Hello Bend! We got a group together this past weekend to check out the Deschutes Brewery Tour. Being the first brewery to introduce craft beer to Bend in 1988, the tour takes you behind the scenes to show you how it’s done. Craft beer is a huge part of the lifestyle here in Bend, so we figured we should learn more about it. Is there a better way to spend the afternoon with friends than learning about and drinking Deschutes Beer!?!
The tour runs through the brewhouse on SW Simpson Ave, which Deschutes moved into in 1993. They continue to expand the brewery to keep up with the high demand for their delicious beer. Deschutes started out as a pub opening with three beers on tap. Can you name any of them?? I won’t tell…you’ll have to go on the tour to get the answer! Now, they are the largest craft brewery in the Northwest, and #7 in the nation!
First up on the tour is the original brewhouse. The once “big tanks” are much smaller in comparison to the main production Huppman Brewhouse that provides the majority of Deschutes’ beer today.
The tour continues through the employee break room, where each employee keeps their own personalized mug to enjoy a tasty brew after a long work day! The tap room is even cleverly disguised!
It’s no wonder the Deschutes Brewery was named one of the Top 100 Places to Work by Outside Magazine. With an emphasis on employees, work/life balance, and free beer…they keep their employees happy!
From there, we learned about hops…
We were walked through the beer making process in the Huppman Brewhouse…
And, we were able to see where the beer meets the bottle…
The bottling machine was not running while we were there as our tour was on Saturday. If you want to see it in action, be sure to book your tour during the week or just stop by and ask to see it anytime Monday-Friday.
Complimentary tours run seven days a week at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00, and last approximately 45 minutes. Be sure to book your tour in advance online here. And you guessed it…free beer while you’re there! The tour includes 4 complimentary beer tastings. You’re welcome to visit the tasting room at any time during open hours for 4 free samples (not just when you go on a tour). If you go on the 4:00 tour, be sure to arrive a little early to knock out a couple of your samples as they close at 5:00, so that doesn’t give you a lot of time to drink your beer after the tour. No one wants to leave free beer on the table, right?
If you are new to Bend, planning a visit, or just haven’t made it on the tour yet, this is a MUST! The Deschutes Brewery Tour will be the first stop for us when we have visitors in town in the future. As for the Tasting Room, I have a feeling we will be frequent visitors whether we have friends visiting or not. Did you say free beer tastings everyday at Deschutes Brewery & Tasting Room? Yes, please!
