Skip to main contentThough it’s served beer for more than two years, Crooked River Brewing (420 N Main St., Prineville, 541-362-5583, crbrewing.com) has yet to make a batch of its own. That’s a particularly long time to operate without tap handles bearing your brand, but it doesn’t seem to bother locals, whose patience will be rewarded following the arrival of a 6-barrel system in late March. Why bother to visit a brewery that isn’t even in production yet? It helps that the sprawling former auto shop has a whole lot of character. Stuffed with eye-catching antiques, including two classic Corvettes, a vintage Bengal Gasoline pump, and a coin-operated horse that dares passersby to “Ride the Champion,” Crooked River is also the only brewery I’ve found outside the McMenamins chain with a theater, which can be rented out for parties and video game tournaments. It’s as if a mechanic got bored with the job, decided to call it quits and just hold a permanent hangout in this garage-turned-rec room. As long as his hiatus lasts, I’m happy to join the party.
Brewery Pending
Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.