Bend's Tasty Brews

With over twenty breweries and about as many coffeehouses and coffee roasters serving up their own variety of brewed beverages, Bend, Oregon could easily be considered the beer and coffee capital of the United States. In terms of per capita consumption (as calculated by the number of coffeehouses to population ratio), Bend regularly ranks in the top three–just behind Juneau and Anchorage, Alaska, and on an equal or above par with Seattle and Portland. (Indeed the biggest coffee consumption in the U.S.–at least in terms of coffee shops–occurs in the Pacific Northwest, northern Montana and Alaska.) Perhaps it’s because there’s so much beer consumed in Bend that coffee rates so high. It is after all one of the best ways to clear up post-partying fogginess.

This could be the case but most likely the explanation has more to do with the wonderful culture surrounding the consumption of coffee and beer. Bend is a laidback, medium-sized city where outdoor recreation dominates most people’s lives, visitors and locals alike. Stopping into a coffee shop to pick up some joe for an adventure or settling in to while away some time to plan your next one often makes up an integral part of participating in outdoor activities. Not to mention the fact that it becomes chilly in these parts outside of summer and a hot steamy brew is more of a requirement than a pleasure. As for beers, throwing back a cold and frosty is one of the best ways to celebrate a day on the river, a hike in the woods, an epic powder day at Mt. Bachelor or any number of other out-of-doors challenges that you embark upon in beautiful Bend and its outlying area.

Another explanation for the proliferation of breweries (and many coffeehouses, too) is that Bend is a good place to do business. People that live and work here enjoy a superlative quality of life, mostly due to the high Mother Nature component, so it’s not only a great place to start a business but it’s also a community where businesses thrive. Deschutes, Oregon’s largest brewery, is the biggest success story of them all. Founded in Bend in 1988 as a brew pub, this craft brewery paved the way for other beer makers to establish themselves here; today six of Oregon’s top breweries are based in Bend. With each brewery came a new pub–and then some–for consuming the brews!

Deschutes became one of the biggest breweries within the U.S. and fortunately it has managed to preserve its original charm. You can find out about them on a brewery tour that takes place four times a day, seven days a week. Their tours fill up quickly, so book in advance.Stop into their Public House for one of their tasty beers such as a Black Butte Porter or a Jubelale to accompany some of their savory pretzels, beer nuts, soups, salads, sandwiches or even a dry-aged ribeye steak. It won’t take you long to understand how this brew business has garnered so much attention.

Deschutes has also given birth to a number of beer masters, many that broke away from their original jobs to strike out on their own. Brewers at Boss Rambler, Boneyard, Crux and Ale Apothecary illustrate this phenomenon. Most breweries such as Silver Moon Brewing, Bend Brewing Co. and 10 Barrel Brewing (with two locations in Bend) serve terrific pub food as well. Whether you fancy IPAs, stouts, pilsners, porters, lagers and any other type of brew that you can imagine, you can find them in an abundance of iterations in Bend. Best of all the places where you sip them often afford killer views of the snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains. Many of the pubs/restaurants/tasting rooms boast decks and patios, so that–combined with the abundance of sunshine and fair weather that this Pacific Northwest town has to offer–makes for a most enjoyable beer sampling experience. At Worthy Brewing, you can even savor a beer and gaze at the stars at their Hopservatory, an observatory operated by the Worthy Garden Club.

Similar alluring ambiances come in amply supply at Bend’s coffeehouses. Whether ensconced in a cozy armchair or seated outside on a back porch, Bend’s coffee shops serve up a variety of settings to accompany their vast selection of brews. If you’re into art, go to Bluebird Coffee Company. If you take comfort in the company of books, Dudley’s Bookshop Café is a must. Thump Roastery, Bakery & Café generates such a buzz that folks sometimes have to line up outside to procure their java or to snag a table. For good vibes from the Deschutes River, go to Bellatazza and Looney Bean.

Head out to Sisters, an Old West kind of town just over twenty miles from Bend, for an excellent cup of coffee at Sisters Coffee. For some of the best donuts west of the Mississippi and other sweet and savory treats, go to Sisters Bakery. Their house brew drip coffee, espresso drinks, teas and hot chocolate also make the trip worthwhile.

Back in Bend, Kanona Café serves up a tide of good food and drink at their superfood café. Think acai bowls, smoothies and toast that incorporate healthful ingredients such as hemp milk, turmeric, chia seeds blue spirulina and more–all with a sweet tropical/Hawaiian/Pacific Northwest twist. Their specialities are not only good for you but good tasting, too. And, of course, they showcase plenty of delicious and nutritious coffee drinks as well.

Way to raise the standard on all kinds of brews, Bend. Cheers!