The Little Woody Barrel-Aged Beer, Cider & Whisky Festival is rooted in Bend’s history as a logging town, a nod to the timber that once churned out of the Old Mill District. The festival returns to the Deschutes Historical Museum lawn Friday and Saturday.

But this year, it has expanded its drink offerings beyond barrel-aged brews to include wineries, cider companies, a spiked seltzer and non-alcoholic CBD beverages.

“We want to be more of an event that anybody can come to, not just beer lovers or barrel-aged beer enthusiasts,” said Megan Burton, marketing director of Lay It Out Events, which hosts the festival.

New this year is free entry for all attendees and a costume contest awarding free prizes to the best-dressed attendees in head-to-toe gnome attire. Festivalgoers interested in sampling beverages are invited to purchase tasting packages, which are priced according to the number of included drink tokens.

“We’re trying to make it a little more accessible, more of like a community kind of end-of-summer celebration,” Burton said, adding there will be live music and lawn games for all to enjoy.

Made from honey

Joining the festival for the first time is Lazy Z Ranch Wines, a farmhouse winery in Sisters that specializes in mead, an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey.

“Mead is this really fun kind of midpoint between grape wine and craft beer,” said John Herman, who co-owns the winery with his wife, Renee.

“It can be as elegant as grape wine and as creative as craft beer,” he said, adding that every sip of mead represents 10,000 flower visits.

Lazy Z will offer samples of its semi-sweet Berry Bomb Mead with 13% ABV, off-dry Blueberry Mead with 11.5 % ABV and sweet Gin Barrel-Aged Grape and Plum Mead with 10% ABV.

The grape and plum mead is the second in the winery’s barrel-aged series, made with a 2023 Lazy Z Estate Wildflower honey and Eugene maple blossom honey. The honey was fermented with three grape varietals from the Smith Rock area and plums from Bend, then aged in a gin barrel from Crater Lake Spirits.

John said the winery plans to specialize in more barrel-aged offerings moving forward. It will be joined by Elixir Wine Group and Laurel Ridge Winery in the festival’s wine category.

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Red barn Lazy Z Ranch in Sisters produces honey for its mead

Sip on ciders from La Pine

La Pine-based Legend Cider Co. returns to the festival for its second year, joined by cider producers Avid Cider Co. and 2 Towns Ciderhouse.

The festival comes at an exciting time for Legend Cider, which last week, tested newly installed tanks that will allow it to quadruple production, said Adrianne Baumann, who co-owns Legend Cider Co. with her husband Tyler.

The cider company currently distributes across Central and Southern Oregon.

“We’ve had a lot of growth and change and overcome adversity,” Adrianne said.

Legend Cider is bringing three of its 6% ABV ciders: Painted Hills Peach Cobbler, Columbia Gorge Grape and Cascade Cooler. The peach cobbler cider is finished with whole cinnamon sticks, lending it warm, spicy notes. The grape cider tastes like grown-up grape juice and is among the best sellers at the tap house, Adrianne said.

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The Cascade Cooler is a vibrant shade of blue and the cidery’s most playful cider.

“It’s one of those where people take a sip thinking it’s going to taste artificial and terrible, and it ends up just blowing their socks off. It’s just a very well blended, really well balanced, not too sweet, not too dry and super crushable,” she said.

For additional recommendations to sample at the festival, see beer expert Jon Abernathy’s related article on rare and distinct creations.

Lay It Out Events pulls off the festival with help from an army of volunteers. Those interested in lending a hand may sign up for the remaining available slots at thelittlewoody.com.

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Rare, distinct creations on tap at Little Woody festival

If You Go

What: Little Woody Barrel-Aged Beer, Cider & Whisky Festival

When: 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday

Where: Deschutes Historical Museum, 129 NW Idaho, Bend

Cost: Free to attend. Tasting packages run $20-$50 online or $25-$55 at the gate.

Contact: thelittlewoody.com