2019 Bend Brewfest, Aug. 15-17

The Bend Brewfest is THREE FULL DAYS of craft beer bliss along the banks of the beautiful Deschutes River. The 2019 Brewfest, Aug. 15-17, features more than 200 craft beers and ciders from more than 70 different breweries.

The Bend Brewfest traditionally highlights a Who’s Who of West Coast breweries, large and small. In the past, Oregon favorites such as Breakside, Great Notion, pFriem and Block 15 have all appeared at Brewfest, as will regional standouts like Fremont, Anderson Valley, Georgetown and 54°40° Brewing. And of course local studs Deschutes, Boneyard, Crux, Bend Brewing, Wild Ride, GoodLife  and Three Creeks, among others, have all traditionally poured beers at the Amphitheater, too.

Equally impressive is the number of up-and-coming smaller breweries that are typically showcased Brewfest. At last year’s festival, for example, craft beer aficionados had the chance to sample rock stars like Bridge 99 out of Bend; Delexue Brewing from Albany, Oregon; and Ochoco Brewing out of Prineville, Oregon.

One of the yearly highlights at the Bend Brewfest is its X-Tap program. Almost like a specialty beer festival within the Bend Brewfest itself, the X-Tap program is reserved for small batch and experimental beers. Think of concoctions like Hopworks Urban Brewery’s 2009 Barrel-aged Noggin Floggin, an organic barley wine that’s aged for seven years in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, or Lompoc Brewing’s Lump of Coal sour, an imperial porter that’s fermented with sour cherries. X-Taps are held in the GrowlerWerks Brewtality Tent where brewers are often on hand to talk about their special, limited-release beers.

Set amidst one of the nation’s most innovative craft brew communities, the Bend Brewfest serves as the perfect trailhead for adventurous beer geeks. While in Bend for Brewfest, beer lovers have also been known to tackle The Bend Ale Trail, the largest beer trail in the West, and explore town via the Bend Cycle Pub. Serious beer hunters will also find amazing craft beverages on tap at various Bend barber shops, movie theaters and grocery stores.

Admission to the 2019 Bend Brewfest is free but to sample the goods you’ll need to purchase a tasting package, which start at $20.

For more information, go to bendbrewfest.com.