The Pacific Northwest has really exploded onto the craft beer scene and in central Oregon, Bend is number 1. If you are planning to visit Bend, you need to include a tour of Bend’s breweries. Collectively they offer every style of beer you could want, with a natural tilt towards IPAs, since those are the most popular beers of the moment.
If you like good beer, below are not only the most popular breweries, but my top recommendations for must visit breweries while in Bend.
Immersion Brewing
550 SW Industrial Way #185, Bend, OR 97702
Located in the Old Mill District, Immersion Brewing Company can be found in a strip mall kind of area. The parking lot can get really full here, depending on the day or the time of day, so be aware of that when visiting.
There is a small amount of outdoor seating with a food truck on site, but it is also within the same area as Miyagi Ramen, which I highly recommend. You can also order food in the brewery itself, including really good hot pretzels. Their beer list is decent, it’s not the most popular in the town, but they do have great beer. I recommend their cream ale, it was one of the best beers I had in all the breweries we visited.
Worthy brewing company
806 NW Brooks St, Bend, OR 97703
In downtown Bend, there is a small brewery called Worthy brewing company. It’s kind of unassuming and located along the river. The sign says beer and burgers. They do a lot of collaborations with other breweries and I saw these on the menus at the other spots. This area is just a small tasting room and is not the location of their main brewery, which is a bit outside of town.
They also have live music and some outdoor seating which is a big draw. Go to the tasting room for the atmosphere, but if you want the full beer experience go check out their main brewery.
Spider city brewing
55 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97701
The location in downtown Bend, within Old Bend is the tasting room for Spider City Brewing. It’s kind of weird to get into, the door on the street says its around the corner and in that particular door is a wine tasting room, but it’s all the same. You can enter either door.
It’s a unique place and very small hidden gem with only a couple tables and a wall of various wines but some of the best beer. I love a good barrel aged beer and they had one of the best, a 2 year bourbon barrel aged porter. It’s definitely a sipper and will knock you on your butt if your not careful but man it’s delicious. I also took home another porter, that was not of the barrel aged variety that was also quite good.
Their main brewery is also outside of the city, as is typical for these large production places, but the tasting room has a good variety of what they have on offer.
10 Barrel Brewing Company
Address: 62950 NE 18th Street, Bend, OR 97701
There are lots of different seating options here, including an outdoor patio and little heated huts, depending on how you are feeling. Or you can warm up inside at the bar or in their more traditional seating. One of the cool things is you can buy a pint for someone else, and they will put it up on the wall as a “pass it on” gesture.
There is a good reason this brewery is popular, they have some of the best craft beer. They have an extensive IPA list and it is also family and dog friendly.
They do have a full menu boosting mostly pizza but they also have traditional burgers and sandwiches. The pork belly appetizer is also out of this world and goes great with one of their many beer options, though on my most recent look at their menu it looks like this is not currently available and therefore may be a seasonal offering.
Crux Fermentation Project
50 SW Division St, Bend, OR 97702
This place is huge!! It is also definitely a local favorite and is always busy. There is plenty of community style seating inside but outside there are picnic tables, large fire pits, and several food trucks. It’s a great place for dogs and families with blankets spread out enjoying a nice day in Bend.
They have an extensive and varied beer list, with a little something for everyone. If you are a beer enthusiast, this place is a must visit. You can also find their beer in stores and my husband is a huge fan of their IPAs.
Boneyard beer
1955 NE Division St, Bend, OR 97701
This one is a little outside of the main town area, but a definite visit. This was my favorite spot, just because of the atmosphere. We visited Boneyard pub, there are other locations (as is the way with many of the breweries I mention in this list). You can sit in the family friendly section, with couches and TVs, or in their outdoor seating, or my favorite spot, around the main bar. The seats are black and what I would expect in an old style biker bar and there were skulls on the seats.
