189. Deschutes Brewery

I have been a fan of the Deschutes beers from the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon for some time. They have a variety of beers ranging from lagers and pilsners to porters and stouts. Their signature beer is definitely Mirror Pond Pale Ale named after that very pond in downtown Bend. My parents live in Central Oregon so it has become the go to beer for them and because of that I have also fallen into that pattern, but the reality is that I go more for citrusy IPAs. That is not a problem with Deschutes. I’ve really become a fan of Fresh Squeeze IPA and Inversion IPA and the other rotating IPAs that the brewery puts out.

Deschutes Brewery has restaurants in various towns, but I’m only familiar with the one in Bend, the original. I love that restaurant because of its variety of foods that include vegan and vegetarian fare as well as the favored Northwest Salmon and even an elk burger. It’s not one of those overly pricey places that makes you feel uncomfortable with a crazy menu, but a typical brew pub with good food, yet food that includes, rather than excludes, dietary concerns and preferences. I appreciate that.

But, of course, what I really appreciate about any brew pub is the beer. Deschutes has an extensive beer menu that you can easily see when you go to the store to buy some beer, but they have even more choices in their brew pub because they have some exclusives that they only have at that pub. I usually order the tasting trays that allow me six four ounce pours of various beers and maybe a cider or seltzer thrown in as well. I’m in heaven just drinking a variety of their IPAs, but if I’ve gone a couple of days close together (which I have) I might throw in a raspberry stout as a dessert drink for my salmon sandwich. Or I might just stick in a seltzer for a light finish. And I do share what I get so others can see what they like or don’t like. It’s a great place to go for beer sampling.