: Joni Kabana

Oregon’s Destination-Worthy Breweries

Sun’s out, fun’s out: Here’s where to sip a pint on a lazy afternoon, with fewer crowds.
May 13, 2021 (Updated February 9, 2022)
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It’s a rite of passage in Oregon: When the sun comes out, we head outside, find the closest brewpub and order a crisp IPA or malty lager to enjoy on the patio. Even when the sun doesn’t arrive, chances are good we’re still outdoors, huddling around the fire and cozying up under cover.

All over Oregon, destination-worthy breweries draw thirsty patrons with sweeping views, vibrant patios and killer tap lists. And while you’ll see decks, plazas and porches teeming with thirsty patrons all year long in the likes of Bend and Portland, all along the Oregon Coast, and around Hood River, you’ll find plenty of atmosphere at these more out-of-the-way brewpub patios throughout the state — whether gazing at Mt. Hood or feeling the fresh ocean air off the Pacific Ocean. Wherever your Oregon travels take you, here are nine breweries worth seeking out.

Each February, don’t miss the chance to support your favorite brewpubs during Oregon Craft Beer Month. The month tends to be the slowest for visits, so brewers truly appreciate the love. Find dozens of events including the annual Zwickelmania celebration, with family-friendly guided tours with limited-edition releases, free samples, food pairings and a chance to meet the brewer.

Family eating lunch on a patio
Wild Ride Brew Co. (Photo by Steve Heinrichs / Visit Central Oregon)

Wild Ride Brew Co.

Central Oregon
Spacious patio, copious food carts and plentiful fire pits

Redmond’s Wild Ride Brew Co. has the unusual distinction of hosting an outdoor seating area as large, if not larger, than its indoor taproom. More than a dozen patio tables (many shaded — never a bad thing in a region that enjoys 300 days of sun per year), Adirondack chairs and a handful of fire pits pair well with Wild Ride’s wide-ranging selection of ales and lagers. And if you’re hungry, four food carts are on-site: FoodFellas serves a hearty Reuben alongside burgers and fish tacos, Wild Catch dishes English-style fish and chips, Red Road Pizza Co. prepares piping-hot pies, and Shred Town offers a mix of yakisoba bowls and Mexican fare.

Nearby: Take in the quiet beauty of the Deschutes River at Steelhead Falls, 15 miles north in Terrebonne, where a half-mile hike leads to a pristine spot for picnicking and wildlife watching. Remember to leave the place cleaner than you found it. 

Outdoor lawn with picnic tables
Terminal Gravity Brewing (Photo by Eugénie Frerichs)

Terminal Gravity Brewing

Eastern Oregon
A rocking front yard in the heart of the Wallowas

Every summer Terminal Gravity Brewing throws open the doors to its outdoor bar, covers the taproom’s front yard with more than a dozen patio tables, and brings together locals and visitors alike for the ultimate block party at the foot of the Wallowa Mountains. A minuscule creek trickles through the shady front yard while strands of lights hang overhead, inviting diners to savor the refreshing Eagle Cap IPA, as well as Terminal Gravity’s crisp Extra Special Golden, the brewery’s top-selling beer. All the while, snowcapped mountain peaks loom over the scene at the southern edge of Enterprise.

Nearby: Experience the natural splendor at Wallowa Lake State Park, 12 miles south, where you can camp, hike, picnic, fish and paddle around the glassy lake day or night. Rent a watercraft at Wallowa Lake Marina or book a glass-bottom kayak tour with Jo Paddle.

Pint of beer with Mt. Hood in the distance
Solera Brewery (Photo by Sparkloft)

Solera Brewery

Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge Region
A brewpub backyard with up-close views of Mt. Hood

No two trips to Parkdale’s Solera Brewery are ever quite alike. Housed in a converted theater, the brewery prides itself on pouring a wide-ranging mix of small-batch beers and barrel-aged offerings, with styles ranging from citrus-tinged IPAs to sweeter Belgian ales that deliver notes of caramel. The only constant, other than the well-balanced beers, of course? On a sunny day, Solera’s backyard patio — adorned with a handful of picnic tables and a stage for live music — offers some of the region’s best views of Mt. Hood rising above the Hood River Valley to the south.

Nearby: Load up on all of summer’s bounty at Mt. Hood Organic Farms, 4 miles east, where nearly 100 varieties of U-pick apples and pears await. As the largest certified Biodynamic orchard in the United States, it’s also a great place to soak up views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier as you tour the orchards, forests, fields, ponds and gardens.

Covered seating outside of a barn
Bent Shovel Brewing (Photo courtesy of Bent Shovel Brewing)

Bent Shovel Brewing

Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge Region
Handcrafted brews in a forested setting

The only thing better than sitting around the campfire, beer in hand, on a warm summer night?

Doing all that — but with more than dozen mouthwatering ales and lagers on tap just steps away. Estacada-based Bent Shovel Brewing moved to this new, wooded beer garden in 2019 and has spent the years since crafting one of the region’s most charming brewery experiences. Nearly 30 patio tables, some covered and warmed by propane heaters in the cooler months, sit under a canopy of Douglas fir trees next to the Viewpoint Restaurant & Lounge. Two fire pits, each surrounded by benches and stools, warm patrons when the temperature drops, and strands of lights hanging overhead keep the party going after the campfire’s gone out.

Nearby: Just a mile southeast, Milo McIver State Park is the perfect place for a round of disc golf, a picnic or a summer paddle or float down the river. Clackamas River Outfitters offers rentals and guided tours on site during the summer months. 

