Happy Wednesday! I hope your week is going well so far and you’ve been enjoying some fresh hop beers—I finally had my first two yesterday. There’s more fresh hop news below to take note; and of course I will be updating this post throughout the day with the latest news as I find it, so check back in from time to time.

The Portland Fresh Hop Pop-Up Beer Fest begins today! Located at Burnside Brewing, it’s “a temporary covered outdoor beer garden featuring ten rotating taps of 100% fresh hop beer, an outdoor fire pit, boombox and Oktoberfest-style food specials with no cover charge and $5 beers with $3 half pours with $13 growler fills to-go on Sundays.” There will be special tappings each day, and today’s kickoff taplist features:

1. Little Beast: Fresh Hop Fera
2. Hopworks: Fresh Hop Totally Chill IPA
3. Ex Novo: FH Eliot with Amarillos
4. Deschutes: FH Mirror Pond
5. Stormbreaker: Handfuls of Fresh Hops
6. Level Beer: FH Oktöberfest
7. Culmination: FH Phaedrus IPA
8. Baerlic Brewing: Milo (FH barrel fermented Saison)
9. Ancestry: Amarillo Fresh Hop
10. Burnside Brewing: Fresh Hop

McMenamins Thompson Brewery (Salem) has its limited-edition beer tasting today, featuring a specialty offering from brewer Jen Kent. The beer that will be pouring tonight from 5 to 7pm isn’t listed, but it’s sure to be something interesting (and would be great if it were a fresh hop beer!).

Corvallis Beer Week continues today, with the following events:

• Fried Chicken Night & Tremors 2 at Greenberry Tavern starting at 6pm, with Block 15 Brewery.
• Doubles Cribbage Tournament at The Downward Dog Tavern from 6 to 8:30pm.
• Haze Daze IPA Fest at Fifth Street Growlers starting at 7pm.
• Beer Week BINGO! at The Downward Dog Cafe with Oakshire Brewing, from 8 to 10pm.

Boneyard Beer (Bend) is going to release a fresh hop beer this year! From Monday the 10th: “We’re brewing up our first ever fresh hopped IPA! Brewer Randin brought home 200+ lbs of Yakima Valley fresh Citra. Stoked is an understatement!”

Bailey’s Taproom (Portland) is bringing a bit of Oktoberfest to town by hosting the release of Chuckanut Brewery’s Oktoberfest today: “That time of year is upon us. Join us and the folks from Chuckanut at 5PM on 9/12 when they release their 2018 Oktoberfest! Stop in, meet the owners and check out this year’s Oktoberfest beer release along with some additional tasty Chuckanut selections.”

Portland’s Wayfinder Beer teamed up with Modern Times and Heater Allen Brewing to collaborate on an Italian-style pilsner that is being released today: “Pils+Love, started in Italy, is an international beer festival that celebrates all things pilsner from around the world. While pouring our beers and trying others, we schemed up a plan to make a new pilsner. Lisa from Heater Allen, Andrew and Tim from Modern Times, and Kevin from Wayfinder were blown away with some of the new school pilsners brewed in Italy right now. They’re crazy expressive new-world riffs on German-style pilsners, typically dry-hopped with modern Euro hops. Taking some hints from the Italians, we hopped this with 2#/bbl of spice heavy German hops; Spalt Select and Tettnanger. Then we dry-hopped it with Polaris and more Tettnanger, krausened with fresh Czech Pils wort, spunded and cold-conditioned to perfection.  Come down and have a beer with the brewers as we grill oysters on the patio.” The release takes place at Wayfinder starting at 5pm.

The Bier Stein (Eugene) is Tapping Into Community today with Hop Valley Brewing to benefit Healthy Moves from 5 to 8pm: “On September 12th we will be tapping a keg of Hop Valley’s Bubble Stash and all proceeds from this keg will benefit Healthy Moves! Stop by to support this great cause and enjoy a tasty brew! Healthy Moves is a nonprofit organization bringing movement, fitness and fun to elementary students. Due to school budget cuts, many physical education programs have been eliminated. Healthy Moves trainers work with students and their teacher to demonstrate fitness activities and provide a model for the teacher to use in future PE classes. Healthy Moves provides fitness formats that can be used by all teachers of grades one through five.”

Wild Ride Brewing (Redmond) has its first fresh hop beer going on tap today: “Our first fresh hop beer of the season is ready for you! Northbound and Down Fresh Hop Kolsch will be pouring in the Tap Room on Wednesday!”

Portland’s Ecliptic Brewing announced this week that the brewery packaging is transitioning to 500ml bottles, scaling back from 22-ounce bottles. (Cans remain unchanged.) From the press release: “The transition to 500ml for all of the series will begin in September. John Harris, Ecliptic Brewing Owner and Brewmaster, said he is very excited to be moving to this format. “Transitioning from 22oz to 500ml bottles is on trend with the what we are seeing in the industry. The new bottles will provide a single serving size to our consumers at a lower price point.” The 500ml format has become increasingly popular. It makes the beer bottle more approachable for the consumer and easier to finish in a single sitting. Ecliptic’s “All the Time” beer series, which includes Orbiter IPA, Carina Peach Sour Ale, and Capella Porter, will be the first bottles released. Their “Special Release” and “Reserve” series will follow later in the year.”

Mt. Hood Brewing (Government Camp) has its fresh hop beer on tap (one which I was fortunate to try yesterday): “Introducing Tucker Sno-Kitten India Session Ale, our first FRESH HOP ale of the season on tap in GOVY! From the brewer: Loads of fresh grapefruit! Resin from the fresh hops coat the mouth to let you know that these hops are raw. We built a base of Pilsner malt with some malted rye to carry the freshly picked Strata hops from Goshie Farms, and kept it light to let them shine. 4.4% ABV”

Silver Falls Brewery (Silverton) has its Oktoberfest beer on tap: “We are proud to announce our own FestBier for Oktoberfest! With 5.7% ABV, an IBU of, and Plato level of 13.5 Degrees, this golden lager is light in body and sweet with malty aroma and taste with dry finish. The hops we used lend to the herbal and floral aroma and slight bitterness which will have your mouth begging for another sip.”

Eugene’s Manifest Beer Company is releasing several beers, includings its seasonal harvest mash-up, tomorrow: “Join us tomorrow @publichousehub we’ll have on Highly Recommended IPA (pictured) Fresh Hop Pumpkin Sour 🎃, and Peach Prince (Hoppy Belgian table beer dry hopped with mosaic open fermented with @oregonfruitfermentation peaches). Well also be giving away manifest Decals and raffling shirts and hats!”

Pono Brewing (Portland) announced the return/release of its Space Force Mango back on tap today: “That crazy delicious Hazy Mango IPA is back. 54 IBU’s hit just right and the mango is a perfect fruit compliment offering a tiny touch of sweetness as well as texture. But not too much! In the words of our brewmaster @pono_larry “we don’t make Kool-Aid beers”. Until the fresh hop Earth came out yesterday this had been our fastest beer to sell out after release. You want some you better hustle!”

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): The Bend Pub has tapped its latest fresh hop beer today! “JUST TAPPED: Fresh Hop Strata Gose. IBU: 9 ABV: 4.4%. BREWERS NOTES: Fresh Goschie Farms, Inc. Strata hope were added post fermentation. Sour with slight salty notes and bright citrus fresh hop character throughout. This is how we pre-shift not only hump day but every day. Get you share of this fresh hop pub exclusive before it’s gone!” Yes, you read that style right.