Bend Area Breweries: Where to Go and What to Get

When Deschutes Brewery took over an old law office in downtown Bend in 1988, it sparked a craft brewing revolution in Central Oregon that continues today.

In the decades since Deschutes first put Bachelor Bitter, Black Butte Porter, and other favorites on the map, Bend and Central Oregon became a craft-beer mecca that continues to attract visitors from around the world.

Today, visitors and locals alike bounce between more than 30 breweries across the region—getting cozy in laid-back taprooms, gathering around a crackling fire pit, savoring the sunshine on sprawling patios, and going behind the scenes for an up-close look at how it all happens.

If you’d like to sample some of our world-famous craft beers, here’s a rundown of how to get started—getting the lay of the land with a Bend Ale Trail passport, navigating neighborhoods chockablock with destination-worthy brewpubs, and planning the perfect trip. Whatever your route, be sure to line up a designated driver, rideshare, or other safe way home before your first pour.

The Bend Ale Trail launched in 2010 as a self-guided passport program, inviting craft beer fans to check out local breweries and awarding prizes for doing so. Today, it offers an easy introduction to the region’s beer scene, highlighting more than 30 top stops across Central Oregon.

Start your Bend Ale Trail adventures in one of two ways: Either begin the passport by downloading the program’s official mobile app or by picking up a physical copy at the Bend Visitor Center in downtown. From there, you can pick and choose the stops that sound fun in whichever parts of Central Oregon you may find yourself; the map is organized by “territories”, which helps you get to know different areas of the region and cuts down on driving and travel. Upon arriving at each stop, you check in to collect a stamp and—after visiting enough breweries—earn fun prizes. Designated drivers can check in and win prizes, as well.

Every November, the passport program shines with Bend Ale Trail Month—when you can unlock exclusive bonus prizes, take part in online giveaways, and more. This is also a quiet time in Bend, when fall turns to winter but our ski resorts haven’t yet opened for the season, so you’ll have more space around the fire pits and will enjoy a quieter experience in taprooms.

Deschutes Brewery – Two Locations in Bend

Deschutes Brewery is what started it all for Central Oregon in 1988. Today, Deschutes remains a community pillar with award-winning beers and fun events like trivia and fundraising nights. Head to the downtown pub for nearly 20 beers on tap; the wide-ranging taplist features something for everyone and usually includes a mix of flagship offerings, seasonal pours, small-batch classics, at least one gluten-free beer, and at least one cask ale. (Local tip: Bachelor Bitter is only available at Deschutes pubs, making it one of the brewery’s rarer pours.) A handful of housemade, non-alcoholic beers are typically available at any given time, as well.

It all pairs well with Pacific Northwest-inspired pub grub, from a gamey elk burger to fish and chips made with Oregon-caught rockfish. Head upstairs at the family-friendly pub for shuffleboard and vintage video games, or gather on the patio that lines Northwest Bond Street out front. For a more laid-back experience and brewery tours, head to the Deschutes production facility and tasting room on Bend’s westside.

Bend Brewing Co. – Bend

Just a few blocks away from Deschutes, Bend Brewing Co. is the second-oldest brewery in Bend and has been pouring award-winning ales and lagers along the Deschutes River and Mirror Pond since 1995.

Today, the brewery mixes it up with old-school styles (like a golden ale and a toffee-tinged amber ale) and creative recipes (like a smoked coffee porter and a fruity sour ale featuring notes of pomegranate and hibiscus). Cocktails, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages round out the drink menu, and it all goes well with an elevated pub grub menu that includes burgers, sandwiches, heartier entrées, and thoughtful dishes like the miso sesame Brussels sprouts. Take it all in on the dog- and kid-friendly beer garden, which sits under a leafy pine canopy and along the Deschutes River.