The whole place was dark and “dangerous.” (I put that in quotes because it’s not dangerous at all and the staff are extremely friendly). I had another barrel aged beer here, which was delicious. My husbands favorite is the RPM IPA, their flagship IPA. A very popular brewery you can find their beer in stores across the country.
Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House
Address: 1044 NW Bond St, Bend, OR 97703
This is their tasting room. The main brewery is a huge building near the Old Mill District, next to a big outdoor (but enclosed) skating rink. Their tasting room is locating in Old Bend and is easy walking if you are hanging out in the area. It’s a good spot for dinner but also a great way to try Deschutes brews without visiting the larger brewery. This public house has a casual, comfortable feel and is right in town, making it an easy stop.
On the appetizer menu I would recommend the GTP fries (fresh garlic, truffle oil, Parmesan and chives) to go along with your pint.
Silver Moon Brewing Company
Address: 24 NW Greenwood Ave, Bend, OR 97703
Close to Deschutes Public House, this is a few blocks outside of the main downtown area but not one you should miss.
There is really nothing fancy about it, but it has a great locals vibe and offers up a lot of fun events from bingo to a f*#! Cancer fundraiser. Oh, and the beer is really good. They do not serve food here per se, but in their outdoor seating area is a small food truck. And if I have learned anything about Oregon it’s all about the food trucks. And man do I love a good food truck!
Sunriver Brewing Company
Address: 1005 NW Galveston Ave, Bend, OR 97703
Located just a couple doors down from 10 Barrel, this mostly indoor (though I think they may have some outdoor seating behind the brewery, I didn’t investigate), has good beer. If you are into IPAs, there is plenty to choose from and the beer list at this location is heavy on the IPAs. If you are not into IPAs (like me) they have a couple of award winning staples, including the Fuzztail Hefeweizen and the Cocoa Cow Chocolate Milk Stout.
Bend Brewing Company
Address: 1019 NW Brooks St, Bend, OR 97701
I wasn’t sure if this was going to be one of those gimmicky, touristy spots when I first saw it. But it always seemed to be busy, so we checked it out and I am so glad we did.
The beer is good and so is their food menu. I recommend the nachos and they also have a great risotto dish. This brewery also has a great walkable location. They have outdoor seating that is warming and with heaters for the winter. The main draw are the views of the river. I really liked the beer I had there and they have a huge selection of not only IPAs, but a little bit of everything.
Honorable Mentions
There were a few breweries that are high on many beer enthusiasts lists that I just did not get a chance to experience. But they get such high accolades from others that I wanted to at least include them as honorable mentions.
Monkless Belgian Ales Brewing
803 SW Industrial Way #202, Bend, OR 97702
In 2020 (of all years), they were awarded Mid-sized brewpub of the year. They are known for, of course, their Belgian style ales and good food. Located in the Old Mill District and is walking distance from Immersion Brewing.
Ale Apothecary
30 SW Century Drive, Suite 140, Bend, OR 97702
Ok, I don’t know why this wasn’t on the top of my list seeing as how they specialize in barrel aged beer and use ingredients grown in Oregon. The outside of the brewery looked really cool and we passed by it several times but didn’t stop in. It is up the street and around the corner from 10 Barrel, so technically you could walk it, and you might want to consider it because they share their parking lot with other places and it is tiny.
Goodlife brewing company
70 SW Century Dr suite 100-464, Bend, OR 97702
Their beers are mostly lagers and IPAs, so not at the top of my list but a must visit for those who love that style of beer. It is recommended by many but just wasn’t on my radar but I wanted to make sure you got all the details so you can have your own beer experience.
Bend ale trail passport
A fun way to experience the breweries of Bend is through the Bend Ale Trail, which includes a passport that you can get stamped at the various breweries and is a fun little keepsake. For more info on the Bend Ale Trail, check out their website.
Concluding Thoughts
Bend is truly a craft beer mecca. There are so many options it can easily become overwhelming, but they all have something great to offer depending on your style and the atmosphere.
If you are looking for great food to pair with that beer, check out my top restaurants in Bend.
