It’s the end of the month, so I hope everyone is ready for June! Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Thursday, May 31; as usual, I will periodically update this post throughout the day with news items as I find them. If you have any news to share please let me know and I’m happy to get it posted.

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): At the Bend Pub today Deschutes is releasing a special beer brewed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act (joining a number of other Central Oregon breweries to do so): Riverbank Bock. “Riverbank Bock IBU: 40 | ABV 7.8% – Cleaner lager, malt forward with balanced bitterness, light notes of toast with a slightly herbal finish. This Bond Street Exclusive was brewed by Robin Johnson with the ruggedly beautiful scenery of our namesake in mind.” From 6 to 9pm, the celebration is free to attend and will feature live music as well.

McMenamins Lighthouse Brewpub (Lincoln City) is holding a limited-edition beer tasting today from 5 to 8pm, featuring High Council Porter: “This unique variation of Silly Willy Chocolate Porter got an addition of French Oak soaked in McMenamins High Council Brandy. This contribution provides a wonderful explosion of flavors on top of the already silky smooth nature of this beer. Please enjoy a pint or two. The High Council approves.” Sounds like the perfect beer for the Oregon Coast.

And then Portland’s McMenamins Hillsdale Brewery has its own limited-edition tasting tonight as well, featuring Papantla Stout: “Papantla is the name of the city in Mexico where vanilla was first discovered. It was cultivated by the ancient Totonacs, who had a tale of how the plant came to be. It’s said that an unruly king slain two lovers, one of them his own daughter, and the first vanilla plant sprouted in the place where blood soaked the ground. This Stout was endowed with that very vanilla, raspberries and cinnamon.”

Block 15 Brewery (Corvallis): The latest email newsletter has details about the June packaged beer release coming up this Saturday: “Join us at our Tap Room on Saturday, June 2, for the release of our first seasonal IPA in cans (Fresh Flow) alongside a pair of bottled offerings out of our wild program (Turbulent Consequence, Pêche and Apricot Canary). Release beers will be available to purchase when the Tap Room doors open at 11:30am.” Fresh Flow IPA is 6.5% ABV, priced at $12.50 / 4-pack, plus deposit (limit 1 case); Turbulent Consequence, Pêche is 7% ABV, priced at $11.50 / 500mL bottle, limit 2 bottles; and Apricot Canary is 6.5% ABV, priced at $11 / 500mL bottle, limit 2 bottles.

Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider (Portland): At the tasting room today, Rev Nat’s and Groundwork Coffee Company are releasing their collaboration cider, Electric Red Sour Cherry Cider: “The Reverend dug deep on this one, crafting a special cider that’s been aged on Groundwork Coffee’s Bitches Brew blend. The taste? Oh, just a semi-sweet dark chocolate-cherry cake, drizzled with a dark-roasted coffee finishing glaze, ending with a kick of ghost-chili spice surprise to round out the profile. The aroma? Funny you should ask: Dark chocolate, cherry, and coffee-roast smokiness with subtle caramel notes. To kick things off, for every Electric Red cider sold at Reverend Nat’s Tasting Room during its first week on tap, May 31 to June 7, $1 will be donated to the Cafe Femenino Foundation. Cheers!” Worth getting over there to check it out and help raise some money.