Just in time to help beer aficionados make the rounds to eight Central Oregon breweries participating the third annual Zwickelmania Oregon Brewery Tour this weekend, Visit Bend launched a new smart phone application designed to help users navigate the Bend Ale Trail.

“Visit Bend became the first destination marketing organization in the Pacific Northwest to offer a smart phone application,” said Tawna Fenske, Visit Bend communications director.

The app is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users. Fenske said Visit Bend is developing another app for users of Android smart phones, which is expected to be available in April.

In addition to providing instant access to an electronic map of area breweries, Fenske said the app also allows users to click on lodging to book overnight accommodations, learn about Central Oregon breweries and other recreation and entertainment activities, play games and take fun quizzes.

“Travelers are changing the way they get information and Visit Bend is at the forefront of this movement by offering this unique travel app,” said Sean Egusa of Streetside, a Portland-based startup company that developed the smart phone app.

In developing the app, Egusa said one of the goals was to provide information consistent with other Visit Bend materials promoting the Bend Ale Trail.

“From brochure to website to mobile phone — no matter how people interact with the Bend Ale Trail — they get the same content and information,” Egusa said.

Visit Bend launched the Bend Ale Trail eight months ago to promote the city’s booming craft beer industry and to diversify Bend’s tourism offerings. Using a Bend Ale Trail Map and Passport, guests can track their route between the Bend-area’s eight breweries and earn prizes for visiting all of them. The popularity of the Bend Ale Trail, which has attracted more than 1,000 guests, prompted Visit Bend to look into developing a local food trail, and possibly others to promote other area attractions, according to Doug La Placa, Visit Bend president and CEO.

This weekend’s Zwickelmania is a statewide brewery open house and tour event sponsored by the Oregon Brewers Guild. The eight Bend-area breweries are among 55 breweries statewide participating in Zwickelmania.

“As Oregonians, we are fortunate to have so many great breweries open throughout the year, but Zwickelmania is special. This is a once-a-year, one-day opportunity for beer fans to brewery hop and sample straight from the source – often poured by brewers themselves,” said Brian Butenschoen, executive director of the Oregon Brewers Guild.

Breweries in Central Oregon and statewide participating in Zwickelmania will host open houses and special tastings from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, according to the Brewers Guild.

“This is a very exciting beer weekend,” Fenske said. “All of the Central Oregon breweries are participating in Zwickelmania.”

She said Wanderlust Tours of Bend and the Green Energy Transportation and Tours of Bend will be offering rides and tour services between area breweries this weekend for Zwickelmania.

This weekend is also the Presidents Day holiday, which Fenske said is traditionally one of the busiest weekends of the winter season (after the Christmas-New Year’s holidays) for Central Oregon.

For visitors seeking unique ways to travel the Bend Ale Trail, several local companies offer packages that include pedi-cab tours, horse-drawn carriage rides, culinary-themed pub crawls and the Bend Brew Bus.

Central Oregon breweries participating in Zwickelmania include 10 Barrel Brewing Co., Bend Brewing Co., Boneyard Brewing, Cascade Lakes Brewery, Deschutes Brewery, McMenamins Old St. Francis School Brewery, Silver Moon Brewing Co., all of Bend, as well as Three Creeks Brewing in Sisters.

“I think Zwickelmania is pretty cool. It is an opportunity for people to come into the back of the brewery and actually meet the brewers, see the craft involved in making beer, and see all of the equipment and how it is used,” said Tyler West, head brewer at Silver Moon.

“It’s pretty cool to have an opportunity to meet the people. We are usually in the back making beer while everyone else is out front enjoying it,” West said.

He also said Visit Bend chose a perfect time to announce the launch of its smart phone application this weekend.

“With the smart phone app, it will be a lot easier for people to find their way from one brewery, or to keep track of where they’re at if they are riding a tour bus,” West said. “With the smart phone apps, people will be able to make notes, which will help them say what they want to say online about the breweries they visit or the beers they taste.”

In Wednesday’s announcement, Lynnette Braillard, Visit Bend marketing director, said the smart phone application was created as a guide for the Bend Ale Trail. Visit Bend surveys showed about 86 percent of those taking part in the Bend Ale Trail have mobile phones, she said.

“We’re seeing more and more people using GPS-enabled smart phones to plan travel,” Braillard said. “From a tourism standpoint, it makes sense to offer smart phone user tools to make their Oregon travel experience even better.”

Braillard said the Bend-area’s “world class craft brewery culture is one of the most unique things about Bend.”

Visitor surveys show 28 percent of Bend visitors stopped by at least one local brewery, she said, “so we’re thrilled to be able to offer this free app as a way of enhancing their experience.”

If you go

What: Zwickelmania

When: Saturday, Feb. 19, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Eight craft breweries in Central Oregon (55 statewide)

Sponsor: Oregon Brewers Guild

Website: www.OregonBeer.org