Diff’rent Smokes: Rauchbierfest Returns to Bend on October 26th
After another summer of forest fires across Oregon, the return of Diff’rent Smokes: Rauchbierfest makes its return to Bend, Oregon. Now in its third installment, Diff’rent Smokes will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2024 from 1:00 – 5:00pm at a new location. This year’s event will be held at Bend’s axe-throwing bar, Unofficial Logging Co.
Diff’rent Smokes will bring together a wide range of over a dozen beers brewed with smoked malts or other smoked ingredients. Before modern brewing techniques allowed for malts to be kilned, all beers had an element of smoke since malts were dried over fire resulting in what the Germans call rauchbier.
Tickets to Diff’rent Smokes are now available online for $20 and will be $25 at the gate. Admission includes a souvenir glass and five drink tickets for sample pours, while full-glass pours will require three tickets. Additional drink tickets will be available for $1 each. Everyone is welcome, but the smoke beers will only be available to ticket holders. More info online at Bendticket.com/events/DiffrentSmokes.
When it comes to the festival’s beer list, there will be plenty of offerings to choose from, even a mead. And as a bonus, for those that voted the Cherrywood Smoked Ale from Spider City Brewing as the People’s Choice award last year, this beer will be defending its title this year!
Participating Breweries:
The Ale Apothecary – Smoked Oyster Stout aged in Laphroaig Scotch Whiskey Barrel
Boneyard Beer
Boss Rambler Beer Club
Bridge 99
Cascade Lakes Brewing – Smoked American Premium Lager
Crux Fermentation Project
Deschutes Brewery – Smoked Märzen
Heater Allen – Smoked Helles
Lazy Z Meadery
McMenamins Old St. Francis – Smoked Märzen
Spider City Brewing – Cherrywood Smoked Ale
Switchback Brewing – Flynn on Fire (from Vermont)
Tiger Town – Smoked Porter
Xicha – Smoked Chilies Beer
Diff’rent Smokes is a celebration of the end of our extreme wildfire season as well as a show of gratitude to our firefighters. A portion of proceeds will go to benefit the Oregon Volunteer Firefighters Association, established in 1957, to train volunteers.
To stay up to date on all things Diff’rent Smokes, follow the event on Facebook and Instagram.
Unofficial Logging – 910 NW Harriman St. – Bend, OR
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.