Happy first Friday of 2018! Here’s a bit of Oregon beer trivia, according to Jay Brooks: on this day in 2004, Full Sail Brewing “received a contract to make Henry Weinhard beer for Miller Brewing.” (Yes, Full Sail brewed Weinhards for a time!) Here is the rest of the news in Oregon beer for this first weeekend of the year; as usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please let me know and I can get that updated too.

Friday, 1/5

Base Camp Brewing (Portland) is releasing their new Send It IPA on Friday: “Join us at Base Camp this Friday to properly celebrate Send It IPA, our newest brew! Win a fully custom board or skis from Deviation Ski & Snowboard Works, support the good work of Friends of the Columbia Gorge, jam out to tunes from DJ B. Hammer’d, and throw some axes with Portland Axe Throwing! Dropping at 6pm, our new fresher-than-fresh PNW-style IPA has all the hoppy goodness you’re looking for. Each pint sold raises money to support the trail rebuilding efforts of Friends of the Columbia Gorge. Raffle drawing for the sick custom board or sticks will be at 9:30pm. Gotta be here to win big!”

Every January, the Portland-based Hophouse locations (15th, and Hawthorne) host their Oregon IPA Challenge, and that is going on now! It’s a blind tasting of a dozen IPAs, and the most winning IPA at the end of the month will be featured on tap through the rest of the year. “We (and our customers) curated a flight of 12 top Oregon IPAs. We have a blind test in both Hawthorne Hophouse and 15th Avenue Hophouse, where you can come in and try to identify each beer and match to a list. Get six or more right and win prizes, like hoodies, shirts, growlers, gift cards, etc. You’ll take the Challenge in the pub, get your results instantly, and either hide in shame or have bragging rights for years to come. New this year is the ability to take the test in the pub online … no waiting around until February. You’ll know instantly. And you’ll pick your favorite of the twelve (blind) and that beer will be our only permanent tap at both Hophouse pubs for the entirety of 2018.”

Bend’s Broken Top Bottle Shop is hosting Nectar Creek Mead for a mead tasting of some specialty meads: “We’re thrilled to help Nectar Creek celebrate seasonal and limited release meads! Join us at Broken Top Bottle Shop to try “Top Bar”, a barrel aged wildflower honey mead with local coffee and bourbon cured oak chips. This is a limited release mead from the Holiday Ale Fest. It’s amazing! Also, try “Festoon”, a winter seasonal with hibiscus and plum. Delicious! Both Top Bar and Festoon will be on tap for this tasting, plus samples of other selections as well. Cheers to that!” The tasting takes place from 5 to 7pm Friday night.

Worthy Brewing (Bend): Their latest experimental pale ale is on tap. “Beer geeks! Our 4th experimental Pale Ale is on tap. Bring in your card for your final stamp and redeem a free beer and burger coupon!”

Saturday, 1/6

McMenamins 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop (Portland) is hosting a mead tasting with Portland’s Fringe Meadery on Saturday from 2 to 4pm: “Fringe Meadery will be pouring samples of some of their fantastic products. Fringe Meadery focuses on creating a variety of nectars, each with its own distinct flavor, aroma and color.”

Vertigo Brewing (Hillsboro) is hosting a screening of the moving “PDX: Beer City” on Saturday starting at 6:30pm: “We will have Pint glasses and beer specials available. With more than 100 breweries in the metropolitan area, Portland, Oregon, takes its beer seriously. PDX: Brew City is a documentary exploring the confluence of events that turned the Rose City into the standard bearer in craft brewing. We talked to the brewery founders (including Vertigo’s own Mike Haines!), the artisans who shape their beer, owners of beer bars, home brewers, writers, politicians and historians to see what makes Stumptown the largest craft beer market in the United States. In the end, we aim to tell why Portland is able to support all of these local breweries and take a snapshot of how the scene got to where it is. Because Vertigo does not serve food, this is strictly a 21+ event. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

Evasion Brewing (McMinnville) will be tapping a new beer on Saturday at 1pm: “Commit to the Funk. A Farmhouse / Saison style ale, brewed with 100% millet. Aged in Lange Pinot Noir Barrels and refermented with freshly pressed Pinot Noir juice. Exhibits that classic belgian yeast character with a wine like backbone. Finishes off with a mild tropical fruit note from the brettanomyces. Commit To The Funk is the first mixed culture wine barrel aged gluten free beer around. This is a preview of what the future holds. Come enjoy it with us.”

Beergarden in Eugene is hosting a Seattle Complete Beer & Cider Tap Takeover all day Saturday: “Kick off the new year with a complete Seattle tap take over January 6th. Featuring specialty brews and ciders from some of our favorite Seattle craft companies, including: Fremont Brewing, Georgetown Brewing, Bellevue Brewing Company, Urban Family Brewing Company, Schilling Cider House, and Seattle Cider Company.”

General News

Gilgamesh Brewing (Salem) has a new coffee stout out now that raises money for a good cause: “Without further ado… we’d like to introduce this rich Turkish Coffee Stout, Shalom Y’all! Partnering with Nicky USA and Chef John Goram has been an awesome experience all to support Growing Gardens. $1 from every 22oz and $10 of every keg is donated directly to @growinggardenspdx Find this awesome beer at any Zupan’s, New Seasons and of course at our restaurant!”

Culmination Brewing in Portland has a new beer of their own on tap: “We have a new beer on tap! Ryes Up Light, a rye pale ale, is now on our list. Come by and have a glass in our taproom. We are open from 12-10pm today.”