Are you ready for a new week? Here’s the week in Oregon beer news, kicking off this Monday, March 12. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news as I find it, so check back often. And if you have news to share, feel free to contact me and I can get that posted too.

This Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day, which of course means annual Irish-themed celebrations at many breweries! It’s one of the big holidays for McMenamins, with St. Patrick’s Day “across the land” celebrated at all locations, and this year several locations are hosting two- and three-day events. The two-day events will be at the Old Church in Wilsonville and the Gearhart Hotel; the three-day ones will be at the Edgefield, the Grand Lodge, Old St. Francis School, Hotel Oregon, and Kennedy School.

And one of the big ones is hosted by Kells Brewery in Portland—in fact, they are hosting two this weekend. Kells is featuring its 27th annual Irish Festival from Friday the 16th through Sunday the 18th, the largest St. Paddy’s festival in the Northwest, which celebrates “Irish heritage with live music, traditional Irish dancing, food and libations.” And then on Saturday and Sunday, the brewery is throwing its 2nd annual Irish Beer Festival as well; in addition to breweries and cidermakers from the Northwest, two breweries from Ireland will be present.

Cascade Brewing (Portland) released Melonius Blond on Friday, their first-ever bottled melon sour, aged with cataloupe and Summer Kiss melons. From the press release: “This limited offering is available in 750 ml bottles and on draft through Cascade’s regular distribution channels, as well as in-house at both its Portland area pubs. Showcasing Oregon-grown fruit harvested at peak ripeness, Melonius Blond offers notes of fresh summer melons, orange blossoms and sour candies, with a touch of honeycomb and green peppercorn. The beer is 6.8 percent alcohol by volume. The brewery produced just 50 barrels of Melonious Blond, which is a Tier One offering.”

Kobold Brewing (Bend): New beer releasing tonight at the Vault Taphouse in Redmond! From the email newsletter: “DIPA anyone? Today at 5:30pm I will release Kobold K-Juice IIPA, it’s an 8.8 ABV 85 IBU juicy brew. I used Azaca, Eldorado and Citra hops, in copious amounts, to achieve a huge tropical fruit aroma and flavor. So come enjoy a pint of Pineapple, Mango and Tangerine, wait beer, with those amazing flavors.”

Baerlic Brewing (Portland) has a new beer release today, Don’t Call Me Wit Gin Botanical Witbier: “For Base Camp’s Collabofest we partnered with our friends at Level Beer on the traditional Belgian Witbier…with a twist. What started out as a quick meeting to coordinate recipes, turned into a puntacular session of beers with loads of tomfoolery and laughs. But out of the absurdity comes this little gem of a beer we’re calling Don’t Call Me Wit—a Belgian witbier conditioned on spent gin botanicals from Ransom Wine Co. & Distillery. Don’t Call Me Wit Gin Botanical Witbier – 6.5% ABV”

And Portland’s Culmination Brewing has its own collaboration release today, Kashmir Kolsch: “Monday, 3/12, from 4-8pm, Kashmir Kolsch, our collaboration beer with BHUNA Restaurant will finally be ready to get tapped! This beer is a Kolsch with rose and it pairs perfectly with Bhuna’s Indian Soul Food. Come out and enjoy an evening of delicious food and beer!”