(Photo courtesy of Cycle Pub)
With the number of craft breweries in Bend reaching nineteen, plus four in Redmond and one each in Sisters, Prineville and Sunriver, it’s safe to say Central Oregon has a micro-economy in beer. Even the local brewery-highlighting, Central Oregon Beer Week grew to ten days; this year happening May 22-31. But, the local breweries aren’t the only ones looking to cash in with beer lovers.
Looking to promote Bend tourism, Visit Bend has created the Bend Ale Trail. Tourists and locals looking to experience all of Bend’s breweries need only grab a Bend Ale Trail Atlas and Passport, available at the Bend Visitor Center and participating breweries, head to a local pub and enjoy a beer. Each brewery stamps your passport and gets you one step closer to prizes including a Bend Silipint and a Bend Ale Trail bottle opener.
www.visitbend.com
The Bend Brew Bus, run by Wanderlust Tours, offers a unique take on the designated driver. Guides educated in all things beer will drive tourists to four breweries and talk about each beer and the brewing process. The half day tour costs $65 and includes transportation, a guide, beer tastings, brewery tours, and appetizers.
www.bendbeerbus.com
The Cycle Pub combines two fun summer activities, drinking beer and bicycling. A driver steers as riders use pedal power to move the passenger “bike,” which actually looks more like a trolley. While cruising between various sights, riders can enjoy beer on tap, as well as snacks and music. The Big Bike seats between eight and fourteen, while the Small Bike seats between four and six. www.cyclepub.com
Visitors looking for a different, yet traditional, brewery tour should try Bend’s Horse Drawn Brewery Tours, operated by Cowboy Carriage. As the name suggests, a horse-drawn wagon shuttles groups of between ten and twenty to four different breweries. Tours start at the Oxford Hotel in downtown Bend and cost $50 per person.
http://cowboycarriage.us/brewery-tours
