(Photo courtesy of Cascades Lakes Brewing)
Cascade Lakes Brewing Co.’s flagship Blonde Bombshell will be out, loud, and proud with a new name — Pride Blonde Bombshell — and a fresh look to celebrate Pride month and to support Central Oregon’s Queer Creators’ Collective. Unlike some special edition cans, this one will be around for a while, too. Central Oregon’s only not-for-profit brewery will be asking Pride Blonde Bombshell to strut their stuff at its pub and at Pride-related events for the entire month of June.
The recipe for the light bodied, refreshing Golden Ale will remain unchanged, but the special edition label will feature the colors of the pride flag and the Blonde Bombshell in their made-up best. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from each pint and six-pack of Pride Blonde Bombshell that is sold will benefit Queer Creators’ Collective, a new organization in Central Oregon that supports LGBTQ+ creators within the arts.
Cascade Lakes will also be hosting numerous Pride events throughout June, including the Pride Blonde Bombshell Release Party, Drag Bingo, and Queer Makers Market on June 7 at Cascade Lakes’ Westside Bend Pub. Cascade Lakes is also the title sponsor of the Pride Be Gay 3k, which will begin and end at Bend’s Drake Park on Saturday, June 24. And the brewery is a sponsor of Bend Pride Weekend, June 23-25.
Pride Blonde Bombshell will be available on draft and in six-packs throughout the month at all of Cascade Lakes’ pubs and at the Pride Weekend event at Drake Park on Saturday, June 24.
“We want Pride Blonde Bombshell to be the face of equality, diversity, and community all month long, and to do it in support Central Oregon’s LBGTQ+ community through the Queer Creators’ Collective,” said Jesse Luersen, director of hospitality of Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. “We want Cascade Lakes’ beers and pubs to be tools to bring people together. And by making sure that Pride Blonde Bombshell will be out and proud all through June, we are letting the Queer community know that they are a valued member of the Cascade Lakes family. Raise this can with Pride, and cheers to representation!”
Pride Blonde Bombshell is Cascade Lakes’ newest vehicle to support QCC. The monthly newly launched drag bingos at Cascade Lakes’ Westside Pub have raised nearly $4,000 and created a safe queer space.
“We are honored to have such a strong partnership with Cascade Lakes as we look to grow the reach of our young organization,” said RJ “Caressa Banana” Quiris, founder and president of the Queer Creators’ Collective. “We can’t wait to see the beautiful Pride Blonde Bombshell help bring the community together for what promises to be Central Oregon’s best Pride Month yet.”
Pride Blonde Bombshell Profile
Grain: 2-Row, Wheat
Hops: Liberty
Brewmaster: Ryan Schmiege
IBU: 17
ABV: 4.3%
Availability: Draft & six-pack 12 oz. cans
Pride Blonde Bombshell Release Party, Drag Bingo, and Queer Makers Market
Where: Cascade Lakes Brewing’s Westside Bend Pub — 1441 SW Chandler Ave., Suite #100, Bend, OR
Date: Wednesday, June 7
Time: 6-8pm
About: To celebrate the release of Pride Blonde Bombshell, the Westside Pub will be done up in pride décor and hosting three events in one. Pride Blonde Bombshell will be out and proud all night long. Drag Bingo, hosted by D’Auntie Carrol, will be held from 6-8 p.m. And during Bingo, the Queer Makers Market hosted by Stefanie Bolivar from The Brindle Bakery, will be held on the outside patio and includes queer vendors. All three events will help raise funds for Queer Creators’ Collective.
About Cascade Lakes Brewing Co.
Founded in 1994, Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. is Central Oregon’s only not-for-profit brewery and among the region’s pioneering breweries. Locally owned and operated by the Rhine family, Cascade Lakes is a bold, genuine, and innovative brewing and eatery company that remains true to its deep local roots. As a not-for-profit, Cascade Lakes donates its entire net profit to a wide range of causes, many focused on stewardship, conservation, and animal welfare efforts. Cascade Lakes can be found in stores across six states (Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana and Nevada), on select bar and restaurant taps, and at the brewery’s brick-and-mortar pubs in Redmond and Bend. A third Cascade Lakes pub is set to debut in Bend in summer 2023.
