Terranaut Beer earns national acclaim as a top new brewery by USA Today

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Terranaut Beer, a northeast Bend brewery that opened less than two years ago, has been named one of USA Today’s 10Best “Best New Breweries” in the United States, putting Central Oregon’s newest taproom on a national stage.

The recognition comes through USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, which highlight standout new breweries from across the country based on expert nominations and public voting. Terranaut Beer, located off Empire Avenue on High Desert Lane, is the only Pacific Northwest brewery on this year’s list, underscoring how quickly the young taproom has made an impression beyond the region’s already crowded craft beer scene.

Terranaut’s national nod builds on early hardware closer to home. The brewery has already earned a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival for a coffee and vanilla brown ale that showcases local ingredients, including coffee from Bend roaster Backporch Coffee Roasters. Brewer and co-owner Bryon Pyka has said the beer was designed to highlight both the city’s roasting community and Terranaut’s focus on flavor and mouthfeel.

Inside, the taproom leans into that sense of personality and place. The space is described as a colorful, eclectic hangout built largely from reclaimed wood by the brewers themselves, with a sound system wired to a turntable that anchors weekly “bring your own vinyl” nights. Rather than specializing in a single style, Terranaut’s team has emphasized a diverse and unique lineup, aiming to pour something for nearly every palate that walks through the door.​

For Bend’s craft beer community, the latest accolade adds a fresh chapter to a city long known for its breweries. Terranaut’s owners have said they see the taproom as both a neighborhood gathering spot and a showcase for Central Oregon’s creativity, a mission now backed by one of the biggest pieces of recognition yet.