This past Saturday for their official opening, we headed over to Redmond, Oregon’s new Wild Ride Brewing Company to check out the scene and try some beers. They had nine of their first ten beers on tap, and a handsome brewery and tasting room that looks really good. No kitchen, but two food trucks were parked outside. Here’s a first look in pictures, and some notes.

That barreled-off area is their outdoor seating patio. Incidentally, they do allow minors.

It is definitely a nice looking brewery, with a nice big space available to them since they took over the former Parr Lumber building.

Cool custom-fabricated firepit on their patio, gas fired.

Because it is all about the beers, of course. From left to right: Cole’s Trickle Lager, Big Booty Golden Ale, Whoopty Whoop Wheat, Fly.P.A., 3 Sisters Red Ale, Hopperhead IPA, Mount Up Maple Brown, and Stand Up and Shout Stout. I have to say, all of these beers are really well-brewed and excellent first-batch beers—not something you see every day from a brand-new brewery.

The Lager was really well done, super clean and drinkable, both IPAs were nice (I preferred the Hopperhead, which will be a big seller), that particular stout was brewed with coffee and vanilla and was on nitro. Good beers across the board.

It’s a 20-barrel brewhouse, with 40-barrel fermenting tanks. There is a ton of room for expansion and brewer Paul Bergeman has made sure they can do so in a logical manner, and has tried to be as forward-thinking as possible when designing this brewery.

One of the things that impressed me is that they are pre-treating their wastewater from the start, before it even hits the Redmond sewer system.

Yes, those barrels are filled already, with stout and their Maple Brown.

I like the reclaimed wood: this is on the wall fronting the restrooms, just outside of the tasting room.

One last shot on our way out.

Overall, I was really impressed: well-planned and though-out brewery, plenty of space to expand into, solid, clean beers from the start, head brewer with the history and the chops to crank out good beers, great tasting room and plenty of parking. This is a great addition to the Central Oregon brewing scene, and it’s going to be a huge hit in Redmond in particular. I’ll enjoy visiting when I get the chance.

They are located at 332 SW 5th Street in downtown Redmond, right on the main drag going north once you get off the parkway.