McMenamins Old St. Francis School – Bend

McMenamins is a Pacific Northwest icon, beloved for taking over run-down properties, bringing them back to life with charm and whimsy to spare, and turning each into a creative gathering space. At the southern edge of downtown Bend, McMenamins Old St. Francis School occupies the site of a former Catholic school, and its expansive campus shows off what makes the regional chain so special. Book a night or two in a classroom-turned-hotel-room, bounce between five bars and pubs (including the “secret” Broom Closet), unwind in a soaking pool surrounded by turquoise tiles, and see what’s playing in the on-site movie theater.

Wherever you wind up at Old St. Francis School, sip a mix of beers made on-site and McMenamins classics (like the raspberry-tinged Ruby Ale and the roasty Terminator Stout), as well as McMenamins ciders, cocktails, and non-alcoholic offerings. The straightforward food menu comprises pub grub favorites like burgers, pizza, sandwiches, and seasonal dishes. (McMenamins’ famous Cajun tots are made with a special seasoning that gives the dish a fun, slightly spicy kick—and makes it one of the chain’s most recognizable and best-loved items.)

Silver Moon Brewing – Bend

With its huge outdoor patio and fire pit on Galveston Avenue, 10 Barrel‘s original West Side pub is a perfect spot to grab a beer al fresco. Its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years with solid brews like Sinister Black and OG Wheat IPA and the simple-yet-perfectly-named canned creation “Pub Beer.” Maybe the only thing better than the beer is the food. The pizzas are Top 5 in Central Oregon hands down. Too long a wait at the West Side spot? Head over to the brewery’s larger East Side location.

10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Two Locations in Bend

Just a few blocks west of Mirror Pond and the Deschutes River, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. hosts a perpetually busy pub that’s been a neighborhood fixture since 2007. After roughly 20 years, 10 Barrel specializes in IPAs, sour ales, and lagers—but rounds out that selection with homemade cocktails, mocktails, non-alcoholic beers, and a handful of wines.

The 10 Barrel food menu trends toward elevated pub grub; the nachos, for instance, are made with steak, bacon, and gorgonzola—and the pizzas incorporate locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. If you can, try to snag a spot by the large fire pit on the perpetually busy patio. 10 Barrel hosts a second pub on Bend’s eastside, as well.

GoodLife Brewing Company – Bend

Whether you’re coming back from a day along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway or are relaxing on Bend’s laid-back westside, GoodLife Brewing Company delivers a fun pub experience for visitors from all walks of life along Southwest Century Drive.

The brewery hosts a cozy taproom that pours a rotating mix of more than 15 homemade brews, with a far-reaching blend of classic styles (like the Sweet As Pacific Ale) and playful brews (including a fruit-forward pale ale); the food selection includes sandwiches, flatbreads, salads, and a robust children’s menu. Out back, you’ll find a dog- and kid-friendly beer garden with on-site food trucks, weekly live music, lawn games (like bocce ball and corn hole), and plenty of space for little ones to run around.

Monkless Belgian Ales – Bend

Monkless Belgian Ales zigs where so many other breweries zag, bypassing a bevy of hop-forward IPAs, tart sour ales, and crisp lagers for a narrower focus: Belgian-style beers. The year-round taplist at Monkless includes a citrusy wit, a well-rounded golden ale, a tropical tripel, and a malty pilsner.

Those beers go well with a European-inspired, locally sourced food menu that spotlights pork schnitzel, a Belgian Liege waffle topped with fried chicken and housemade maple syrup, and a Flemish beef dip sandwich made with Oregon-raised meat. Beyond beer, choose among several cocktails (including a few served warm), wine, cider, mocktails, and several non-alcoholic offerings.

Enjoy the globetrotting flavors inside the family-friendly, abbey-esque dining room or on a dog-friendly patio that overlooks the Deschutes River and the neighboring Old Mill District. A second, cozier Monkless tasting room can be found on the eastside, but it is not kid-friendly.

