Hoppy Birthday

My husband has recently taken up the hobby of home beer brewing.  While trying to plan a special getaway for his 40th Birthday, I came across the Bend Brew Bus.  This was the perfect opportunity to incorporate his new found hobby and a weekend away. 


Touring breweries would be way more fun with friends, right?

Our first stop was the Bendistillery This wasn't part of the tour, but since we were childless why not check out everything.  The coffee vodka was by far my favorite - so delicious!



Next back to the hotel to meet up with our tour guide.  Our first stop was the Boneyard Beer The history behind the name of their brewery is because every piece of the brewery was previously someone else's junk.  It was great to see the little guy doing such an amazing job.  My favorite beer was the Femme Fatale, sadly this is a seasonal beer.  They even have a Girl Beer!  It's slightly rose tinted with a few champagne bubbles.

Next on to the big guys - Deschutes Brewery  This is pretty much a full scale operation in my book.  They started out with their little public house in downtown Bend (which is still there).  They are now a full scale operation shipping to almost all 50 states. 

Since it was Casey's birthday, they had a special hat to wear

Sorry the picture is a little dark, I wasn't camera ready when they presented his hat to him.  He was a great sport.  It wasn't until later, after seeing the pictures, he said he didn't realize how big the hat actually was.  Hee Hee.

Ever see fresh hops??  I must say this is an acquired smell.  I am impressed by the delicate texture of these little gems and the power they control.

I won't try to explain what each of these do, it was a lot of information.  I did catch that these containers are all one piece.  They were built, shipped to Bend and the brewery was built around them.  Yes, they go several feet below the floor.  I'm going to say 20 feet, but I could be making that up.


The final stop on our tour was to the McMenamin's St. Francis School This was a great tour because they gave us a lot of the history behind the building.  If you every go to McMenamin's, take a look around at all the amazing artwork. 

Here's a picture of their brewery

Here's a picture of they're cooler.  Wish I would have captured a picture of all their kegs of beer, there were A LOT.

I will definitely return to McMenamin's and sit back to enjoy all the decor.

I must say, this was a great weekend.  We had some relaxing adult time, tried lots of new things.  we all decided we need to make a return trip when the weather is warmer.  Stay tuned for future adventures to Bend.

Happy Birthday Casey!!!