Visitors eager to sip their way around the famous Bend Ale Trail will have two more brewery stops to tackle, plus new opportunities to earn prizes for trekking the nation’s most famous trail of beer.
On May 8, Visit Bend released an updated Bend Ale Trail atlas featuring two new breweries. The addition of Rat Hole Brewing and Riverbend Brewing Co. brings the total to 14 breweries comprising one of Central Oregon’s most popular tourist attractions.
“Breweries and beer culture have been a key part of Bend’s economy for years, but we never dreamed the Bend Ale Trail would become this popular when we launched the program in June 2010 as a way to diversify Bend’s tourism offerings,” explained Visit Bend CEO Doug La Placa. “Since then, we’ve more than doubled the number of breweries on the trail, and we’ve had more than 10,000 people complete it.”
Using the passport found in the Bend Ale Trail atlas, beer fans journey between brewery stops gathering passport stamps to earn prizes. Participation is free, and no purchase is necessary at any of the breweries to obtain a stamp. Passports can be found at all Bend Ale Trail breweries, at the Bend Visitor Center, the Ticket Mill in the Old Mill District, or at brochure racks around Central Oregon. Smartphone users can opt to skip the printed atlas and download the free Bend Ale Trail app for iPhone or Android, which allows for virtual passport stamping. The app has proven popular since its introduction in 2011, and organizers anticipate more than 15,000 downloads in 2014.
In addition to new breweries, the newest iteration of the Bend Ale Trail includes a revamped prize structure as well. Participants can now earn a commemorative Bend Ale Trail Silipint pint glass for visiting just 10 of the 14 breweries. Those who visit all 14 will not only receive the Silipint, but also a Bend Ale Trail bottle opener.
Also new to the Bend Ale Trail program is the creation of Bend Ale Trail month. Each November, anyone who completes the Bend Ale Trail and submits the passport at the Bend Visitor Center will earn a free Man vs. Beer or Girl vs. Beer t-shirt.
“These t-shirts have proven to be one of the most popular pieces of Bend Ale Trail merchandise,” La Placa added. “For those who don’t earn one during November, the shirts are still for sale in the Visitor Center, along with a huge array of Bend Ale Trail merchandise ranging from hats to sweatshirts to belt buckles to scarves to beer koozies.”
