Look, it’s a matter of fortuitousness that I became both a beer writer and a doughnut writer. But if I’m being honest, I think Canada’s antiheroes, the McKenzie Bros. had something to do with it. Which is also why I can’t even THINK the words “jelly douhnut” without hearing Rick Moranis sheepishly offer, “It’s a jelly.”
So I was elated to drive all over Bend and Sisters in search of Bend’s best jellies!
I instinctively knew there weren’t enough doughnut shops in Bend and Central Oregon. What I discovered is that a few enterprising young women have done something about it! Thanks to Oregon laws about cottage catering, I wrote up the places you can order and pick-up custom-made doughnuts. Who knows, they may be right next door!
One’s a one-off, two’s a series! The next installment of my doughnut round-ups, where I spend an early morning driving all over Bend (and even out to Sisters) to score a sample of a particular variety lands on the Yaeger Family Favorite: the mighty apple fritter. Who makes the best around? Sink your teeth in here to find out.
New breweries usually means new IPA factories. Which, TBH, is part of the story of Bend’s Van Henion Brewing, the first new brewery in town since way back in 2019. But the real driver behind the new brewery (which is housed in an old brewery and founded by its old brewers) is that they’re focusing on German lagers like Munich-style Helles. What’s German for huzzah?
Many months ago, someone mentioned hearing about a new brewery in the works. I had no details other than it would be opening in Sisters, about a half hour outside of Bend, and that it was from someone who’d briefly worked at Spider City Brewing, which does a good job of brewing beer styles from around the world. Except, from what I’ve seen, Belgian saisons. So imagine my delight, as a devout saison lover who has precious little in the way of locally brewed examples of the style to choose from, that Funky Fauna Artisan Ales would be a saison-centric brewery. Here’s my profile on ’em in Bend Source Weekly.
The concept of “Dry January” took off a decade ago and finally landed on my radar a few years ago, but as a beer writer, what use have I of non=alcoholic beverages to write about? It turns out, when these soft drinks are hopped, I’ve got at least two occasions to cover ’em. The first was in Drynuary 2020 and then again Drynuary 2022 with a local (to Bend) twist. Here are some great hoppy N/A beverages for a thirsty nation via The Takeout and here’s some available to Central Oregonians via Bend Source Weekly.
It seems every month offers something new I’m completely pumped about getting to experience for the “first” time as a full-time Bend resident. Certainly, even in Portland, Bend breweries are well represented so it’s not like these are all new to me, but whereas Portland winters are usually dreary, Bend winter is cheery. There were snowmen on every block until the snow turned back to rain these last couple of days. But I won’t let that rain on my parade. Or my batch of favorite “winter warmers.” I tried to limit this round-up to just five, but I sorta snuck in a pair from five different local breweries. Sue me.
When you’re a freelance writer, it helps to carve out a niche. For a decent run, I was exclusively a beer writer. Great timing as it was during the era when craft beer was ascending to the mainstream. Bad timing as it was during the era when print media publications were decimated. Along the way, I folded another topic into my repertoire: doughnuts. It was more than a natural fit as I’d launched what I believe to be the world’s first beer-and-doughnut festival, Baker’s Dozen, in 2015. It’s still my flagship event. I even publicly announced that I’m writing a book about doughnuts (that, like “Red, White, and Brew” which was a beer book not about beer but about people, is a doughnut book that’s about people, specifically immigrant bakers.)
All that to say, I hoodwinked my editor at Bend Source Weekly to grant me a quarterly round-up of doughnuts found in Bend. I kick it off with a deep dive into a favorite classic, the maple-glazed. Have fun sinking your teeth into this.
For people who cut their teeth on the early styles of craft beer such as British bitters, can you believe that in late 2021 there are SIX such bitters–the trinity is ordinary, best, and extra special or ESB–on tap or even better, on cask, in Bend right now? Even if you’re an IPA lover, or especially if you’re an IPA drinker and want to taste the original bitter (that’s actually not all that bitter by comparison), order an imperial pint and you’ll see why I’m ESB-Til I Die. Click the link for my latest in Bend’s Source Weekly.
Almost from the first of dozens of mixed tapes I made for friends (and myself) back in the years when an adolescent me made mixed tapes, I’d kick them all off with a different Violent Femmes tune. That idea followed me to college where, during my years of broadcasting on our college radio station, every single show began in the same fashion. Somehow, I only saw them live a small handful of times unlike, say, Flogging Molly, who I’ve easily seen a dozen times beginning with the in-store they did at a punk rock record shop when their debut album came out.
So imagine my delight in having them both perform here in Bend on the same bill (along with another band I really dig, Me First & the Gimme Gimmes). So, despite the preponderance of my stories for Bend Source Weekly covering beer, and nearly all the rest rounding up doughnuts so I can continue to write off all my doughnuts, I pitched my editor on previewing the Femmes show. This story reads more like a love letter and by far the best part about it was having a stranger at the show recite my opening line, “If nothing else, the … Violent Femmes have ensured that (we’re all) able to count to 10.”
Brian Yaeger: Beer Writer 