Happy Father’s Day (weekend)! Here’s to all the fathers out there, and if you’re not a father then raise a glass to toast your father! Here is the roundup of news and events in Oregon beer for this mid-month June weekend; as usual I’ll be periodically updating this post with items as I find them, so check back in from time to time.

The Lakeside Brewfest kicks off today on the southern Oregon coast, at Lakeside on Tenmile Lake (about 17 miles north of Coos Bay). It’s smaller than most brewfests you’re used to, with 11 participating breweries (including two each cideries and wineries) representing the entire region, I believe. It runs both Friday and Saturday, from 4 to 9pm and noon to 9pm, respectively, and only costs $10 for admission to drink. Looks like this will be a cool little fest, on the lake beach with palm trees and live music to accompany the beer—check it out if you’re down that way!

Folks are buzzing about news that Washington’s Backwoods Brewing will be opening a pub in Portland’s Pearl District. From the press release: “Backwoods Brewing Company will be bringing its delicious beers and hearty food menu to the Pearl District of Portland, OR. Effective June 12th, Backwoods began work on a new pub on the corner of NW 11th & Everett Street, where Pearl Tavern previously resided. Backwoods’ Pearl location will boast their seasonal, special release and core brews, such as Logyard IPA, Copperline Amber and Blueberry Wheat. It will also feature local ciders and wines on tap, as well as a vast selection of spirits for craft cocktails. Like Backwoods’ Carson pub, the food menu will focus on sourcing local ingredients and producing as much hand-made goods as possible.” The brewery is aiming for a late June or early July opening.

Friday, 6/15

The Thirsty Monk (formerly Bazi Bierbrasserie) is holding its grand opening on Friday at 4pm.  According to the release, “There will be 10 Thirsty Monk beers on tap, including the company’s first Portland-brewed beer.” More details: “Thirsty Monk is located in the former Bazi Bierbrasserie space, which joined the Thirsty Monk, Inc. family of breweries and pubs in December 2017. Thirsty Monk has since renovated the space, adding Monk touches such as wooden pew benches, artwork of Monks and monasteries, comfortable wooden swivel barstools, and a statue of Brussels’ famous Manneken Pis which will feature rotating game-day soccer scarves to honor Bazi’s Soccer Bar history and patrons. Thirsty Monk’s Head Brewer Brian Grace, who is based in Denver, recently visited Portland to brew the company’s first Oregon-brewed recipe with well-respected Portland brewer Carston Haney. This beer, a flagship Abby Blonde, will be on tap along with nine other Thirsty Monk beers to celebrate Thirsty Monk’s Portland grand opening on Friday, June 15 at 4pm.”

Portland Beer Week continues with events including:

• Masters of IPA at Ecliptic Brewing
• Lompoc Brewing 1/2 Day Guided River Rafting Tour Down the Clackamas River with Brewer Brendan Murphy
• Rosenstadt Tap Takeover at Tannery Bar
• Ale Apothecary Bottle Pour Night with Paul Arney at Saraveza
• Branding for Beer Seminar at Wayfinder Beer
• Wayfinder Beer Tap Takeover at Quality Bar
• Belching Beaver Deftones Beer Night at McMenamins 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop
• Modern Times Fun Times at The BeerMongers
• New Brewery Launch Party at Uptown Market (Scholls Ferry)
• Stickmen Cloudy with a Chance of El Dorado Release Party at Lightning Will

For Medford Beer Week, the following is taking place today:

• 4th Annual Block Party with Fogline @ The Growler King at Quality Market: 4pm – 9pm
• Beer Lovers Appreciation @ Wild River Pizza: All Day
• Dress Like an Employee Day @ Bricktowne Brewing: All Day
• Beer Week Closing Ceremonies @ Tap City Beverage: 12pm – 10pm
• Fort George 3 Way IPA Release Party @ Beerworks Medford: 5pm – 9pm
• Goldmine Shootout with Elysian Brewing @ Beerworks Jacksonville: 5pm – 9pm
• Dart Throw Tournament @ Opposition Brewing: 5:30pm – 8:30pm
• Hearts and Hops Food Truck and Brewery Pairing Competition @ Pear Blossom Park at The Medford Commons: 6pm
• Live Music with H-Que BBQ @ Osmo’s Brewing: 6pm
• Rogue Comedy Underground @ Walkabout Brewing: 8pm – 9:30pm

Belmont Station (Portland) is hosting a release and meet the makers event for Native Oregonism, the collaboration beer from The Ale Apothecary and Culmination Brewing: “Meet the mad scientists who created Native Oregonism, a new collaboration from Ale Apothecary and Culmination. Paul Arney and members of the Culmination crew will be on hand to talk about the collaboration. We will have this new beer available to take home in bottles as well as enjoying on draft in the Biercafe!” This event takes place from 2 to 4:30pm, before Arney then goes over to Saraveza for the evening.

The Oregon Garden BrewCamp Fest (formerly the Oregon Garden Brewfest) kicks off on Friday at the Oregon Garden Resort in Silverton. Besides beer there will be a plethora of other activities this weekend, though of course with over 40 breweries pouring 80+ beers, you won’t be thirsty. Tickets start at $45 but look at the tickets page to find the right package/price for you.

Also in Silverton this weekend, Seven Brides Brewing is celebrating the release of Burgundia through Sunday: “Want to get your hands on some great beer without the Brew fest lines? Starting Thursday evening get your hands on the first bottle release of Seven Bride’s Burgundia! Limited price of $11 will get you your own bottle (or 2) of this NW Flanders Style Ale. As a bit of added fun come in this weekend and stamp your own small batch bottle your self! What is Burgundia you ask??? – A delightfully sour, fruity, red wine-like Belgianstyle ale with interesting supportive malt flavors and fruit complexity. The dry finish and tannin completes the mental image of a fine red wine.”

