I like horses. I like beer. I like cupcakes. The idea of being transported from one Bend brewery to the next enjoying all of those things simultaneously is pretty much my idea of nirvana.
The Visit Bend crew sets out on the Buckboard, Biscuits and Beer tour.
That’s where the Buckboard, Biscuits and Beer Tour comes in. The tour is a creative partnership between Chef Bette of The Well Traveled Fork and The Cowboy Carriage. It’s touted as “the most unique brew tour in Bend,” and I have to agree.
Guests get to ride in a horse-drawn wagon as they travel from brewery to brewery sipping suds and noshing on gourmet food. The Visit Bend crew got to experience this firsthand, complete with cowboy hats, hay-bale seats, and beer sipped from mugs shaped like cowboy boots.
Tour stops vary for each tour, but our journey took us from Boneyard Beer to Old Mill Brew Werks to Silver Moon Brewing. The tasting menu at Boneyard was divine, and with glasses in hand, we got to wander back and see the brewing facility in action. At Old Mill Brew Werks, we sampled a variety of beers and ordered food to nibble.
I may actually need to write a separate blog post about Bend’s best hot wings, just for the excuse to go try theirs again.
Silver Moon spread out three tasty pitchers of beer and invited us to tour the brewing facilities and visit with staff about production.
Between the brewery stops, we chatted with Chef Bette about some of her amazing culinary classes and tours. She also shared her famous Black Butte Porter Chocolate Cupcakes, and I have to confess right now, I took an extra one when no one was looking. That’s saying something, since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but these cupcakes were DIVINE.
We also got to pet the horses – a duo named Dan and Saucer – and ask questions of their owner and driver, Ryan. Though our journey was in the larger, hay-filled wagon used for the Buckboard, Biscuits and Beer tour, he also has a smaller, formal carriage he uses for weddings and special events.
In all, this was definitely one of the most unique ways I’ve seen to travel the Bend Ale Trail. The Buckboard, Biscuits and Beer tour is perfect for families, employee outings, or just a gathering of friends.
A typical tour includes lunch for all guests, and includes four brewery stops over the five-hour journey. There’s a minimum of 12 guests and a maximum of 18, for a total of $50 per guest. Pickup is in downtown Bend, and guests can make reservations online right here.
Questions? Leave ‘em in the comments and we’ll find someone to answer. In the meantime, tell us YOUR favorite way to travel the Bend Ale Trail!