(Owners Adrianne and Tyler Baumann relocated Legend Cider to La Pine in 2018 | Photo courtesy of Legend Cider)
“We like to think of Legend Cider’s expanded space as a love letter to the people of La Pine,” said owners Adrianne and Tyler Baumann. “We put a great deal of effort and heart into it, as we felt a lot of responsibility to make our new location an example of what the town offers.”
Relocating their production facility from the Dalles to La Pine in 2018, and opening southern Deschutes’ first tasting room a year later, the couple admitted that “when we first started, we thought this would be a fun hobby, and didn’t expect our cider operation would turn into such a viable and successful business.”
So much so that “while we were very happy in our first location, we eventually ran out of space,” Adrianne said. The building itself, previously a tire shop, posed one obstacle to growth. “No separation existed between the production facility and the tasting room, which meant the production team didn’t work during the hours the tasting room was open. Yet we were selling out our cider before it was made.”
Deciding to move proved to be the easiest part of what turned into a protracted process. The Baumanns initially set their sights on converting what she described as “a fixer upper with multiple issues” — from lack of heating to tax and leasing obstacles — but after several years, realized the futility of their efforts.
Fortunately, “my husband and I make a great team,” said Adrianne. “Whenever we face a challenge, we are able to find a solution, being creative problem solvers.” In this case, the couple agreed to tackle a building on Bluewood Place that again put their problem-solving abilities to the test.
As she described, “it had been vacant for three years, and was in bad, bad shape — just one example being the moldy interior that even had food in an old refrigerator.” Not to mention “the overgrown outside area covered in barbed wire and an outstanding water bill of more than $1,000.”
Continued Baumann: “The move there was pretty intense — as we were still paying to lease the old space, and didn’t have a signed lease on the new space until eight days before we had to be out. It was down to the wire — a chaotic, stressful time.”
Doing nothing to ease the tension was the physical move, which included “tons of heavy equipment, including two 90-barrel stainless steel fermentation tanks that spent the last year collecting dust,” said Baumann, “and which would no longer be safe to pressurize if they were dinged or dented en route.” On the plus side, “our employee team really rallied,” she said. “It was a labor of love.”
The Bluewood Place facility “is about twice as large as the original one on U.S. 97,” said Baumann, “with a new brew system that is ten times the volume. This will enable us to cover the entire state, including Portland, Eugene, and the coast. In addition, we’d love to ‘tap into’ (pun intended) Washington, California, and Nevada.” She added that “we’re also looking for a third taproom location (to augment the ones in La Pine and Talent, a small city between Ashland and Medford), but will keep all production in La Pine.”
Legend Cider’s Bluewood Place interior — designed by Baumann — “hearkens back to the ‘good old days,’” she said, “a trip into nostalgic Oregon when people weren’t worried about divisions and discord,”
It features an entrance area that “feels like a well-appointed living room,” as one patron described, with an expansive bar section, 28 ciders on tap, cocktails and wine; a children’s play space, and abundant seating options. Two food trucks are parked outside. “We have always been very focused on having a family-friendly space,” said Baumann, “and have been able to amplify everything we nailed the first time in our new location.”
Adding to the ambience is a section that, commented a customer, “resembles a cross between a general store and a fashion boutique, with women’s wear, home décor, and house-screened Legend merchandise.”
“I come from a retail background, rather than cider,” noted Baumann, “and the majority of merchandize we stock is from Oregon-based companies — a mix of local and unique items for our customer base. It’s a passion project for me.”
She added that “Our reception from the community has been so warm and fuzzy. Because our customers care so deeply about what we’re doing, it really hurt our hearts to not share what we were going through until the details were finalized. Now that the new space is open, customers — many of whom we consider extended family and friends — can come and enjoy Legend Cider again, and we have full transparency.”
And, said Baumann, “just as we converted a vacant lot and a decrepit building into something to be proud of, Tyler and I hope that we’ll also have a positive impact on other local businesses, and inspire them to similarly take accountability for our town.”
A final note: “There has been a huge move in the industry away from alcohol, which we wanted to embrace — not ignore. Everywhere you look,” said Baumann, “there are seamless, non-alcoholic options such as mocktails and non-alcoholic beers. We want everyone to feel they belong here. Legend Cider is not about drinking, but about gathering.”
