Today is the first day of spring! Time to break out the springtime beers—whatever those might be for you. Here’s the Oregon beer news to kick off the season for this Tuesday, March 20; as usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest news. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted too.

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): Tuesdays are Community Pints days at the Deschutes locations, where $1 from every pint of beer sold is donated to a local non-profit. The Bend pub and tasting room locations are benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of Bend today, and in Portland the pub is donating to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon and SW Washington. It’s a good day to stop by your local and enjoy a pint or three to help out!

McMenamins Old St. Francis School (Bend) is hosting its Friends and Family Night fundraiser this evening, benefiting Bend’s Mountain View High School robotics team, the High Desert Droids. “On Friends and Family Nights, bring everyone you know out for burgers, beers, wine, cocktails, salads, sandwiches, tater tots, the day’s specials and more – because at the end of the night, 50% of the evening’s total sales are donated to the beneficiary! The more you order, the more is earned for a good cause!” If you’re in Bend tonight, this is a great cause to get behind with a generous donation by McMenamins—get some dinner and drinks tonight!

Other McMenamins locations are hosting Friends and Family Night benefits today as well—hit the events page for details, but the quick list is John Barleycorns, McMenamins Corvallis, the High Street Brewery, and the Broadway Pub. All good causes are being supported if you’re in those areas tonight.

Oregon City Brewing is hosting its Charity Pint Night tonight starting at 5pm, benefiting Providence Cancer Center: “Let’s help beat cancer! Our Charity Pint Night for Tues. March 20 is the Providence Cancer Center, a leading innovator in cancer research and treatment. From 5 pm to Close, $1 from every OCB pint, taster tray, soda, crowler or growler sold will go toward helping combat this terrible disease. Join us for a great cause, and Cheers, Pioneers!”

The Dalles’ Sedition Brewing has its Liquid Education – Beer School taking place today, starting at 5:30pm. “Want to learn more about the beverage we know and love, craft beer? This free event is a great way to stop in and sample a few of our offerings while learning about the beer, process, and the brewer behind the beer. We’ll see you there!”

Full Sail Brewing (Hood River) is releasing two of its Session beers in 19.2 ounce cans—the core Lager and Sesiόn Cerveza. That makes these particluar beers available in three packaged formats now—11 ounce stubby bottles, 12 ounce cans, and now 19.2 ounce cans.

Cascade Brewing (Portland): Tonight’s Tap It Tuesday at the Barrel House at 6pm is featuring The Redwood: “sour red and double red ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to 16 months with cinnamon, ginger and cacao nibs. Woody notes of cinnamon, oak, ginger and anise are balanced by flavors of currants, roasted malts and dried cherries from the red ales, finishing with a soft chocolate undertone. Ginger root, cinnamon bark, cacao seeds, red ales and oak barrels combine to build the mighty Redwood.”

The Bier Stein (Eugene) is hosting an afterparty to the Bigfoot Beverages trade show tonight from 8 to 10pm: “In honor of the Bigfoot Beverages annual trade show, we’ve got a BIG taplist lined up! There will be brewery reps holding a reverse raffle & giving out swag throughout the night!”