Crux Fermentation Project

Based in an industrial pocket of Bend, just off Highway 97 and east of the Old Mill District, Crux Fermentation Project is a stalwart of the region’s craft brewing scene for good reason. The veteran brewery is housed in a former transmission shop and pours nearly two-dozen housemade brews, from easy-drinking lagers to hop-forward IPAs and Belgian-inspired beers; cider, wine, cocktails, and Crux’s own non-alcoholic beers are available, as well.

After choosing a flight and ordering pub grub made in-house (or from one of the on-site food trucks), head onto the lawn—one of Bend’s most popular public gathering spaces. Here, families splay out on the lawn, couples gather around the fire pit, and friends toast each other on picnic tables in full view of several Cascade peaks.

Worthy Brewing & Hopservatory – Bend

Worthy Brewing is less a brewpub than a veritable monument to the size, scope, and ambition of Bend’s craft brewing scene. Housed along Highway 20 at the eastern edge of Bend, the three-story Worthy makes an idyllic stop after a day of exploring the Oregon Badlands Wilderness Area. If you’re thirsty, choose among Worthy’s own beers (ranging from year-round award-winners to seasonally inspired ales and lagers), hard seltzer, cider, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic offerings. Salads, burgers, sandwiches, and pizzas, meanwhile, feature ingredients grown in an on-site garden and sourced from regional producers.

Whatever you order, enjoy it in a spacious, family-friendly pub or around a fire pit on the dog-friendly patio. Visit on a weekend evening, and you can head up to the third floor; there, the Hopservatory hosts a research-grade telescope and (for a small donation) offers one of the region’s most innovative stargazing experiences.

Cascade Lakes Brewing – Bend & Redmond

Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. opened in downtown Redmond in 1994, making it Central Oregon’s second-oldest brewery, and is a dedicated not-for-profit operation; that means all of the brewery’s profits are directed to causes near and dear to the owners’ hearts—like outdoor conservation and animal welfare.

Today, you can drink beer for a good cause at the Cascade Lakes’ old-school pub in downtown Redmond. The taplist routinely comprises a mix of seasonal releases and long-running recipes (like the Pineapple Kush IPA and Salted Caramel Porter), and the food menu features all your brewpub favorites—including a potent lineup of filling sandwiches. Craft cocktails, wine, kombucha, ginger beer, and other non-alcoholic choices are also available. Laze away the day inside the kid-friendly dining room or outside on a dog-friendly, mostly covered patio, where you can hang out around the fire pit. Cascade Lakes also hosts a family-friendly pub with a rooftop patio on Bend’s east side.

Funky Fauna Artisan Ales – Bend

Funky Fauna Artisan Ales is proof that Bend’s beer scene still has room for surprises. Founders Michael Frith and Danielle Burns started the brewery in Sisters before moving it in 2025 to a taproom in Bend’s Central District at 1125 NE Second Street. They specialize in saisons, the rustic, lower-alcohol farmhouse ales of Belgium and France.

Their house culture was captured from Central Oregon’s own air, giving the beers a dry, slightly tart character you won’t find anywhere else. Funky Fauna also brews rustic lagers and hoppy ales from Oregon-grown malt and hops. It’s an easy walk-in stop after browsing the neighborhood’s shops and murals.

Sunriver Brewing Co. – Sunriver

The fun doesn’t end when you leave Bend. In fact, Sunriver Brewing Co. is one of Oregon’s most lauded, award-winning breweries. Just a 20-minute drive south of Bend and in the heart of Sunriver, the family-friendly brewery makes a fun stop after a day of exploring the surrounding Newberry National Volcanic Monument or as part of a stay at the nearby Sunriver Resort.

Many of Sunriver’s brews have become regional staples since the brewery opened in 2012, including the wheaty Fuzztail Hefeweizen and the pine-tinged Vicious Mosquito IPA. Other appetizing options include barrel-aged beers, lagers, a homemade hard cider, wine, and several non-alcoholic beverages. Sandwiches, salads, and brewpub fare (like fish and chips and macaroni and cheese) round out the food menu.

