Bend, Oregon, is well known for its beer scene, with more than 30 breweries to choose from. But Bend Cider is serving up ciders that are turning heads — even for diehard beer aficionados — while creating a space for the community to gather and giving back at the same time.
Owner and cidermaker Kelly Roark grew up in Oregon’s Willamette Valley surrounded by winemakers. He earned his degree in wildlife biology and moved to Bend for contract work. But with Bend being so small at the time and jobs not as prevalent, Roark had to get creative to be able to stay in the area he loved.
While delivering pizzas, Roark would collect apples from around town and have pressing parties to turn the foraged apples into cider. He began to realize his home cidermaking could turn into something more.Kelly met his wife and co-founder of Bend Cider, Tammy, in 2013. It was a turning point for both of them, as Kelly was still trying to figure out how to pursue wildlife biology while staying in Bend. With Tammy’s encouragement, the couple created a new path together, taking Kelly’s talent for cidermaking to the next level. The two began building their green, energy efficient production facility in nearby Tumalo in 2014. With the help of friends, family and community members throughout the building process, cider production began and the Roarks officially launched Bend Cider in 2019.
Making Botanical Ciders
The apples used to make the offerings from Bend Cider are primarily sourced from Washington’s Yakima Valley, along with apples from Kelly’s family’s property in the Willamette Valley. And while there aren’t very many orchards to be found in the high desert area around Bend, the Roarks planted their first 100 trees in 2020. Now, they have more than 200 apple trees with cider-specific varietals to source from, as well.
But Bend Cider doesn’t just press apples, ferment the juice and call it a day. What makes these ciders unique is that they’re flavored with plants. “We found this to be a way to stimulate the palate and offer a full mouthfeel without added sugars or juice,” says Tammy.
Botanicals such as juniper, spearmint and ginger are introduced to add depth to each of the cider flavors. And for many who have just discovered Bend Cider, Tammy says they’re pleasantly surprised that their first cider tastes so good. “Playing around with those fun flavors is helping people realize cider is more than just a sweet drink or more than plain apple,” she says. The cidery’s core lineup in cans includes dry apple, acai mint, mandarin juniper and huckleberry ginger.
A Community Space to Gather
As Bend Cider’s operation grew, the Roarks were able to add to their production space, opening a tasting room. “We wanted something that was light and bright and represented the full picture of the Pacific Northwest and what we’re doing to support the arts,” says Tammy. “We wanted it to be a place you want to be, with a good cider in your hands.”
The dog-friendly tasting room features a stunning tiled backdrop surrounding the tap handles, which Tammy says was designed to mimic the flowing of the Deschutes River. The bar top is made from sanded and stained juniper wood, and the space has plenty of live plants to bring the outdoors inside. “We had a limited budget and did a lot of it ourselves,” adds Tammy.
The tall building offers seating on both the first floor and above in the upper loft, as well as space outside in what’s referred to as the backyard. “People feel comfortable out there and so many friendships have been made because of the backyard feel,” says Tammy. “It used to be our backyard.”
But perhaps one of the most important highlights of visiting the taproom is seeing the original paintings from Sheila Dunn that are featured on Bend Cider’s cans.
“One of the first couple of phone calls we made when we were starting was to Sheila,” says Tammy. “She’s a good friend of ours.” It all started with the bison, but now each flavor of Bend Cider released features a painting from Sheila Dunn of a different threatened or endangered species. Next up is a guava hibiscus cider set to be released in March, featuring a green sea turtle on the can.
Giving Back Through Cider
Through sales in their taproom, along with distribution in Idaho and nearly all of Oregon (distribution to Portland will begin in the summer of 2023), the Roarks are able to donate a portion of proceeds from cider sales to local organizations that are dear to them. The cidery donates to Think Wild in Central Oregon, which educates the community about how to live with wildlife around them, along with Seed to Table, an organization that works with local schools to bring kids to farms to show them where their food comes from.
While Kelly Roark didn’t necessarily end up following the path of wildlife biology work, he has certainly been able to follow a path doing something he loves through cider, while making an impact to support the environment, bringing awareness to endangered species and lifting up community organizations all at the same time.
