My latest article for The Bulletin, published last week, considers that rare form of beer in America—cask ale, and highlights Central Oregon’s own purveyor of English-style cask-conditioned ales, Porter Brewing.

Contemporary cask ale derives almost entirely from British pub traditions, and the best examples naturally are to be found in England. For whatever reason, these traditions didn’t translate well here in the States, so finding proper cask beer can be a challenge.

On the other hand, here in Central Oregon, we’re fortunate to have a brewery entirely dedicated to brewing cask ale — Porter Brewing Co., located in Redmond. Porter was opened by Deven and Avara Roberts in 2018 with a lineup including Jackpine IPA, Infamous ESB, Irish Redmond Ale, and 1772 Porter.

Deven brews on a three-barrel system at the main location in Redmond, with a strong focus on English-style ales. In 2021 the Robertses expanded their reach and opened The Cellar, an English-style pub in downtown Bend.

In addition to some background on cask beer and Porter Brewing, I also highlight two of Porter’s beers I picked up in bottles: PBC Pub Ale, and English-style pale mild, and Craig Elachie, a Scottish-style ale. Bottles don’t quite capture the hand-pulled essence of cask, of course, but they aren’t far off either.