Your little ones will love the children’s food choices and can have fun in an indoor play area that features a chalkboard and toys. When the sun shines, head outside onto the covered patio for a laid-back afternoon and people-watching in the heart of The Village at Sunriver. For a quieter experience, visit the Sunriver Brewing production facility and tasting room nearby—or settle in for food and beer at the company’s brewpub on Bend’s eastside.

Three Creeks Brewing Co. – Sisters

Head back in time to the Wild West at Three Creeks Brewing Co., whose saloon-style restaurant and pub sits just 30 minutes northwest of Bend at the western edge of Sisters. After walking in, head left for a family-friendly dining room and a dog-friendly patio with a crackling fire pit—or turn right to walk through saloon doors and into a bar area for adults 21 and older.

Wherever you land, fill up on pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and other pub fare—and wash it all down with a handful of homemade beers (ranging from long-running classics like the chocolatey Five Pine Chocolate Porter to the piney Crowdpleaser IPA). Before ordering, see which small-batch, heavy-hitting brews are available on Three Creeks’ so-called “Outlaw Taps.” Beyond beer, choose among a handful of classic cocktails, more than a dozen wines, hard seltzer, and non-alcoholic offerings.

Wild Ride Brewing Co. – Redmond

In 2014, Wild Ride Brewing opened a production brewery and taproom in an old lumber storage building in downtown Redmond—quickly garnering local love for its eclectic beer selections and boisterous space.

More than a decade later, Wild Ride pours more than a dozen housemade ales and lagers at any given time, with an eye toward classic styles like a malty red ale, a fruity golden ale, an easy-drinking pilsner, and an old-school vanilla stout. (The Nut Crusher Peanut Butter Porter tastes like Reese’s in a glass and is a longtime favorite.) Housemade seltzer and regional cider rounds out the taplist. Grab a ski-shaped flight of whatever sounds good, order lunch or dinner from one of five on-site food carts, and kick back on a family- and dog-friendly outdoor seating area that includes Adirondack chairs and numerous fire pits. Wild Ride also operates a brewpub and hosts a handful of food trucks at the eastern edge of downtown Prineville if you’re coming back from visiting the Painted Hills.

One of the joys of the Central Oregon craft beer scene is that there’s always something new and exciting on tap.

Visiting in winter or spring? Our breweries make excellent après-ski stops, and the fire pits never feel better than after a day on the slopes. (Events like the Winter Beer Festival at Suttle Lodge and Boathouse near Sisters add to the fun.)

As summer arrives, sun-kissed patios invite you to linger after a day outdoors and catch performances from local musicians. By early fall, fresh-hop beers—made within 24 hours of hops being plucked from the bine—take over taplists around the region with big, bold flavors. (Pick up a Fresh Hop Bingo card for your chance to win fun prizes.)

As soon as fresh-hop season ends, Bend Ale Trail Month begins—giving craft beer fans the chance to win even more prizes than usual throughout November.

Ready to plan your next beer-cation? Here are a few tips for making the most of your trip.

Road and weather conditions: No matter when you visit, look up current road conditions on TripCheck.com. The interactive map includes live webcams, construction alerts, closures, and other resources to keep drivers safe.

Brewery tours: Take your trip to the next level with a behind-the-scenes tour or memorable outing. Bend-based outfitter Wanderlust Tours leads brewery and distillery tours, Cycle Pub invites you to visit a handful of stops from its custom bicycle (which seats up to 14), and Deschutes Brewery leads a number of brewhouse tours at its production facility on Bend’s westside.

Designated drivers: Even if you’re not drinking, you can still have plenty of fun brewery-hopping in Bend and beyond. The Bend Ale Trail’s Designated Driver passport includes an exclusive prize for non-drinkers. And if everyone in your group is partaking, try to plan to visit a cluster of breweries in a walkable area, and help yourself to Central Oregon’s taxis, buses, and rideshare services.