10 Must Visit Breweries in Bend, Oregon

We spend a lot of time here writing about our favorite hikes and other outdoor activities in Bend. But sometimes, at the end of a long day in the mountains or on the trails, it’s time to settle in at a local brewery for a cold beverage or two.

Luckily, Bend has an amazing selection of breweries ranging from local watering holes to well-known national brands.

10 Must-Visit Breweries in Bend

In no particular order, here is a rundown of our favorite breweries in Bend along with a must-try beer at each stop.

Crux Brewing

Pros: Expansive lawn, variety of food options, amazing view
Cons: Crowded on warm evenings, limited parking

Mountain views. A rotating cast of excellent seasonal beers. Every style of IPA imaginable.

What more do I need to say? Crux is, for good reason, a must-visit when in Bend.

This is our #1 go-to spot when we want to get together with a group, sit outside, and enjoy some of Bend’s best beer.

I’m a huge fan of their seasonal beers (their ESB is a must-have whenever it shows up on the menu). Crux has also become one of the biggest local players in the alcohol-free beer space so there are some great options there as well!

Parking can get dicey on warm summer evenings but if you know where to look it’s never more than a 5-minute walk over to the brewery.

They also have an in-house kitchen with solid pizza and an outpost of El Sancho (the El Sancho Bowl remains undefeated in my book).

Unfortunately, the development just down the hill will eventually block out the mountain views from the lawn. Something tells me that they’ll come up with a solution and carry on with this iconic spot.

Best Beer to Try at Crux – Gimme Mo IPA

Deschutes Brewing

Pros: Amazing selection of beers, part of Bend brewing history, cozy bar
Cons: Long waits on busy weekends, food can be hit or miss.

Deschutes is THE brewery when you think of Bend breweries. Mirror Pond, Red Chair, Jubelale, Black Butte Porter. All iconic beers which have stood the test of time and are still worth a pour at their downtown brewpub.

In my opinion, there is no better place to cozy up to the bar on a snowy winter afternoon and enjoy a pint of Jubelable.

Their expanded dining area makes what used to be long summer waits far more manageable so we think it’s definitely worth a visit when in town.

Best Beer to Try at Deschutes – Jubelale

Boneyard Brewing

Pros: Home of RPM IPA, usually not too crowded, good food options
Cons: Parking can be difficult at times, out of the way location

Boneyard’s RPM IPA took Oregon by storm back in the early 2010s and their popularity has hardly let up over the decade since.

We’ve chatted with a few bartenders at various spots around town and they’ll all tell you that, when RPM is on tap, it will outsell all other beers by a 3-1 margin every single day.

The best part is now you can visit their brewpub and try an RPM or any of their other awesome beers directly from the source. We love that the pub is a bit off the beaten path of the downtown core and offers tons of outdoor seating.

This is a great spot to cozy up to a table on a warm spring afternoon and try out their eclectic menu with some of their amazing beers.

Best Beer to Try at Boneyard – RPM IPA

Bend Brewing Company

Pros: Amazing patio and lawn on the river, great beer selections
Cons: Busy on summer weekends

While Crux may get all the love (and sometimes scorn) for their lively grass patio space we think that Bend Brewing Company can sometimes fly under the radar for theirs.

Located right on the Deschutes River in the middle of downtown Bend, Bend Brewing Company is one of our favorite spots to grab an outdoor table during the summer after paddleboarding the river.

While the afternoons can get busy we’ve never found we’ve had to wait long to grab one of the coveted picnic tables for the family. And their outdoor beer and food station makes it easy to grab a drink and a bite to eat.

Their food is pretty standard brewpub fare but the combination of beer, food, and setting makes this a must-visit brewery in Bend.

Best Beer to Try at Bend Brewing – Metolius Golden Ale

Sunriver Brewing

Pros: Two locations in Bend, best IPAs in town
Cons: Standard brewpub fare aside from the Eastside pizza

Sunriver Brewing makes, in my opinion, some of the best IPAs in all of Central Oregon. And luckily for us, they operate two brewpubs right here in Bend so it’s easy to get your fix of Vicious Mosquito whether you’re on the East or West side.

We really like the Eastside location for the outdoor seating and large chalk wall for the kids to draw on. They also kept the brick oven pizza left over from when Jackson’s Corner was in the space so their pizzas are a must-try.

