Pelican brews available in Bend

If you've never been to the Pelican Pub & Brewery in Pacific City, you're missing out. Their brewpub might boast the coolest location in all of Oregon.
The beers are great as well, but they've been hard to come by on this side of the Cascades. Until now.
Pelican announced on its twitter site that Newport Market, Whole Foods and The Brew Shop all will be stocking Pelican brews. Even better, the Good Drop Wine Shoppe in downtown Bend has the brewery's flagship beer, Kiwanda Cream Ale on draft.
Grab some and let us know what you think.

Beer that tastes like beef chili?

We are kind of intrigued scared by something being cooked up by 10 Barrel Brewing.

In Friday's Bulletin, former Deschutes brewer/new 10 Barrel brewmaster Jimmy Seifrit says he is working on a beer that tastes like .. .wait for it... beef chili. Not chili peppers. Chili, like the thing with sauce and beans.

I have had several chili (pepper) beers over the years, because, let's be honest, what guy can resist trying a drink that tastes like chili peppers, just for kicks?

Beef chili, though? I am filled with trepidation.

Does that mean I won't try it? Of course not. Draw me a pint when it's ready.

I dream of beers on the Eastside

We've got it pretty good here in Bend. Eight breweries and counting and several great tap houses that have rotating handles.
My only complaint?
They're all on the westside
Maybe I'm overlooking a place - please let us know if I am - but I can't think of anywhere on the eastside that routinely has a solid lineup of microbrews. I'd kill for a Brother Jon's, Riverside Market or Jackson's Corner type of place on the east side of Third Street. Any thoughts from the legion of Bend Beer Blog readers?

The Bend...Sausage Blog?

While there is enough beer in Bend to support multiple beer blogs, we're not sure there's enough sausage to justify one.

Regardless, the BBB trio went to lunch at Taylor's Sausage (on Third, near Franklin) for the first time. We weren't disappointed. Excellent sausage at good prices. Beau and James both had the hot mustard on their sausages, and lived to regret it. And the breakfast menu looked awesome, as well, with very good prices.

They had a pretty solid tap selection, as well, and although we love a good lunchbeer (copyright 2011, trademark pending), we didn't partake in any adult beverages. Picture of the taps:

They have a solid local selection...a Deschutes tap, a 10 Barrel, a Silver Moon. The most interesting find, for us, though was two taps from Wild River from Southern Oregon. Website here. We have no idea what their beer is like, but we'll probably go back.

They also have a pretty awesome deal, if we read it right. Sunday-Thursday, from 4-close, they have a special where you buy a micro ($3.50), you get a sausage for $1.50. Beer and sausage? How can you go wrong?

- Just and add on to Dustin's thoughts. Taylor's also had Caldera's IPA on draft. I'm not aware of any other place in town that has the Ashland brewery's beer on tap. Again, we're looking forward to trying out the beers of southern Oregon. - Beau

Seismic shift in Bend brewpub scene?

Things just got really interesting in Bend with a couple of moves by area brewers.

We'll credit The Brew Site, since we read it there first. Story here about how 10 Barrel has snagged a couple of brewers -- one from Bend Brewing, the other from Deschutes. The Brew Site was citing this article from The Source Weekly. According to The Source, 10 Barrel has hired Tonya Cornett, brewmaster at BBC, and Jimmy Seifert, who amounts to the No. 2 brewer at Deschutes.

Seifert is already on board as the brewmaster, while Cornett is set to join 10 Barrel this summer.

Another juicy nugget for Bendites who love beer (cut+paste from TSW):

At the moment the brewery is still negotiating the purchase of a property that would allow 10 Barrel to increase its commercial production from the current ten-barrel system to a 50-barrel system, Wales said. In the meantime, Cornett will continue to brew for BBC, he said.

Random thoughts/observations/questions on all this news (just thinking out loud):
--What happens to the people that 10 Barrel brought in in 2009, when the brewpub launched? Bulletin story here (cut+paste). "Soon thereafter, the 10 Barrel team hired Thom Tash, previously head brewer at Kona Brewing in Hawaii, as its brewmaster to work with head brewer Dan Olson, who had previously been with Deschutes Brewery." Is everyone still in the mix since they're making more beer?
--Personally, I've felt 10 Barrel's beer has lagged behind much of the rest of the Bend beer scene. I think Boneyard passed them up in quality of beer almost from the day they launched (no, I don't get paid to say nice things about Boneyard, I just happen to think their beer rocks). I didn't really care for the beers they produced pre-brewpub, and although the quality has gotten better since the brewpub, I still don't love it. I enjoy the S1NIST0R Black Ale ( I am pretty sure this predates the brewpub?), especially on nitro, and the Pray for Snow Strong Ale. And my wife likes the Summer Ale (even in winter). And that's about it (and I think I've tried most of their beers). I go to 10 Barrel, when I go, for the food, not for the beer. Or for the atmosphere...it's definitely a fun place to hang out, especially in the summer. I live near Brother Jon's and 10 Barrel, and I go to Bro Jo's all the time, 10 Barrel only on occasion. Anyway, I've rambled. While the moves are apparently tied to the expansion, I have to imagine the moves are meant to address the beer, and get it up to a level where it can compete with the rest of the town. Because right now I don't think too many people would rank the quality of 10 Barrel's beer among the best in Bend. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
--Is 10 Barrel going to change its name to 50 Barrel? I kid.
--How does this affect BBC? It's doubtful Deschutes is hurt by one person leaving, as important as he might be. But Deschutes is a giant, and we're guessing there's someone who's ready to fill his shoes. How will BBC cope with losing its brewmaster?

Anyway, if you have any answers to my questions, or just want to agree or disagree with our thoughts, write us, comment on the blog, etc. Regardless, we're excited to see what the new-look 10 Barrel starts producing this year.

Drinking beer on a bike in Bend

The number of ways you can drink beer in Bend is multiplying.

Yesterday, we reported on a horse-drawn carriage that does the Bend Ale Trail. Soon, you will be able to drink on a bike.

Story here from The Bulletin about the planned "Cycle Pub," which is based on the Holland Bier Bike, according to the article. Link to Cycle Pub's website here, they are on facebook here.

Picture of said "bierbike" from across the pond:

While I am not sure any of the BBBers will do the horse-drawn carriage, I am fairly certain we will try this at some point. You pedal the contraption, someone else drives, you drink beer. Sounds like a blast to us. And given the area's love of 1. beer and 2. cycling, this sounds like it can't miss, to be honest.

They are planning on launching at WinterFest on Feb. 18. We'll keep you posted.

Now, if only a monkey could be the driver of the bike...

Beer by horse-drawn carriage?

I saw this story on the KTVZ web site, so I figured I would share it. Read it here, video on the link as well. The Bend Ale Trail now has an option where you can travel to the area breweries -- by horse-drawn carriage.

Pretty kitschy, and a touristy thing/something you do if you have friends or relatives in town. Maybe. I don't think I'll be doing this with anyone I know. But to each his own!

Anyway, here's the Cowboy Carriage website. According to the map, it looks like you hit all the Bend breweries, even Cascade Lakes on Century. More on the Bend Ale Trail here.

For our money, we'd rather drink beers on bicycles with monkeys.