Back in early 2020, the Suttle Lodge hosted its first Suttle Lodge Winter Beer Fest, and it was one of the last beer events we attended before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. After everything locked down in March of that year, we pulled way back and over the past (nearly) three years have avoided public events and gatherings. So we’ve missed out on a lot of beer events, but have been starting to figure out how to reintegrate on a limited basis.

With that in mind, I received a VIP media invite to this year’s Suttle Lodge brewfest (so yes, disclosure, we attended for free), and it ticked off a checklist for what seemed like a safe way to try out our first beer event since 2020:

• Almost entirely outdoors
• Plenty of open air space, so it’s easy to keep safe distances and to step away from people
• Somewhat limited daily capacity so not a huge crowd

We had originally planned to attend on Friday, the first day of the fest, to avoid the largest crowds, but based on last week’s weather we switched to Saturday. (Snow plus a high in the mid-20s°F on Friday versus 30-40s°F on Saturday.) So we arrived Saturday by noon for the day’s opening.

The initial crowd was sparse, which was great, which allowed us to get our first few pours without lines and have some space to sample them. Yes, we wore masks (the only ones to do so), and simply stepped away to a reasonable spot to sip on our drinks.

High points of the fest:

• Excellent selection of beers and ciders being poured.
• The venue is great (you’re in the Deschutes National Forest!) and I like the rustic cabin setup for the various pouring stations, which breaks things up nicely.
• Excellent staff and volunteers who all seemed happy to be there.
• The weather (on Saturday) cooperated, with clear blue skies and above-freezing temps.
• The VIP arrangement was well-conceived, with a separate VIP hut of specialty pours and a VIP bar in the main lodge with specialty cocktails.
• You could roam the property with your drink, with a lot of space to do so.

The low(ish) points:

• We didn’t get a printed program/flyer for the event, although there was a good reason for that: due to the weather that week, not all of the beers that were slated to be pouring were there, and there were resulting substitutions, so the staff opted to not issue the program lists which would have caused confusion.
• Food prices were on the high side, in my opinion. (You’re at a resort, remember.)
• That’s about it.

Overall it was a success, both for the event and for us as a first step back into the beer event space. While there’s no particular theme to the festival, it’s really the season and the setting that is the draw. And, of course I need to post the list of what I drank, and the pictures from the day (most of which my wife took).

What I drank:

• Bale Breaker Brewing, Wood and Wire Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
• Xicha Brewing, Báte Báte Chocolate Stout
• Block 15 Brewing, Imagine ’22 (barrel-aged Belgian imperial stout)
• Tullamore D.E.W. 12 year Scotch
• Wayfinder Beer, CZ AF Czech-style Pilsner
• Stickmen Brewing, I Heart Brekky Coffee Oatmeal Stout
• Buoy Beer Company, Love, Lost at Sea Barleywine
• Cocktail — Pitch Perfect (Old Forester Bourbon, P/X Sherry, Alpine Amaro)
• Boss Rambler Beer Club, JaPOW Japanese lager
• Cascade Brewing, Vlad the Imp Aler Imperial Barrel-Aged Sour
• Migration Brewing, Whiskey Barrel Aged Westward Frankie Imperial Stout
• Breakside Brewery, Life #4 Barleywine

Finally, pictures: