The article in the Bulletin this morning about Bend's water being the reason for all the breweries.
I kind of doubt that.
I think we got Deschutes Brewery here pretty early in the game, and that encouraged a couple of other big breweries, and we've had a bunch of spin offs since then. It would have happened with or without the water, but it certainly sounds better to point to the water.
I have the same problem when I hear the common narrative that downtown Bend's revival was inevitable. Because of the river, the "old" (?) buildings, the street layouts.
As it happened, I was here through the entire process, and I can tell you it was never inevitable. It was much more happenstance and luck than people realize. It was even touch-and-go there for a few years, that we wouldn't fall back. Timing was a big part of it. Things gain or lose momentum for what seem very small reasons at the time, but they are tipping points.
But it's always nice and easy to go backward and fill in all the best reasons that something happened.
I kind of doubt that.
I think we got Deschutes Brewery here pretty early in the game, and that encouraged a couple of other big breweries, and we've had a bunch of spin offs since then. It would have happened with or without the water, but it certainly sounds better to point to the water.
I have the same problem when I hear the common narrative that downtown Bend's revival was inevitable. Because of the river, the "old" (?) buildings, the street layouts.
As it happened, I was here through the entire process, and I can tell you it was never inevitable. It was much more happenstance and luck than people realize. It was even touch-and-go there for a few years, that we wouldn't fall back. Timing was a big part of it. Things gain or lose momentum for what seem very small reasons at the time, but they are tipping points.
But it's always nice and easy to go backward and fill in all the best reasons that something happened.