Boneyard & friends series brings 3 Floyds Brewing, Russian River, Firestone Walker, & Sierra Nevada to Bend
Boneyard Beer has invited their friends out to play the tap takeover game at their Bend, Oregon brewpub. A new monthly series called Boneyard & Friends kicks off this Friday, September 15th with Russian River Brewing, and continues in October with 3 Floyds Brewing, in November with Firestone Walker, and in December with Russian River Brewing.
“This type of event is something that all of us here at Boneyard have been wanting to do for quite some time,” says Chasen Bergstrom, Boneyard Pub assistant general manager. “Organizing an event that highlights the diversity of beers and celebrates the friendships that we have built within our industry has been awesome. It's been humbling looking back on where everything started versus where Boneyard has ended up today.”
Since expanding out of their original garage location and opening the Boneyard Pub and restaurant with a full back bar in 2018, Boneyard Beer has slowly been evolving it as a destination for families, food trucks, and had been planning a kickoff to big events with their 10th anniversary in May 2020 prior to COVID-19 shutting them down. Over the years Boneyard has invited 3 Floyds to town, and other longtime friends like Barley Browns and Grains of Wrath. For the kickoff to this event series, Bergstrom says “The initial brewery selection came down to who has inspired and influenced us the most both pre-Boneyard and throughout our time in the craft beer industry.”
Boneyard Beer founder Tony Lawrence has either worked at, or alongside, all of the Boneyard and Friends breweries in some way. Boneyard had established close ties with 3 Floyd’s Brewing out of Munster, Indiana since day one: Lawrence went to the Siebel Institute for brewing in Chicago in 1999 where he met the late great Barnaby Struve who connected him to Nick Floyd of 3 Floyds. Lawrence worked on and off with 3 Floyds between 2007 and 2010 and even bought part of their original brewhouse to start Boneyard, and Floyd gave them a deal on it exchange for a small share of the Bend brewery.
Lawrence’s last salary brewing job before starting Boneyard Beer was with Firestone Walker Brewing in 2005, and he counts their longtime brewmaster Matt Brynildson as one of his top influences. “If I had to choose a desert island beer it would probably be either Firestone's Pivo Pils or Firestone Lager,” says Bergstrom.
For the other two breweries featured at Boneyard & Friends, Bergstrom and Lawrence reached out to breweries they liked and respected, and had crossed paths with at some point.
Boneyard and Sierra Nevada founders Tony Lawrence (left) and Ken Grossman (right)
“Russian River, for example, has consistently put out quality products that any beer drinker can enjoy and find inspiration. They're one of the breweries that sets the bar high and we respect what they are about as a company,” says Bergstrom, noting that Tony Lawrence shared a brewers panel at the Firestone Walker Invitational with Russian River’s Natalie Cilurzo and they have an industry friendship. And in 2016 Boneyard was invited to collaborate with Sierra Nevada' on their Beer Camp Across America, establishing a relationship with owner Ken Grossman and company. “Sierra Nevada, in my opinion, has always been a favorite in the brewing community. A fresh Pale Ale...bomb. Bigfoot? F yeah...one the first barleywines I ever had,” adds Bergstrom.
At the Boneyard & Friends Events:
All beers will be available in a taster format that will be included in a prebuilt flight or as an individual taster. Boneyard will also be offering full pour options. As an example, for Russian River they will have 2 flight options. Flight "A" includes 4oz pours of Blind Pig, Pliny the Elder, Happy Hops, Row 2 Hill 56 & Velvet Glow. Flight "B" will include 4oz pours of Supplication, Consecration and Beatification.
Russian River Brewing Company - Friday, September 15th @ 5:00PM
Draft Lineup:
Blind Pig
Pliny the Elder
Happy Hops
Row 2 Hill 56
Velvet Glow
Supplication
Consecration
Beatification
*Boneyard is in the process of making this a benefit for the Central Oregon Homebrewers Organization.
3 Floyd's Brewing - Friday, October 13th @ 5pm
*Boneyard will be tapping 2 of the Dark Lords/Variant on 10/13/2023. The other 2 kegs will be archived for Boneyard’s 14th Anniversary in May 2024.
*Boneyard is in the process of making this a benefit for the Alzheimer's Association.
Tap List:
Zombie Dust
Alpha King
Gumballhead
Zombie Ice
War Pigs Foggy Geezer
War Pigs Blinding Light Show
Dark Lord
Dark Lord Marshmallow Handjee
Dark Lord Chemtrail Mix
Dark Lord Sundae Thunderstorm
Firestone Walker Brewing Co. - Friday, November 10th
Draft Lineup Pending
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - Friday, December 22nd
Draft Lineup Pending
Boneyard & Friends will continue in 2024
Bergstrom started his career time in the beer industry at Churchill's Pub & Grille in San Marcos, CA (North County San Diego) where he got his first taste of rare beer tapping events with their Renaissance Anniversary Party and the release of Churchill's Finest Hour, a collaboration with Lost Abbey/Port Brewing.
“I have recently reached out to some of our other brewery friends down in San Diego to continue Boneyard and Friends and it looks like we will have another round coming up in 2024. It's the type of event that gets us and our community hyped up for beers that we always hope to try one day,” he says.