3 minute read
Bend Ale Trail
Official Visitor Guide of Bend Welcome to the craft beer capital of the West.
When you’ve got the best mountain water in the land, you put it to use making craft beer. To celebrate that, we launched the legendary Bend Ale Trail in 2010. It’s been buzzed about everywhere from The New York Times to USA Today, and in 2021, it got even better. Bend Ale Trail 2.0 brings a bevy of new breweries, territories, and perfect pairings making it more fun to taste your way through coppery pale ales, creamy stouts, and crisp lagers while gathering passport stamps to earn prizes.
BEND ALE TRAIL
Official Visitor Guide of Bend
Seven Territories, One Ale Trail
Bend may have started as a logging town, but today we’re a lager town. And ales, stouts, pilsners, porters, witbeirs and IPAs, too. You get the picture.
Bend’s craft beer scene is booming. From just a handful of breweries when the Bend Ale Trail first started to the dozens you’ll find today, there’s always something new to discover—no matter how recently you last took your tipsy trek.
Explore all seven hopped and heavenly territories. From the Old Block to the Badlands, from the Western Front to the Far North, from the Brewer’s District to the Riverlands and even the Outer Rim, you’re bound to sip on something extraordinary. With so many breweries beckoning you, we’ve got a million frosty reasons to try them all.
Stop by the Bend Visitor Center to get your Bend Ale Trail passport and start collecting stamps, or head online to bendaletrail.app. When you’ve filled your passport, zip back to the Bend Visitor Center to claim your prize!
DRINKABLE DIVERSIONS Seeking a change of pace from malty goodness?
Don’t miss the Drinkable Diversions, a side trip along the Bend Ale Trail to explore Bend’s alternative craft beverage scene. Crater Lake Spirits, Oregon Spirit Distillers, Cascade Street Distillery, Gompers Distillery, and BackDrop Distilling are some of the small-batch distilleries reviving the tradition of premium handcrafted American distilled spirits.
Hard cider, a naturally gluten-free alternative to beer, is taking Bend by storm with several craft cideries in town. Make the rounds to Avid Cider, Bend Cider Company, and Tumalo Cider Company to taste what’s unique about each. Made with regional and local ingredients like berries, apples, huckleberries, and apricots, Bend cider is like a hybrid of winemaking and beer brewing.
If vino is more your taste, hold on to your grapes because Central Oregon was officially recognized as a wine region in 2011. Visit vineyard country with a journey north to Maragas Winery and their epic outdoor patio overlooking mountains and grapevines. Nearby, you’ll find Faith, Hope and Charity Vineyard, a stunning 15 acres with a roster of grape varietals as vast as its mountain views. Check their website for a schedule of live music. If tasting rooms are more your scene, you’ll find several scattered through downtown, the Old Mill District, and the Box Factory. Bend’s wine shops make it easy to grab a bottle to take back to your hotel.
Not sure what you’re craving? Try a little of everything with the The Local Pour Tour from Wanderlust Tours. You’ll visit a brewery, cidery, and distillery all in one fell swoop. They’ll even pick you up at your hotel or vacation rental and drop you off at the end.
Speaking of responsible drinking, jail time would sure put a damper on your vacay. Make a plan beforehand for a sober ride home if you plan on imbibing in Bend. You’ll find a wide array of options from Uber to Lyft to local taxi services.
And hey, if drinking alcohol at all isn’t for you, you’re also in luck. Visit Bend’s Designated Driver program rewards responsible friends who get the rest of their pals safely around the Bend Ale Trail. Simply collect a designated driver stamp at each stop, making it clear to the barkeep you’re doing DD duty. When you redeem your passport, you’ll get a special prize for doing your part to keep impaired drivers off the road.
