An item in yesterday’s Bulletin Business section caught my eye: "FivePine to get boost from new brew pub, restaurant" is the article’s title, though it’s behind the Bulletin paywall so you can’t read it online. Here’s the brewpub-pertinent stuff:

A new brew pub in Sisters could serve as a gathering place for locals and tourists and further cement Central Oregon’s reputation as a craft brewery mecca, industry analysts say.

The unnamed brewery would open by the end of next spring at the FivePine development on the eastern edge of town, said Wade Underwood, a partner in the project who would own and manage the brewery.

"We’ll start brewing in-house and ultimately strive for small-scale local distribution," Underwood said. "We’re hoping to serve locals as well as people passing through town."

I found a bit more detail from the Sisters Nugget (Bulletin, take note: it’s freely available):

Wade Underwood, who moved with his wife to Sisters last July, is adding the brew pub that will be located across from the movie house.

"We decided that a brew pub would be something we’d be interested in bringing to the town because we think the craft beers are great," Underwood said. Underwood’s vision is for the pub to offer a family environment with great food at a reasonable price.

The building which is currently being designed will have a warehouse and livery stable appearance with commanding barn doors. "We’ll have our brewing equipment up front that will be visible and well lighted and hopefully kind of fun to watch the brewing process go on," Underwood said.

The pub will offer pool tables and only a few televisions to keep up with sporting events.

"Hopefully we can keep our local patrons from having to drive all the way into Bend if they want a craft beer," Underwood said.

All pretty interesting, and pretty inevitable, I think. I’ve thought for quite a while now that a brewpub would do well in Sisters—seasonally, anyway. Sisters is pure tourist town, and while I’m pretty sure a good brewpub would do well there, during the tourist season, I don’t know if during the off-season there would be enough of a local support base to maintain one.

Maybe a McMenamins, or something with backing like that.

And I think for one to really do well, it would have to be located right in the center of town, on the main drag, to pull in all the foot traffic.

So, some questions to keep in mind: What will be the name of the brewpub? Who will be brewing for them? And what kind of beers will they brew?