Trever Hawman, shown here in January 2015, has bought a new brew system and has plans to increase the tasting room at the Layton Avenue brewery in Bend. (Andy Tullis/Bulletin file photo)

The time has come to step it up a notch, said Trever Hawman, of Bend, founder of Bridge 99 Brewery.

Until now, Hawman, a carpenter and building contractor, has brewed his assortment of beers at home in a 1.5-barrel system with a two-barrel fermenter. That part will remain the same for the time being.

But starting Jan. 22, he’s opening a tasting room with nine beers on tap and moving production out of the 400-square-foot attachment to his home and into the 2,000-sqare-foot commercial space at 63063 Layton Ave., Bend.

Hawman has been brewing under license at home since September 2013, he said. His hobby, which he shares with friend and Bridge 99 brewer Rod Kraemer, grew with every pint glass filled until it became a hobby no more.

“It’s pretty much getting to the point where I have to do it full time,” Hawman said Tuesday.

With encouragement from Mel McConnell of Crystal Clear Investments, which leased the space for Bridge 99, Hawman said he decided to relocate his brewing equipment, expand his production and open the tasting room in northeast Bend.

“You’ve got to step up your game,” if you want to succeed at something beyond it being a hobby, McConnell said.

Aaron Webb, owner of Wubba’s BBQ Shack, just across the parking lot from Bridge 99, said he serves Bridge 99 beers in his restaurant. It’s a big seller, he said. Wizard Falls IPA and Bull Trout Stout are customer favorites, he said.

“It’s a great beer,” Webb said. “The quality is some of the best that I’ve had in Central Oregon.”

Hawman said he plans on opening the tasting room from 2-6 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, starting with a soft opening Jan. 22 and 23. He has nine taps ready to flow. In addition, the room is available for private tastings by appointment, he said. Benches and fire pits are staged outside.

Brewing beer took over Hawman’s career where his work as a custom home builder left off, he said. He felt the slowdown coming in 2006, when big projects were canceled. He’s stayed afloat since then but put more time and effort into brewing. The fact that his wife, Angel Hawman, works softened the blow during the downturn, Hawman said.

At age 43, Trever Hawman figures he’s probably one fall away from concluding his construction career. Besides, brewing beer isn’t a job for him, it’s his passion. His goal is to lure folks who don’t necessarily drink a lot of beer to find some surprising tastes in what he has to offer.

What he doesn’t want to do, Hawman said, is get ahead of himself. He has plans to expand to a 10-barrel system, eventually, and put his beers in bottles. Bridge 99 comes solely by the barrel now, or through growler-filling stations.

“You have to start small and move forward,” he said. “What I’ve been doing is moving forward.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7815, jditzler@bendbulletin.com