Here is the news in Oregon beer for the week of March 31, 2014 (and the first week of April). I have organized this post with general news first and then items broken down by the day of the week, and I will be updating this post throughout the week with news as I find it. As always if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated here as well.

Full Sail Brewing (Hood River) announced last week that Beverage World Magazine named them “Craft Brewer of the Year” for 2014—kudos! The award is for 26 years of “sustainable stewardship, quality, consistency and operational ingenuity.” Full Sail is one of the consistently best breweries Oregon has to offer, so this is a well-deserved award.

Ninkasi Brewing (Eugene): They are offering an internship with Oregon State University for the college’s Brewery Startup Course this month. From the press release: “Oregon State University’s Craft Brewery Startup Workshop II, launching April 21, allows students to explore brewery startup by developing a business plan and receiving guidance on an entrepreneurial strategy. Ninkasi Brewing Company will host student(s) with the best plan for the opportunity of a lifetime–the chance to visit their facility in Eugene, Ore. and explore a brewery operation that began in 2006.” This is a great opportunity for folks attending the Workshop!

Tuesday, 4/1

Ecliptic Brewing (Portland) has their April Lunation dinner and beer pairing series starting at 6:30pm, with few spots remaining if you want to get in on it. It’s a four-course all inclusive dinner paired with matching Ecliptic beers, and costs $45 per person. With reservations required, call 503-265-8002 to see if you can secure a spot.

Cascade Brewing (Portland): Their Tap It Tuesday at the Barrel House at 6pm is featuring “Live” Noyaux (2013). “This NW style sour ale consists of various blond ales that were barrel aged up to 12 months then additionally aged for eight to 12 months on raspberries and apricot Noyaux. Soft sweet malts and subtle oak with hints of raspberries and vanilla are noticed as you draw the glass near. Raspberries and tart Noyaux dance on the palate and lead to a tart, dry finish of rose petals, almond and a lingering note of raspberries. 8.2% $8 Glass, $3 Taster”

Wednesday 4/2

Belmont Station (Portland) is hosting what they are dubbing “Game of Thrones Knerd Knight” from 5 to 8pm: “we are throwing a pre-func party to help all us nerds kick things off before the premiere on Sunday, April 6. In the Biercafé, we will be pouring both Ommegang’s new Game of Thrones Fire and Blood Red Ale and Game of Thrones Take the Black Stout plus Ninkasi Critical Hit Barley Wine and Dansk Viking Blod Mead. Purchase a flight of all four GOT-themed beverages and get an Ommegang Game of Thrones glass to take home! If you come dressed in character for our Game of Thrones night, you can also get a Game of Thones glass — perfect for sipping a favorite beverage from while you watch the premiere on Sunday night.” I wonder how many will appear in themed garb?

Thursday 4/3

Widmer Brothers (Portland): Widmer is kicking off their 30th anniversary with the grand re-opening of their Pub on Russell Street: “Widmer Brothers Pub has been closed in recent days for its first major remodel since it first opened in 1996. The remodel is part of a series of initiatives to celebrate the brewery’s 30th Anniversary. The public Grand Re-Opening Party takes place the day after the anniversary of the brewery’s official date of incorporation 30 years ago, which was on April 2, 1984. Come see what we’ve changed and celebrate the 30th with 24 beers on tap and a special 30th Anniversary menu for the night. We will be pouring many special and limited releases – including the first three releases in the 30 Beers for 30 Years series and a sneak peek of our recent collaboration with Boneyard Beer, Blacklight IPA.” It kicks off at 6pm.

Bend’s Broken Top Bottle Shop is teaming up with 10 Barrel Brewing to host an April Fools Brewers Dinner starting at 6pm on Thursday. It’s a plated family-style dinner that’s “Featuring 5 courses and 5 beers with surprising & unexpected beer pairings in honor of April Fools’ Day! & a brewer’s surprise beer!” It’s a nice-looking menu and tickets are $50 per person; swing by BTBS or call 541-728-0703 to see if you can get reservations.

