Silver Moon Brewing will only be producing beer at its Bend brewery, ending an eight-year run operating in Redmond.

Avid Cider, a Bend-based business, will take over the lease on the SW Badger Avenue space, said James Watts, Silver Moon Brewing co-owner. The consolidation means some expansion at the Greenwood Avenue pub and production facility in Bend, Watts said.

When Silver Moon was not brewing its own beverages, it was contracting out the equipment to other brewers, Watt said.

“The lease was coming due and we had to decide if we should continue with the two spaces,” said Watts. “For cost saving, we turned over our lease to Avid, which needed a larger facility.”

In 2022, Michigan-based Blake’s Hard Cider acquired a majority share of Avid with local owner Samantha Roberts. Under the new company, which includes Seven Peaks hard seltzer, Avid produces cider out of its Ninth Street production facility in Bend, said Roberts.

Bend-based Avid Cider joins forces with Michigan-based Blake’s Hard Cider

Bend-based Avid Cider joins forces with Michigan-based Blake’s Hard Cider

Avid operates a taproom at The Box Factory. The Bend production facility on Ninth Street will close after Avid makes the move to Redmond in November. Avid started in 2013, and employs about 25 people.

“Craft cider is still climbing and consumers are moving away from national brands and more toward their local and craft suppliers,” Robert said. “People have always wanted something different in their pint glass. ”

Atlas Cider Company to change name after dispute

Atlas Cider Company to change name after dispute

Brewing industry full of unknowns

The brewing industry is fraught with unknown costs, said Christina LaRue, Oregon Brewers Guild executive director. Having enough equipment, enough space, labor and raw material, all play a role in the success of a brewer, LaRue said.

“They (brewers) can offset those costs through contract brewing, however, that only occurs if there is a demand for it,” LaRue said. “Craft beer across the board is down, which in turn means the need for additional capacity through contract brewing or alternating proprietorships is down. Decisions, such as the one Silver Moon has made, are not easy to make and I’m sure that Silver Moon weighed all of their options and chose what they thought was the best route for the health of the company.”

The craft brewing industry is in a state of flux at the moment as consumers have so many more choices today: canned cocktails, canned wine, hard seltzers, and new beer styles and flavors, according to a 2022 report by the Brewers Association, a nonprofit trade association representing 6,000 U.S. brewers.

Craft brewing evolving

In the coming year, the Brewers Association reports that craft brewing will continue to evolve and grow competitive with new alcoholic beverage competitors. There are more than 9,000 craft breweries nationwide, and 318 operate in Oregon, according to the Brewers Association state-by-state report.

Oregon ranks seventh in the nation for breweries per capita, according to the association.

For Silver Moon Brewery, the 10-barrel system in its downtown location should be enough, Watts said. It distributes in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado and in Vermont, he said. The company produces about 5,000 barrels a year, down from its pre-COVID-19 production levels of about 7,000 barrels.

“We try to continue to evolve and adapt our own products with increased distribution across new states,” Watts said. “We’re continuing to innovate, that’s at the heart of the business.”

Silver Moon Brewing to expand production

Silver Moon Brewing charts expansion