Hard cider in Bend, Oregon

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Hard cider in Bend, Oregon

Beer’s sassier cousin

Bend has long been a mecca for craft beer. Nearly 30 breweries call Central Oregon home—and you can sip your way through them all on the iconic Bend Ale Trail

Bend draws beer lovers from near and far. But there’s also a not-so-new beverage on the block. Cider! 

Hard ciders are fermented from real fruits and juices, are naturally gluten-free, and are made in a variety of fruity and herbaceous flavors. What makes Central Oregon ciders so delicious? Our fresh, Pacific Northwest ingredients—of course.  

The Pacific Northwest boasts thousands of acres of apple orchards from the Yakima Valley to the Columbia River Gorge to the Willamette Valley to the Rogue River Valley. In fact, the Pacific Northwest produces 80% of our nation’s apples. Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Newtown Pippin, Kingston Black, Zestar, Jonagold, Crimson Crisp, Honeycrisp, Gravenstein, Akane … with over 100 apple varieties grown in the Pacific Northwest, it only makes sense that more and more cideries are springing up in Central Oregon. All those apples don’t have to travel too far to reach your pint glass. 

And we’re not talking about simple apple juice here. You’ll find styles that are sweet, semi-sweet, dry, acidic, and funky. Many local cider makers are adding additional fruits, botanicals, and other nontraditional ingredients to the mix. Think marionberries, huckleberries, juniper berries, and hops—crafting an authentic taste of the Pacific Northwest served up in a glass, bottle, or can.

We’ll say it: Central Oregon ciders have reached next-level status. Crisp, light, and refreshing—they pair perfectly with a day of Central Oregon exploration. 

Enjoy an ice-cold cider after an epic afternoon mountain biking at Phil’s Trail or gather around the wood-burning stove at Virginia Meissner Shelter with a can of soul-warming cider on a snowy evening with friends. Sun or snow, there’s nothing like a locally-made hard cider to make you feel right at home in Bend.

Avid Cider in Bend, OR

AVID Cider Co.

OG cidery AVID Cider Co. has been crafting tasty cider since 2013. Their award-winning ciders are made with apples sourced from Oregon’s Hood River and Washington’s Yakima Valley. These apples are freshly pressed and fermented within the same day. Keeping it local means a more sustainable business from the orchard all the way to the canning line. With “core” styles like Blackberry and Golden Delish Imperial to their Burn series that adds chili peppers to amp up the heat—AVID Cider Co. celebrates what’s best about cider: the pure taste of great fruit. After being in Bend for a decade, AVID Cider Co. recently relocated their operations to Redmond. Be on the lookout for a new Bend tasting room in the coming year. In the meantime, get your fix of their ciders on tap at local Bend restaurants and in cans at stores throughout Bend.

Bend Cider Co in Bend, OR

Bend Cider Co.

Bend Cider Co. on Wharton Avenue in Tumalo focuses on dry ciders with a botanical kick. Interesting, unconventional, and delicious, sample their Mandarin Juniper, Huckleberry Ginger, or Acai Berry Spearmint. Their inviting taproom features a large outdoor space that hosts live music and events. It’s also where you’ll find exclusive ciders like Imperial Heirloom and White Sage White Oak. 

Bend Cider Co.’s cans are literal works of art. The cidery partners with local artist, Sheila Dunn, to bring Sheila’s signature vibrant and colorful oil painting style to their packaging. Symbolic of the West, wildlife like bison, grizzly bear, northern spotted owl, and sockeye salmon grace their cans–each telling a unique story rooted in land and wildlife conservation. That conservation theme is more than just eye candy. Owners, Kelly and Tammy Roark, give a percentage of sales to environmental education.

Tumalo Cider Co in Bend, OR

Tumalo Cider Co.

Tumalo Cider Co., right around the corner from Bend Cider Co., specializes in small-batch, artisan cider with a focus on dry, complex apple profiles and unique styles inspired by tradition, creativity, and the Central Oregon landscape. For a fun spin on some classic Oregon fruits, try their flagship Dry Apple or Huckleberry Lemon. Or discover seasonal offerings like Black Currant Plum and Boysenberry. Visit their taproom conveniently located right off Hwy 20 on Cook Avenue in Tumalo. With 20 taps, you’re bound to discover something you like. 

Legend Cider Company 

Thirty minutes down the road in La Pine, Oregon, Legend Cider Company creates ​unfiltered, all-natural cider. They skip the sugar, corn syrup, and artificial flavors in favor of Pacific Northwest-grown apples and all-natural juices. The owners are the head cider makers and they opt for local ingredients with the Pacific Northwest’s palate in mind. You’ll find raspberries from Southern Oregon, grapes from the Columbia River Gorge, and cranberries from the coast in their ciders. 

Cider tasting rooms in and around Bend

Bend breweries doing cider

In addition to Central Oregon’s cideries, a few of Bend’s breweries make their own cider. Crux Fermentation Project pours a cider that’s naturally fermented with a blend of heirloom cider apples from E.Z. Orchards in the Willamette Valley. Always available on tap at their tasting room on SW Division, it’s a dry, floral, and complex cider with just a little funkiness from the natural fermentation. Cascade Lakes Brewing also sources its apples from E.Z. Orchards and offers two tasty ciders—an unfiltered cider with a lovely apple aroma and flavor that doesn’t finish overly sweet and a dry, old-world heritage cider with a special blend of heirloom apples. Their ciders are available at all three locations. 10 Barrel Brewing makes Refreshy, a bright and balanced cider that blends Pacific Northwest apples with pomegranate juice. You can find it at both of their Bend pub locations (westside on Galveston Ave. and eastside on 18th St.) and packaged in 12-oz cans.

Pro Tip

If you’re itching to get outside, you can easily pick up a bottle or six-pack of local Bend cider to take with you at shops like West Coast Provisions, Newport Market, Broken Top Bottle Shop, Market of Choice, and the Growler Guys. Please remember to drink responsibly and follow local rules when drinking outside.