USA, OR: Worthy Brewing to open in Bend

Construction is under way on a 28,000-square-foot facility for Worthy Brewing in Bend. More than 80 percent of the space will be devoted to beer making operations, DJC Oregon reported on August, 15.

Construction began Feb. 24, and owner Chad Kennedy said he hopes it will finish in December.

Kennedy admits he is a bit nervous. He and partner Roger Worthington (formerly of Indie Hops) are spending a lot of money up front.

“It’s a risk for sure, not starting slow and growing,” Kennedy said.

But he added that he really needs to focus on only one thing.

“The best thing I can do is make the best beer I can,” he said, and “making a great beer is the least of my concerns.”

“I really missed creativity in the physical sense,” Kennedy said. “There’s a lot to be said for getting out there, using your hands and breaking a sweat.”

Between 24,000 and 25,000 of the brewery’s 28,000 square feet will be devoted to making beer. Kennedy estimated that the company will produce between 50,000 and 60,000 barrels a year. An 85-seat restaurant and tasting room will feature an outside beer garden.

“It will be a nice oasis on the east side,” he said.

With so many breweries in Oregon, differentiation in the marketplace can be difficult to achieve. Aside from taking pride in the beer itself, Kennedy said he plans to put worthy beer in cans. Few small breweries go with cans, he said, but it is a great fit for the region’s outdoor lifestyle.

“Cans are great for a place like Bend and Central Oregon,” Kennedy said. “You can’t take a glass on the golf course.”

17 August, 2012