Best Beer to Try at Sunriver Brewing – Vicious Mosquito IPA

Goodlife Brewing

Pros: Uncrowded lawn, best summer beer in Bend
Cons: Hard to find

We’ve already mentioned the outstanding lawns at Crux and Bend Brewing Company but we can’t forget the offerings at Goodlife Brewing. Tucked away inside the Century Center off of Century Drive, Goodlife offers a lot more than what you may see at first glance.

Inside is their traditional brewpub space where you can cozy up to a table or the bar and sample their (IMO) underrated selection of beers. Or you can place an order for some food, grab a drink, and head out to their lawn behind the building.

This space is where they really shine as the lawn is usually not crowded and has plenty of seating with shade in the summer and fire pits in the cooler months.

Goodlife also serves up my favorite summer beer with their Sweet As! Pacific Ale. This beer has been around for a while now but will always hit the spot on a warm summer day.

Best Beer to Try at Goodlife Brewing – Sweet As! Summer Ale

Worthy Brewing

Pros: Fun building and grounds, great patio for summer dining
Cons: Food feels uninspired

Worthy Brewing occupies a massive space on the Eastern edge of Bend that includes everything from your traditional brewpub to an edible garden to an observatory! Because of its convenience to many eastsiders, this pub gets busy in the afternoons but if you’re on the right side of town then I’d recommend checking it out and walking the grounds.

We have found it’s a nice spot to sit outside for a beer and burger followed by a walk through the garden to see what’s growing at the moment.

Best Beer to Try at Worthy Brewing – Worthy Pilsner

Monkless Belgian Ales

Pros: Great food and beer, view from the patio
Cons: None

Monkless is one of the newer breweries on the Bend scene and is one that fills in a much-needed space outside of the IPA-focused crowd. Add in the fact that they are conveniently located near the box factory and have a heated patio with a killer view and it’s no wonder they make the list of our favorite breweries in Bend.

Monkless Belgian Ales focuses on Belgian-style beers and I have to say they knock it out of the park. If you’ve never tried this style of beer then I highly recommend cozying up to the bar and trying a sampler of their different offerings.

Their food also takes a different path than most brewpubs in Bend with dishes like their brussel sprouts, pretzel, and schnitzel plate. Everything we’ve tried there has been outstanding so we can’t say there is any wrong way to go with either the beer or food offerings.

Best Beer to Try at Monkless Belgian Ales – Meet Your Maker

Immersion Brewing

Pros: Good food, central location
Cons: Tough parking situation

Immersion Brewing, along with Monkless, is the second brewery that resides in the box factory area. They were one of the first tenants to move in when the box factory began its revitalization into what it has become today.

Unfortunately for them, development taking place across the parking lot has severely limited the parking options so finding a spot on weekends can be downright impossible.

We have enjoyed a meal and beer at Immersion numerous times over the years and have always come away impressed. Their outdoor seating is always welcome once the spring warmth starts to show up. Although we have gotten snowed on once or twice when pressing our luck!

Best Beer to Try at Immersion Brewing – Get a sampler tray as their beers are always changing

10 Barrel Brewing

Pros: Good selection of beers, great patios for colder months
Cons: Corporate owners

We’ll end this list, which is in no particular order, with a brewery that Bendites love to hate. 10 Barrel Brewing was once a rising star on the Bend beer scene but a sale to Anheuser-Busch left a lot of mixed feelings for fans of the brewery. They have since been spun off to another corporate owner so we’ll see how that impacts the local’s perspectives on this Bend beer giant.

I’ll keep things positive though as I think that the beer at 10 Barrel is some of the best beer in town and their Eastside and Westside brewpubs are always a good time.

The brewers at 10 Barrel clearly have a lot of freedom to try new styles so there are always interesting beers on tap. Their Cucumber Crush is an excellent summertime beer and one that I remember explicitly seeking out when it was introduced almost a decade ago.

Best Beer to Try at 10 Barrel Brewing – Cucumber Crush

My Favorite Beers in Bend

If you’re new to town and want to hit up some of the mainstays on the Bend beer scene then here are my top 5 must-try beers in Bend.

• Boneyard RPM IPA
• Goodlife Sweet As! Pacific Ale
• Deschutes Jubelale
• Sunriver Brewing Vicious Mosquito
• 10 Barrel Cucumber Crush