Welcome to a new week! Here’s the Oregon beer news to kick off this Monday, January 14; as usual I’ll be updating this post periodically throughout the day with news as I find it, so check back often. And if you have news to share please feel free to contact me.

Mazama Brewing (Corvallis): Its Dark Days Winter Ale Fest returns this Saturday, January 19, starting at 2pm at the brewery: “Warm up at Mazama for our 6th annual Dark Days Winter Ale Fest with unique barrel aged and winter beers, ciders, and meads from local craft producers. Drinks will be flowing in the Mazama brewery, taproom, and heated outdoor tent. Take advantage of the free shuttle that will pick up every half hour downtown and on campus. Food will be available for purchase from a local food vendor. The event is open to anyone 21 + over only.” Cost is $30 and you can pre-purchase tickets here.

There are a couple of McMenamins festivals this Saturday as well. First up, the 6th annual High Gravity Brewfest at the Old St. Francis School in Bend: “Hefty, powerful, bold. BIG. However you describe high-gravity beers, these extraordinary brews are intensely flavorful – and we’ll be sampling plenty of them, plus unique ciders from Pacific NW breweries and cideries. And you’ll definitely want to try a brand-new collaboration series of featured beers by McMenamins Old St. Francis brewers & friends. Linger by the outdoor fire, listen to live music and taste the night away!” It goes from 1 to 8pm and costs $25 for the glass and 12 tokens.

And in Hillsboro, the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse is hosting its annual Wassail Cider Fest from 2 to 9pm: “Join us as we celebrate Cider with the British tradition of the blessing of the apple trees and Wassail Festival. Cider tasting with more than 20 local Cider houses, 48 different ciders, live music and parade to “toast” the apple trees.” Cost is $25 in advance, $28 at the door, which includes 10 tickets for tasting.

pFriem Family Brewers (Hood River) announced today that the brewery is joining the canned revolution with its Pilsner and IPA will be available in cans in early March. “Six packs of IPA will retail for $11.99 while Pilsner will retail for $10.99. The brewery has upgraded its facility and enhanced its infrastructure to make way for canning. The team expects annual barrelage for cans to be around 5,000 barrels in 2019. To meet that production level as well as to continue to grow its draft and 500ml bottle production, the brewery will be expanding its Hood River facility in 2019.”

10 Barrel Brewing (Bend): Both of the company’s Bend pubs are closed today for its annual company party, and will be back open tomorrow.

Likewise, Bend’s Broken Top Bottle Shop is also closed today for cleaning and its employee appreciation party.

Portland Cider announced the return of its seasonal Concord Grape cider today, slated to hit the taps and shelves on the 17th: “A blend of 100 percent Northwest apple cider and freshly-pressed Northwest Concord grapes, this royal purpled-colored cider is the crowning jewel of Portland Cider’s seasonal releases. Portland Cider Co. will celebrate the release with a “Grape Gatsby” party at both its Portland-area pubs on Thursday, Jan. 17, from 4pm to 9pm. The event will feature two cider cocktails with a Roaring Twenties theme, and guests who show up in dapper and flapper duds will receive a special discount. Portland’s Concord Grape Cider originated as a collaboration project made with Waz Wu, chapter director of Veganizer Portland, for the Willamette Week Beer & Cider Pro-Am in October 2017. The collaboration cider took home the People’s Choice award at the event, and Portland Cider started bottling it soon after.”

Portland Brewing teamed up with the Unipiper to brew a collaboration beer, Unipiper Hazy IPA, which will be released soon. Keep an eye out for more details.

Old Standby Brewing (Salem) has a new beer on tap, a classic lager: “Patience pays off—after 6 weeks the German Pils is ready, showcasing @weyermann_specialty_malts and all noble spicy & herbal German hops with a light sulfur nose from a blend of yeast from Germany and @imperialyeast 4.9%-34IBU”