Bend Ale Trail help

[lotbfan]

My wife and I are heading to do the Ale Trail this weekend. Usually I do a sampler and order an appetizer from each brewery we visit, but with 7 of them in one day, I may need to be a bit more specific.

Does anyone have any advice on some "not to miss" beers from any of the breweries that I would not see in a bottle up in Portland, or a special seasonal that we need to for sure try that wouldn't be on a sampler tray? Any places have food that is better left unordered, or a place with the best something in the world?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Mongrel]

Damn, missed this thread when you posted it. Hope you enjoyed the Ale Trail.

If your back on this side of the Cascades again, do the extra credit for the Ale Trail and hit Three Creeks in Sisters. Great burgers, but if you just want a side, go with the coconut onion rings. I hate sweet potatoes, but everyone else loves their sweet potato fries.

In Bend, 10 Barrel is my current favorite. Not sure on the appetizers, but I haven't had a bad meal yet. The steak sammy is fantastic.

 

[lotbfan]

We had a blast, and yep, Sisters was great (we did the sweet potato fries). It was a REALLY long day with the drive over and back bookending it, but I did a sampler at every one of the breweries aside from Deschutes, where we had a glass each of Dissident and Abyss.

The one thing we missed due to our breakneck speed to get through all of them in one day was the Deschutes Brewery Tour, we are going to head back in the spring and take the tour.

 

[Mongrel]

Cool, glad you had a great time.