Plants growing inside the dining area
Yachats Brewing (Photo courtesy of Yachats Brewing)

Yachats Brewing

Oregon Coast
Lively patio with coastal-inspired flair

Seemingly every element of Yachats Brewing feels designed to connect guests with the natural world in some fashion. Its timber-heavy dining room was crafted with reclaimed building materials, for instance, and its rotating cast of bottled beers incorporates local ingredients like the Salal Sour, a mixed-culture saison made with salal berries. Naturally, that extends to the front patio, home to packed picnic tables and adorned with colorful plants along U.S. Highway 101 through town. You won’t see the Pacific Ocean from your seat, but chattering seagulls offer a vocal reminder that you’re not far away — as does the salty ocean air wafting through the patio on a breezy day. Just a few steps from the brewery to the north, make sure to take a selfie at the coastal-inspired “Oregon is Magic” mural, part of the Oregon Mural Trail.

Nearby: Head a mile north on Highway 101 to Smelt Sands State Recreation Site to spot gray whales, explore tide pools, walk the historic 804 Trail (.75 miles one-way with resting benches scattered along the way) and catch a spectacular sunset over the ocean. 

Outdoor patio with people sitting under umbrellas
Oregon City Brewing Company (Photo courtesy of Oregon City Brewing)

Oregon City Brewing Company

Portland Region
Comfortable patio that offers plenty of fun after the sun goes down

With some 40 beers on tap at any given time, Oregon City Brewing Company doesn’t make it easy on indecisive drinkers. But its patio, perched on a street corner in the heart of downtown Oregon City? That’s a no-brainer. On a crisp spring or summer afternoon, the brewery’s spacious corner patio is the hottest seat in town. Roughly a dozen picnic tables, some covered, sit surrounded by potted plants and trees for a comfortably natural vibe that contrasts with the urban surroundings. Hungry diners can order sausages, charcuterie, sandwiches and salads from Olympia Provisions at a walk-up window — all without ever leaving the patio.

Nearby: Soak up the river views 2 miles south at Canemah Bluff Nature Park, a regional park known for its diversity of habitats for wildlife and flora and fauna. Look for rare Oregon white oak, Pacific madrone trees and spring wildflowers. 

Plate of fish tacos and a beer on an outdoor table
Caldera Brewery (Photo courtesy of Caldera Brewing)

Caldera Brewery

Southern Oregon
Covered patio seating with sweeping views of the Rogue Valley

One could spend weeks working their way through Caldera Brewery’s expansive tap list, which spans nearly 50 handcrafted beers at any given time. Caldera’s selection of IPAs alone numbers a dozen, with everything from classic Pacific Northwest IPAs to an easy-drinking strawberry IPA on tap. The veteran microbrewery, going strong since 1997, makes it easy to sip and sample your way through its lineup with a comfortable outdoor space at the eastern edge of Ashland. Caldera’s quiet patio hosts several picnic tables, each showing off panoramic views of the surrounding Rogue Valley and nearby hillsides.

Nearby: Less than 5 miles southeast, Emigrant Lake is open for fishing, paddling and camping. A variety of gorgeous trails at Mt. Ashland, less than 20 miles southwest of the brewery, are open to hikers, runners and mountain bikers in the summertime. 

People sitting outdoor at covered picnic tables with a band playing on stage
Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery (Photo courtesy of Wolves & People)

Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery

Willamette Valley
Farmhouse ales on the family farm

It’s not every day you get to sit within eyesight of where your beer’s ingredients were grown. But Christian DeBenedetti, founder of Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery in Newberg, takes pride in imbuing his small-batch grisettes, saisons and European-inspired beers with a sense of place. Each of his beers are crafted in a 109-year-old barn (which doubles as the taproom), and many incorporate elements of the surrounding farm, where DeBenedetti grew up, in a variety of innovative ways. A farmhouse ale might be made with yeast harvested from an on-site honeybee hive, for instance, while the farm’s hazelnuts might show up in other offerings. Next to the barn, Wolves & People boasts a large heated patio outfitted with picnic tables, umbrellas for shade and strands of lights.

Nearby: Downtown Newberg is a mile west, featuring an enclave of walkable urban wineries, boutique shops, cafes and restaurants as well as a golf course, skatepark, cultural center and self-guided historic walking tour.

Outdoor deck overlooking a hops field
Benedictine Brewery (Photo courtesy of Benedictine Brewery)

Benedictine Brewery

Willamette Valley
Oregon’s only brewery owned and operated by Benedictine monks 

Since opening its taproom in 2018, Benedictine Brewery has earned acclaim for its balanced selection of Belgian-inspired beers — and its outdoor patio offers the ideal setting to sit and sip in quiet contemplation. Nestled on a hillside just below the Mount Angel Abbey, the brewery hosts picnic tables and covered patio seating that’s heated in winter. Visitors can soak up the views of nearby hop fields — initially planted by the abbey’s monks in the late 1880s — as well as Willamette Valley farmland and the bucolic Cascade foothills. Even indoors, the brewery’s taproom eschews televisions, background music and board games for a peaceful pub experience.

Nearby: Hike, bike, camp, picnic and get your fill of the spectacular waterfalls at Silver Falls State Park, 18 miles southeast. Visit midweek or early in the day to beat the crowds. 

Destination-Worthy Breweries

About The
Author

Matt Wastradowski
Matt Wastradowski is a travel and outdoors writer living in Portland, Oregon. He’s written about the outdoors, craft beer, history, and more for the likes of Outside, the REI Co-op Journal, Willamette Week, 1859, and Northwest Travel & Life.

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