In 1988, new Bend resident Gary Fish converted an old law office into the city’s first modern craft brewery. He named it for the river that runs through town and, today, Deschutes Brewery isn’t just one of the largest purveyors of craft ales and lagers in Oregon—it’s one of the most recognizable craft brands in the United States.
In the decades since, dozens of craft breweries and cideries have followed in Deschutes’ footsteps—not just in Bend, but throughout Central Oregon—and have earned acclaim for true-to-style offerings and creative takes on classic styles alike. Today, nearly three dozen breweries and cideries produce award-winning offerings throughout Central Oregon, attracting fans from all over the world.
So the next time you’re around our region, here’s a look at some of the best cideries and breweries in Central Oregon.
The Many Bend, Oregon Breweries and Cideries
Downtown Bend is home to the oldest craft brewery in Central Oregon, so it’s no wonder the city is the epicenter of the region’s craft beer scene. Nearly two dozen breweries sit within city limits alone, so it can be tough to know where to start. (Perhaps the hardest part about knowing where to start is knowing you can’t go wrong—wherever you start.) So while we can’t possibly list all the Bend breweries here, we’re happy to share a few notable breweries and cideries in Bend to help get you started.
More than 30 years after opening, Deschutes Brewery remains the heartbeat of Bend’s craft beer scene. A tasting room and production facility is open on the city’s westside, while the brewery’s original outpost continues to pour the chocolatey and coffee-tinged Black Butte Porter, the chewy Bachelor Bitter (a pub exclusive) and another 20 rotating beers in the heart of downtown today.
South of downtown, Crux Fermentation Project is one of the best-loved breweries in Bend, Oregon—and is known as much for the quality of its beers as its backyard-like outdoor space. The brewery pours more than 30 beers at any given time, with selections ranging from light lagers to citrus-tinged IPAs to hearty barrel-aged offerings. Its lively outdoor space, meanwhile, offers a few food trucks, fire pits, and plenty of lawn seating—and routinely hosts live music.
Elsewhere around Bend, Spider City Brewing is the only brewery in Central Oregon that’s owned entirely by women—and has earned acclaim for thirst-quenching takes on creative styles, including a Polish-style wheat ale, fruity sours, Belgian grisettes, and more. Visitors can enjoy Spider City’s beers at the brewery’s downtown tasting room or at its production facility and taproom in southeast Bend.
Photo credit to: @bossramblerbeerclub
On the west side of town, Boss Rambler Beer Club delivers good beer and good vibes in equal measure; the hip brewery is known for its hazy IPAs, fruited sour beers, and light offerings—from American pilsners to Mexican lagers—and has racked up numerous awards and plaudits since opening in 2018.
And while Central Oregon might be known for our collective love of IPAs, Monkless Belgian Ales eschews the intense hop flavors for fruitier, spicier, and sweeter beers inspired by—you guessed it—Belgium. The well-regarded tap list at Monkless usually includes a peppercorn wit that delivers notes of orange and coriander, a Belgian-style dark ale, and a fruity, slightly spicy tripel.
Cideries in Tumalo, Oregon
Just 15 minutes north of town, a pair of popular cideries occupy space on the same block in the heart of Tumalo.
Tumalo Cider Company pours a variety of dry ciders that offer a hint of sweetness through creative fruit combinations (such as huckleberry lemon), while Bend Cider Company works a wide range of unusual ingredients (such as açaí berry juice) into its innovative offerings.
Breweries in Redmond, Oregon
Bend might be the heart of the craft brewing scene in Central Oregon, but Redmond holds its own. A half-hour drive north of Bend, the city hosts the region’s second-oldest brewery, along with a slate of creative producers pouring a wide range of award-winning ales and lagers.
Cascade Lakes Brewing Company set up shop in Redmond in 1994, making it the city’s first and the second-oldest in Central Oregon. More than 25 years on, the brewery continues to pour a mix of classic styles (including a blonde ale and a brown ale) alongside today’s most popular flavors (such as a hazy IPA and a light-bodied pilsner). In summer, the pub’s garage doors open up to a fun outdoor space that hosts a fire pit, picnic tables, and horseshoe pits.
In the heart of downtown Redmond sits Wild Ride Brewing, which pours a creative mix of year-round offerings and seasonal delights. Wild Ride’s Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter delivers exactly what its name promises—heavy notes of peanut butter and chocolate—and is among the brewery’s most popular offerings. Four food carts are on-site, dishing a variety of cuisine, and numerous fire pits make outdoor seating an all-year affair at Wild Ride.
Just a block or two west of Wild Ride, Kobold Brewing boasts a wide-ranging tap list in its family-friendly tasting room. You’ll see the usual styles, from flavorful lagers to hazy IPAs, but keep an eye out for Kobold’s darker offerings; the brewery is usually keen to pour at least one inventive stout or porter (sometimes using creative ingredients, sometimes barrel-aged, and sometimes both) at all times—even in the heart of summer.