Coalition Brewing (Portland) is hosting the release of both Pineapple Upside Down and its Two Flowers IPA in cans starting at 3pm on Friday: “The lab results are in, and this beer is delicious! Join us at the brewery on Friday June 8th for our first official release of our Terpene Beer Series “Ensemble” in collaboration with our friends at True Terpenes! “Pineapple Upside Down” is a light crisp American Wheat Ale with the addition of Pineapple Express Terpenes! That’s not all!…. We are thrilled to announce that we will now have our Two Flowers CBD IPA in cans!! We have a limited supply, will be offering 4 pack 16oz cans @$24 WILL BE AVAILABLE AT COALITION BREWING ONLY! We will also will have some Pineapple Upside Down available in cans.”

Saturday, 6/16

Portland Beer Week events for Saturday include:

• Portland Beer and Cheese Festival at Culmination Brewing
• Snakebite Showdown at Widmer Brother Pub
• Beer Quest & Mini Beer Fest at StormBreaker Brewing
• Woodlawn Block Party at Breakside Brewery
• Lompoc Brewing Radler Release, Pig Roast, Fire Pit, and Beer Garden at 5th Quadrant
• Sour Solstice Sour Beer Festival at Imperial Bottle Shop (Division)
• Hoplandia Modern Times Tap Takeover
• For the Love of Lagers: pFriem & pFriends at Belmont Station

Medford Beer Week wraps up on Saturday, with the tenth annual Southern Oregon Craft Brew Festival as the finale on Saturday. “Southern Oregon’s premier craft brew festival takes place on June 16th, 2018 at Pear Blossom Park (the park block of the Medford Commons) in downtown Medford, Oregon. For 2018: Over 35 craft breweries and food by Fired Up, Wok Star, Peruvian Point & All Smoked Out BBQ. This year the festival is brought to you by Southern Oregon Subaru & Beerworks and pairing up this year as a Subaru Drive Safe Event.
$20 at the gate = pint glass & 8 tasting tickets.”

The rest of the MBW events are:

• Beer Lovers Appreciation @ Wild River Pizza: All Day
• Back Patio BBQ @ Grape Street Bar & Grill: 12pm – 4pm
• Selfie Saturday @ Walkabout Brewing: 2pm – 9pm

Reach Break Brewing (Astoria) has a barrel release on Saturday for Astoria Wild – Flavel: “Our first release in our indigenous microbe series! This wild ale was brewed with a yeast that is native to Astoria. It was aged in French Oak wine barrels for a year and then naturally carbonated. A light, crisp profile allows the wild yeast flavors to really shine through. The beer is unfruited, yet has elemental notes of ripe limes, honey, and stone fruit. A nice oak characteristic rounds out the beer’s finish. 6.1% abv (draft only)”

McMenamins 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop is hosting a Lanson Champagne Saturday Sampling from 2 to 4pm: “Come raise a glass of Lanson Champagne to salute the Barley Mill, McMenamins’ first pub. Happy Birthday, Barley Mill!”

…which segues into the fact that McMenamins Barley Mill Pub turns 35 on Saturday! “We’re celebrating just how the neon lights, Grateful Dead memorabilia, historic barley mill and iconic beer were symbolic of so much more to come from the brothers McMenamin. So in honor of 35 years of pubs and hotels; crafting beer, wine, spirits and more; restoring historic and community landmarks; and so much fun, we cheers you, our customers. We couldn’t have made it all this time without you. Join us for a Talkin’ in Bushels IPA (crafted with lore for this occasion), live music from Garcia Birthday Band, and get the Passport stamp.”

Baerlic Brewing (Portland) wants to teach you how beer is made with its Baerlic Beer School on Saturday: “This one-hour class offers participants an introduction to brewing, fermenting and cellaring beer. Attendees will be force fed as much beer knowledge as we can cram into 1 hour. You’ll learn about the four main brewing ingredients (and a proprietary 5th ingredient) and complete the class with a guided taster flight to fully wake up your beer sensors. By the time we’re done with ya, you’ll be a Grade A Baerlic BS’er! All classes are the 3rd Saturday of every month from 12p-1p. Cost: $20 per person.”

Sunday, 6/17 – Father’s Day

GoodLife Brewing (Bend) is celebrating seven years on Sunday! “It’s hard to believe but it’s already been 7 amazing years of GoodLife Brewing. We are having a huge party, as normal, for our 7th Anniversary and we hope you can join us. We’ll have lawn games, GoodLife Brewing merchandise, and food trucks on-site for your enjoyment! Mark it down on your calendar because you aren’t going to want to miss this!” Big congrats!

Coin Toss Brewing (Oregon City) is releasing Marionberry Porter on Sunday: “Celebrate Father’s Day with a pint of our newest beer, a light-bodied porter brewed with delicious Oregon marionberries.”

The final day of Portland Beer Week offers up:

• Snackdown! Brewer/Chef Pairing Party at The Evergreen above Loyal Legion
• Gnomes on Tabor: Beer Food and Magical Stories at Tabor Bread with Brewed by Gnomes
• Hangover Brunch at Wayfinder Beer
• Beer Symposium: Hazy IPA at The Upper Lip

N.W.I.P.A. (Portland) is hosting the release party for Critical Band from Modern Times Beer starting at 6pm Sunday: “Modern Times is saying farewell to Booming Rollers and hello to Critical Band. What better way to celebrate this release than with a record swap? Fathers Day means so much more with hazy and juicy IPA’s, vinyl records and a complimentary hot dog bar!”