Three Creeks’ Brewmaster Jumped at the Chance to Leave Portland for the High Desert

We’ve also been really impressed with Zack Beckwith's IPAs, particularly the aptly named Crowd Pleaser,

(Courtesy of Three Creeks Brewing)

721 S Desperado Court, Sisters, 541-549-1963, threecreeksbrewing.com. 11:30 am-9 pm Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 am-10 pm Friday and Saturday.

It's a distant memory now, but Three Creeks brewmaster Zach Beckwith was once a notable Portlander. Beckwith started at the brewery inside the now-demolished New Old Lompoc before moving over to Pints in Old Town, where he established an impressive program of classic English ales. When an opportunity came to move to Oregon's high desert, Beckwith jumped on it. At Three Creeks, which caters to a lot of hop-hungry tourists, he doesn't get to be quite as idiosyncratic. But his lineup still favors classics in the English tradition, including an excellent chocolate porter. We've also been really impressed with his IPAs, particularly the aptly named Crowd Pleaser, a citrus bomb that employs trendy hop varieties like Sorachi Ace and Mosaic with a very basic malt bill. The Three Creeks brewpub is cozy, and features the full array of classic pub grub, including pizza, burgers and pulled pork.

Nearby: Sisters is home to "America's First Beer Spa," called Hop in the Spa, where you can soak in a hops-infused mineral bath while sipping on a bottle of Black Butte Porter. We recommend checking out Suttle Lodge (13300 US-20, Sisters, 541-638-7001, thesuttlelodge.com), a classic forest lodge that was recently taken over by the people behind Ace Hotel. There's great food there, on a menu created by chef Joshua McFadden of Ava Gene's in Portland.

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