BEND
There’s another craft brewer launching into the
beer-swilling Central Oregon market. Wildfire Brewing, the area’s
sixth brewer, has begun producing lagers and pale ales at a
small brewery in north Bend and will be distributing them to
restaurants around town. Brothers Chris and Jeremy Cox, who own
local watering hole JC’s Bar and Grill, and Paul Cook, a
former Deschutes Brewery head brewer, are behind the venture.
Chris Cox says Wildfire will produce about 750-1,000 barrels
this year, testing as they go with JC’s customers. By
comparison, Deschutes Brewery produces about 145,000 barrels a
year. “There are quite a few breweries in town —
but we’re looking to pull market share from the big
domestics, which still own about 95% of the market,” Cox
says.