McMenamins Old Church & Pub (Wilsonville) has a special beer tasting and meet the brewer kicking off at 5pm, featuring a beer dubbed Obama’s Blackberry: “A tip of the hat to our Beer-mander in Chief, Obama’s Blackberry is our Ruby wort fermented with Belgian Forbidden Fruit yeast and infused with blackberry puree. Forbidden Fruit gives the beer a distinct Belgian wit character adding depth and complexity to the beer. Expect notes of berry fruit and spice on this light and thirst quenching beer. You’ve had Ruby and Purple Haze, now it’s time for Obama’s Blackberry.”

The Bier Stein (Eugene) is hosting a Chateau Lorane mead tasting Thursday from 5 to 7pm. “Chateau Lorane rep Stuart will offer tastes and glass pours of the seven meads produced by Chateau Lorane– we encourage you to open your palate to this new experience!” Chateau Lorane is a winery that also produces meads.

McMenamins Fulton Pub (Portland) has a limited-edition beer tasting starting at 5pm featuring Cinnamon Porter. “This is a standard porter aged on cinnamon sticks. The cinnamon complements the rich chocolate flavor and bready sweet malt profile. Hops play a backup role in this beer, allowing the flavor of the cinnamon to dominate the aroma and flavor. Overall this beer has a pleasant sweet quality with a touch of spice from the cinnamon. Smooth, rich, and delicious!” It’s easy to go overboard with cinnamon, but this does sound good.

Friday, 4/4

Widmer Brothers and Bend’s Boneyard Beer teamed up to brew a collaboration beer to celebrated Widmer’s 30th anniversary—the first of six limited-edition collaborations they’ll be doing. Friday is the launch party celebration for Blacklight IPA taking place at Portland’s iconic Kelly’s Olympian starting at 7pm. Blacklight IPA is “a bold, hop-forward session style black ale… Brewers from both Widmer Brothers and Boneyard will be in attendance to answer questions and chat about the beer. Blacklight IPA will be poured alongside three Widmer Brothers beers and three Boneyard beers. The two breweries also teamed up with Kelly’s Olympian and LipPop Booking to present live music from RLLRBLL, Gallow Swings, and Downgown.”

Worthy Brewing (Bend): Their Firkin Friday kicks off today at 4pm with a special cask serving up $3 pints: today’s their Worthy IPA packed with Amarillo and Citra hops.

Saturday, 4/5

The Bier Stein on Saturday the 5th is hosting Anchorage Brewing for a special bottle tasting of their insane Deal with the Devil barleywine: “Anchorage Brewing is making waves far from home, and bringing some great brewing talent their way too. Deal With The Devil is a very strong (17.3%) barleywine aged in Cognac barrels. They only produced 150 cases of the beer, and sent one case our way with the stipulation that it be served in-house only. SO! We’ll be pouring 4 oz. tastes of Deal With The Devil. If you’re interested in some other Anchorage beer, we also just received Rondy Brew, a Saison bottled with Brettanomyces, and Between the Staves, a collaboration with Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project in Boulder, CO; it is a sour ale aged in Cognac barrels for 11 months. You can try any or all of these beers from the bottle, just visit the counter for a pour!”

Breakside Brewery (Portland) and 10 Barrel Brewing (Bend) are teaming up on Saturday for a fruit beer event at The Upper Lip above Bailey’s Taproom in Portland. The event is split into two sessions, $20 each, taking place from 11:30 to 1:30 and 2 to 4pm, respectively. “Eight 4oz pours with special cheese pairings from Steve Jones of the Cheese Bar.” Breakside will be pouring five beers, and 10 Barrel will have three (of their super popular “Crush” series). Go to the event page to pre-purchase your tickets.

Block 15 (Corvallis): Saturday they are releasing a “fresh batch of Sticky Hands and unique wild ale, Snozzberry… Bottles will be available at 11am when we open with a limit of 3 each.  Both beers will be on draught as well.” Sticky Hands is their “Hop Experience Ale” that’s 8.25% abv; Snozzberry is also 8.25% abv and is described as: “This wild ale was matured in French oak barrels with freshly pick snozzberries for five hundred days, three hours, and 15 seconds. This is an eccentric beer, at time showing notes of peach and strawberry, at other times mango and raspberry, sometimes farmhouse and blackberry, but always snozzberry.”