Happy Beer Day to the people of Iceland! On this day in 1989, Iceland ended their 74-year prohibition of beer. Cheers to that! And now here’s the beer news for Oregon for this first of March. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

pFriem Family Brewers (Hood River) is teaming up with Portland bar Beer for a Chocolate and Beer pairing tonight from 6 to 9pm: “Come join us, the pFine pFolks over at pFriem, Creo and Xocolatl De David for a decadent night of chocolate and beer pairings. We’ll have complimentary chocolates from each chocolatier to pair with pFriem’s Cognac Barrel Aged Belgian Strong Dark and the Rum Barrel Aged Imperial Porter. Both Creo and David will be here to talk about their pairings and you, yes YOU will get to vote on which pairings you like best! If you find something you like, they’ll also be here selling their fine chocolates for you to take home.”

Portland’s Loyal Legion Beer Hall is kicking off a brewery showcase of Rosenstadt Brewery today, to run through the weekend.”8 beers on from our favorite small german style brewery here in Portland. Meet the brewery and the beer here on Thursday, event goes all weekend.”

The fourth annual Oregon Beer Awards took place last night at Revolution Hall in Portland, the all-Oregon recognition of the best beers, breweriers, beer bars, and more, all presented in an Academy Awards-style ceremony. This year even included a web-based live stream of the ceremony though I will note there were issues trying to watch it. The New School has the full recap of the night, including all the winners (with a number of big Bend wins!), so big congratulations to all who won! Let’s go drink their beers!

Standing Stone Brewing (Ashland): Their annual Brewers Dinner is taking place tonight starting at 6:30pm and there may yet be tickets. “Our annual Brewers Dinner is always a hit! It’s a gathering of friends, family and community members celebrating a unified love of food and beer, and our way of highlighting the unique flavors of the season by combining local fare with our craft beers in a festive, multi-course meal. Chef Stefano Cipollone and Brewer Larry Chase will be cooking and brewing up a magical evening, sure to delight the taste buds and leave you feeling full and cheery. Tickets are $75 per person (including gratuity) and seating is limited and expected to sell out quickly. Purchase your ticket online or in our brewpub. Any questions? Please call us at 541.494.8334 or email samantha@standingstonebrewing.com”

The Hoppy Brewer (Gresham) is hosting a beer tasting featuring Portland’s Zoiglhaus Brewing starting at 6:30pm: “Don’t miss our Beer Tasting Event featuring the Zoiglhaus Brewing Company for a finely tuned sense of German Brewing tradition blended with a Northwest sensibility!”

The BeerMongers (Portland) is hosting an Alesong Brewing night, featuring (of course) Eugene’s Alesong Brewing. They’ll be pouring select Alesong beers on draft, and will have bottles to go as well. The night runs from 5 to 8pm.

Belmont Station (Portland) is hosting Astoria’s Buoy Beer for the release of its Love Lost at Sea Whiskey Barrel Aged Barleywine Ale today from 5 to 8pm: “Buoy releases their very first specialty beer in bottles. Love Lost at Sea, a Whiskey Barrel Aged Barleywine Ale. 5 months in Bull Run Distilling whiskey barrels contribute deep layers of toffee, figs, graham cracker, burnt toast, and brown sugar which drift between a smooth yet lingering alcohol warmth. The Buoy crew will be here hanging out in the Patio Pub. We will have bottles for sale in both the Patio Pub (cash only) and the Bottle Shop.”

McMenamins 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop is hosting the awards ceremony for the winner of the Hillsdale Brewfest today from 2:30 to 5pm: “The 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop is where we’ll reveal the winner of the 2018 Battle for the Belt from the 25th Annual Hillsdale Brewfest. Brewers will gather & anxiously wait for the announcement of first, second and third place. Stop by, grab a beer & watch the competitive madness unfold. The belt will be handed to this year’s rightful winner and you have got to see this…” I doubt it will be livestreamed.

Cascade Brewing (Portland): The brewery’s 7th annual Sour Fruit Fest continues today, with some three dozen fruited sour beers on tap between the Barrel House and the Lodge, with vintage bottles for sale at the Barrel House. Today’s headlining beer on tap is Shiro Plum. If you’re a fan of the sours, make sure to swing by!

Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland) has several beer releases dropping today: “On March 01 we release three new hazy IPAs: Chill Murray NEIPA, Love Letter NEIPA, and Ferocious Citrus IPA. The first two beers are limited and won’t last long. Ferocious Citrus is our spring and summer seasonal, replacing Abominable Winter Ale.” Go hit the event page for more details on each beer.

Wayfinder Beer has their own spring seasonal tapping today, Maerzen: “Thus, the Maerzen brewing tradition continues, but is released in March as a beer to celebrate the end of winter and the coming spring. It’s highly drinkable and pleasant, with an original gravity of at least 13%. Wayfinder’s interpretation is a classic approach, employing an extensive double-decoction mashing regime and prolonged maturation. The resulting aroma is a touch of light toffee with a spicy, delicate hop. The body is warming and pronounced but finishes dry and moreish. 5.5% ABV, 19 BU, served in 0,5L Willi glasses.”

And then hit up Widmer Brothers Brewing for its Thursday Tapping release at the pub: “This week at Widmer Brothers, we’re pouring out pints of Oh Yeah! IPA (7.0% ABV, 77 IBU), a big, bold, brash IPA inspired by Macho Man Randy Savage. Innovation Brewermaster Thomas Bleigh came up with the recipe for Oh Yeah!, and the old-school West Coast-style IPA landed on Willamette Week’s list of top 10 Portland IPAs this week. Stop in and try it at the Widmer Brothers Pub! Prost!”