Happy Thursday! I hope your day and week have been going well, and the weekend is in site. Here’s the Oregon beer news to help us get there; as usual I’ll be updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest news.

The Platypus Pub in Bend is hosting a beer tasting with Craft Kitchen & Brewery from 5 to 7pm: “Come down to Platypus from 5-7pm for a tasting and more! We will have a great selection and fun giveaways. If you haven’t tried our beer, now is a great chance.”

The Upper Lip at Bailey’s Taproom (Portland) is hosting a Perennial Artisan Ales showcase today from 5 to 8pm: “Join us Thursday, February 7th to taste through some limited offerings from Perennial Artisan Ales. Owner of Perennial, Emily Wymore, will be in attendance to chat about the brewery and the beers featured below.” The beers listed are Pilot Talk NEIPA, Funky Wit Melon, La Cosecha, Sump Coffee Stout, Sump Coffee Stout: Ethiopian Roba, Abraxas , Free Verse Saison, and Ancient Names Saison.

The 6th Tetherow Brewery Smackdown takes place tonight, starting at 5:30pm in Bend; I posted details this morning here. Crux Fermentation Project and Silver Moon Brewing team up to face off against Wild Ride Brewing and Boneyard Beer is a five-course beer pairing dinner, where participants get to vote on the favorite beer—blind tasting style, of course!

The Bier Stein (Eugene) is hosting Texas’ Jester King Brewery for the release of its Spon all day today: “We are putting Jester King Spon Raspberry & Cherry and the Spon 3 year blend on our shelves. This is the first time that Spon has ever left Jester King’s home in Austin, TX. These bottles are a little spendy, so we are offering them to you at cost and encouraging you to use the buddy system while enjoying them. Per the brewery’s request, they are available for in house consumption only, so don’t get any ideas about resale or some crazy beer trades. We will also feature 4 tasty brews on draft; Vague Recollection, Colonel Toby, Kollaborationsbier, and La Vie en Rose.”

Lompoc Brewing (Portland) announced today the dates of its returning Black Out Beer Fest and Chowder Challenge, both taking place the first weekend in March: “The weekend of March 1 and March 2, Lompoc Brewing will hold two of its most popular events at the brewery, located at 3901 N Williams Ave. On Friday, March 1, the 7th annual Black Out Beer Fest will take place from 4pm to 10pm; and on Saturday, March 2, the 12th Chowder Challenge returns from Noon to 3pm (or until chowders run out).” Mark your calendars; more to come.

Portland Cider Company announced plans for its 6th anniversary coming up next month: “One of Oregon’s original cidermakers, Portland Cider Co. will celebrate six years in the industry this March, and the cider house is celebrating with an anniversary party featuring cider sampling, live music, tours, a photo booth, a charity raffle, and a special anniversary bottle release. The event will take place on Saturday, March 9, from 3pm to 9pm at the Clackamas Pub & Cidery, located at 8925 SE Jannsen Rd, Bldg. F. The event is open to the public and all ages are welcome. Admission is free; in order to sample the more than two dozen ciders on tap, patrons can purchase a package with a commemorative anniversary glass and 12 drink tickets for $20. Cider cost four drink tickets per pint, or $6 per pint without the commemorative glass. Advance tickets may be purchased HERE (Merctickets.com) or at the door; advanced tickets include an extra two drink tickets.”

Cascade Lakes Brewing (Redmond) has added a date coder to its canning line: “New day new toy in the Brewery! Excited to announce the addition of a Date Coder to our canning line for increased quality assurance. Every customer should know just how fresh their beer is!”