Drink it up: Oregon needs more beer
written by Sheila G. Miller
There’s no shortage of places to quaff a craft brew in this state. But just as people keep moving here, so too do more breweries and brewpubs keep popping up.
Bend: Boneyard Beer
In Bend, the much-beloved Boneyard Beer is in the midst of renovating a long-empty bar on NE Division Street that will be its first brewpub. The brewery, which makes Oregon’s favorite IPA (called RPM), has until now operated just a tiny tasting room at its brewing facility. Boneyard hopes to open its restaurant and bar this fall.
La Grande: Side A Brewing
Among the newest is Side A Brewing, in La Grande. The brewpub, in the city’s downtown historic firehouse (and adjacent to the Eastern Oregon Fire Museum), opened in March. Nicholas Fairbanks, the head brewer, worked for a variety of breweries around the country including Silver Moon in Bend. Locally sourced gastropub food and an outdoor beer garden make this a must-drink spot.
Portland: Bodega Food and Beer
Bodega Beer, in Portland, is slated to open a fifteen-barrel brewhouse on SE Stark Street by the end of the year. It will be the latest addition to what has become a brewpub district in Southeast Portland—according to Portland Mercury, you can hit fourteen breweries on a 3.4-mile walk.