(Photo | Courtesy of Old Mill District)
The Largest Craft Beer Festival in the Pacific Northwest, Set for May 13-14, to Highlight 65+ Breweries from Around The Region
It’s been nearly three years since revelers last gathered in the Old Mill District to celebrate Bend Brewfest, a stretch set to come to an end May 13-14 when more than 65 breweries and cider houses from throughout the Pacific Northwest will gather to pour 100-plus beers, ciders and seltzers on the banks of the Deschutes River.
It’s been a long time coming, says Beau Eastes, marketing director for the Bend Brewfest. “We couldn’t be happier to be back,” Eastes says about this year’s festival, which also coincides with Bend’s iconic Pole Pedal Paddle multi-sport race, held May 14 in the Old Mill District.
“The beer list for this year’s event is spectacular,” he adds. “Von Ebert, Great Notion, Alesong, Boneyard, Spider City, Ale Apothecary, Fremont, pFriem, to name a few — it really is a collection of the most exciting and innovating breweries in the Pacific Northwest.”
See the full Bend Brewfest tap list here.
Construction at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater, the beer festival’s long-standing home, will send Bend Brewfest into the heart of the Old Mill District this year on the east side of the Deschutes River.
Here’s what to expect at the 2022 Bend Brewfest.
Central Oregon Breweries Take Center Stage at Bend Brewfest
In 2022, roughly 25 Central Oregon breweries will share more than two dozen home-grown ales and lagers.
The lineup includes veteran stalwarts, such as Sunriver Brewing Company, Three Creeks Brewing and GoodLife Brewing Company, alongside a few upstarts making their Bend Brewfest debut.
One returning brewery is the woman-owned, Bend-based Spider City Brewing, whose Sneaky Deer Hazy Double IPA won the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 Bend Brewfest. The brewery is returning this year with Deer Garden Hazy IPA, one of its flagship IPAs.
Bend’s Bevel Craft Brewing, meanwhile, will make its first Bend Brewfest appearance by pouring its popular First Run IPA alongside the barrel-aged Glow Round 2021 imperial stout on the X-Tap.
Other new faces include Bend-based Van Henion Brewing, which was founded in 2021 by former Boneyard brewers, and Funky Fauna Artisan Ales, which opened its cozy Sisters taproom in late 2021.
X-Tap Program is Bigger Than Ever
The Bend Brewfest’s uber-popular X-Tap program is also back this year and it’s bigger than ever before. Nearly 40 different small batch and experimental beers will be poured in the X-Tap tent, including Alesong and Ale Apothecary, both of whom will be on Bend Brewfest tap handles for the first time.
Other highlights on this year’s X-Tap include Firestone Walker’s cocktail-inspired Gold Rider, Crux’s barrel-aged imperial stout Lost Love, Breakside’s barrel-aged Black & Tan and pFriem’s Nectarine Golden Ale that’s aged in Sauvignon Blanc barrels.
Get the full X-Tap schedule here.
Breweries From Throughout the Pacific Northwest Converge on Bend
Central Oregon breweries will be joined at the festival by some of the best craft breweries, cider makers and seltzer producers from throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Portland’s Von Ebert Brewing, for instance, will pour its Pierre Le Chat—crafted with 100 percent French barley and three different French hops. And the always fabulous Great Notion Brewing, also of Portland, will offer its Bicycle Day tart ale — a unique beer that sports flavors of peach, apricot, pineapple and Cara Cara orange.
Other breweries from further afield include Yakima’s Bale Breaker Brewing Company, which is pouring its Homegrown IPA made up entirely of hops and malts grown on the Bale Breaker estate. Fort George of Astoria is also back at Brewfest, showcasing its Fanzine IPA and a beta version of its annual 3-Way IPA — they’re partnering with Seattle’s Ravenna Brewing and Alvarado Street Brewery out of Monterey, California this year — that won’t released until the week after Brewfest.
Bend Brewfest 2022 Info
Bend Brewfest will take place 12-9pm May 13-14, 2022, in the historic Old Mill District along the Deschutes River. Tasting packages cost $40 in advance — $50 at the door — and include admission to both days, a tasting mug, ten tasting tokens and a Bend Ale Trail tasting notes book, while supplies last. Packs of five additional tokens can be purchased for $10 in advance and at the festival.
