver Moon tasting at Whole Foods
Sunday, May 27
Happy Girls Half Marathon – Deschutes Brewery is sponsoring this half marathon in Bend’s Old Mill District, providing the beer for potentially thousands of thirsty runners!
Sisters Stampede & Three Creeks Beer Release with a beer tent and special beer release of Ridge Trail ESB
Mt. Bachelor Brewski – Beer City USA comes to Mt. Bachelor!