Since 2018, Porter Brewing Co. has made a name for itself by pouring cask-conditioned “real ales” at its wood-paneled tasting room in Redmond. What makes an ale “real,” though? In short, it means the beer is unfiltered and unpasteurized—and goes through secondary fermentation in a cask, rather than a keg, before it’s served. The beers are generally warmer than what might come out of a keg, and they boast less carbonation—but, in turn, deliver a flavorful pour that showcases the characteristics of the beer’s ingredients.
If you want to dive deeper into the city’s craft beverage scene, here’s where to learn more about breweries and cideries in Redmond.
Breweries in Sisters, Oregon
Photo credit to: @threecreeksbrewing
At the western edge of Central Oregon, where the high desert turns to forest and ascends into the Cascade Range, the Wild West-influenced community of Sisters has carved out a reputation for excellent craft beers—and is home to two creative breweries.
The oldest is Three Creeks Brewing, which opened in 2008 and has been pouring a variety of true-to-style ales and lagers at the eastern edge of Sisters ever since. Its year-round beers include all the usual suspects (including a pine- and citrus-tinged IPA and a roasty chocolate porter), while Three Creeks’ seasonals and one-off beers run the gamut from Scottish ales to imperial red ales to slightly spicy saisons.
The city’s newest brewery, meanwhile, is Funky Fauna Artisan Ales—which opened in 2021 with a focus on saisons and wild ales that use regionally sourced ingredients for a true taste of Central Oregon (including wheat, fruit, and wild yeast).
For a look at where else to enjoy a cold one around town, learn more about breweries and cideries in Sisters.
Breweries in Sunriver, Oregon
The resort community of Sunriver is home to one craft brewery—and it’s among the most beloved anywhere in Central Oregon.
Since 2012, Sunriver Brewing has been pouring its balanced beers for visitors at a brew pub in The Village at Sunriver. Over the years, Sunriver has earned acclaim for its dialed-in takes on popular styles—including an award-winning hefeweizen that showcases subtle grapefruit and lemon flavors and a mildly bitter West Coast IPA that delivers notes of pine and lemon.
Clearly, something is working: In addition to its flagship pub, Sunriver Brewing now runs two pubs in Bend, Oregon, and one in Eugene.
Photo credit to: @sunriverbrewing
Breweries in Prineville, Oregon
At the eastern edge of Central Oregon, Prineville is home to an emerging beer and brewery scene.
Most recently, the Redmond-based Wild Ride Brewing opened its Prineville Tap Room & Brewery at the eastern edge of downtown. Wild Ride’s newest outpost features a small-batch brewery that crafts ales and lagers exclusively for its Prineville brewpub—which also boasts an on-site food cart and plenty of outdoor seating with a cozy fire pit.
If you’re curious about the oldest city in Central Oregon, we’ve put together a page on attractions, hotels, restaurants, and more around Prineville.
Photo credit to: @wildridebrew
Breweries in Madras, Oregon
Madras Brewing is the city’s only brewpub—and pairs its craft ales and lagers with a classic sports pub experience. Visitors can try house-made beers that focus on classic styles (such as IPAs and stouts) alongside offerings from regional producers; it all pairs well with burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, and other items while watching the day’s game.
Craft beer is just one of several appealing attractions around town; learn more about things to do, where to eat, and where to stay in Madras.
Brewery and Cidery Tours in Central Oregon
We’ll understand if you leave the driving to someone else. Fortunately, it’s easy to tour some of Central Oregon’s best breweries without getting behind the wheel; several Bend, Oregon, tour companies offer customized trips to breweries in Central Oregon.
The most famous tour in Bend is Cycle Pub, where groups of up to 14 can pedal their way around town on a covered bicycle-like contraption and visit some of the city’s most beloved breweries; smaller groups can pedal a six-seat bike or take a tour in a custom tuk tuk.
The Bend Tour Company, meanwhile, offers its Craft Beer & Brewery Tour of Bend—which takes visitors behind the scenes of Central Oregon’s burgeoning craft beer scene (including Deschutes Brewery, the region’s oldest craft brewery).
And Bend Brew Bus offers a variety of daily beer-themed tours—including a tour of various craft producers (where stops may also include distilleries and cideries), a paddling tour, and a cave tour. Custom group tours are also available. All tours are led by an experienced and knowledgeable guide.
If you’d rather enjoy a self-guided experience, explore Central Oregon’s many craft breweries and cideries along the Bend Ale Trail. Using either a free mobile app or a paper passport (available for $5), beer enthusiasts can track their progress while visiting up to 30 outstanding breweries and 17 craft beverage producers across Central Oregon—and win prizes for their efforts.
Wherever you go, be sure to drink plenty of water, drink responsibly, and call a ride-sharing service or taxi if you’ve had one too many. It’ll make your next trip to our breweries—there will be a next trip, right?—that much more fun.
