USA, OR: Bend-based North Rim Brewing to increase production

His associates like to say Bruce Stevens blasted his way into brewing, Bend Bulletin reported on September 8.

Stevens, owner of Apex Explosives, a drilling and blasting contractor, two years ago teamed up with his neighbour Shane Neilsen to create North Rim Brewing.

Neilsen, a homebrewer at the time and a painting and drywall contractor, provided the know-how; Stevens pitched in some money. Two years later, the company sports three 30-barrel fermentation tanks, three go-to beer varieties and seasonal varieties and a freshly inked distribution agreement with Bigfoot Beverages.

“Neilsen recently stepped away from the business,” said Stevens, who has taken over. Previously, “I came in when I could; I had zero involvement,” he said. “I checked in, drank beer and left.”

Now Stevens and his sister Sharla Shields run the operation. Shields is the full-time office manager and a part-time blasting contractor. Neilsen provides brewer support.

Stevens said he knows now how complex beer and business are together.

Neilsen said brewing drew the short straw when he had to make some choices in life. He has no concerns that Stevens, who is in the process of buying out his partner, will not keep up the North Rim Brewing quality.

“The equipment performs a certain way,” Neilsen said. “It’s like baking a cake. You could almost give that recipe, as long as you know how to bake, to someone else, and it comes out tasting like a cake.”

A year passed after North Rim Brewing came into being while its owners satisfied regulatory requirements and obtained equipment. “The first barrel from the 3,000-square-foot brewery in northeast Bend rolled out in May 2014,” Neilsen said.

The brewery has been on hiatus for the last several months while Stevens prepared for increased production. That included installation of a new, 14-by-24-foot cooler to store kegs of beer. That’s a huge asset, and one the brewery needed in order to satisfy a distributor. “Until it signed a distribution contract six weeks ago, North Rim Brewing distributed its beer on its own to local growler stations and bars and restaurants,” Stevens said.

“The brewery is making three staples: Cascadia Imperial IPA, Twin Citra IPA and Peach Pepper Wheat. It also brews up a stout in season and other specialties,” Stevens said.

09 September, 2015