It’s another short week with the upcoming holiday, so I’m compressing the Oregon beer news roundup into this post which I will be updating periodically with the latest news and events. And, did you attend the AHA’s Homebrew Con in Portland this past weekend? What a great conference with a ton of great information—and beer! In fact if you attended Club Night there’s a chance you even drank a Cream Ale that I brewed. Now onto the news!

July is Oregon Craft Beer Month, as organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild. This is the 13th annual celebration, which aims to promote Oregon’s craft beer scene (even moreso than usual) and culminates with the Oregon Brewers Festival during the last full weekend of the month. Look for OCBM specials throughout the month, like at all McMenamins locations where they will celebrate with various tasting events and each week a different featured beer will be specially priced at $4.75 per pint — this week, Jam Session ISA is the highlight, and keep an eye out for fruit beers, IPAs, and more.

Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland) announced the first-ever Salmon-Safe IPA Festival, to take place on August 25 at the brewery’s original SE Powell Street location. This is a great idea for a brewfest and of course HUB should be heading it up. From the press release: “On August 25th, Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) the first-ever brewery to certify it’s brewery site as "Salmon-Safe," presents the inaugural Salmon-Safe IPA Festival at its SE Powell location. The Salmon-Safe IPA Festival is the first festival of it’s kind, bringing together 21 craft breweries from around the country – large and small – to make hop-forward beers that are all brewed with Salmon-Safe certified ingredients. The Salmon-Safe IPA Festival will be divided into two sessions. Session #1 is an all-ages session that runs from 12-4 pm, and Session #2 is 21+ and runs from 5-9 pm.” Mark your calendars for this one.

Portland’s Breakside Brewery announced the release of two new beers, Qualia and Fourth Wave, both barrel aged beers with different origins. From the press release: “Qualia is the second in Breakside’s new wood-aged sour beer series, simply dubbed “Breakside Sour.” 2018 is the first year that the brewery is releasing its award-winning, barrel-aged sour and wild beers to wide distribution. A result of a complex blending process and months of aging, Qualia is blended from 15 casks of mixed culture beers. Aged on mangoes after blending, it shows balanced acidity and a kiss of Brettanomyces. Fourth Wave is the result of two great loves of Oregonians: coffee and beer. Instead of a stout or porter, which more typically boast coffee flavors, Fourth Wave is an amber colored base beer that dovetails into flavors of a lightly roasted coffee. A Vienna-style coffee beer, this brew was made with a single-origin Stumptown Coffee (also based in Oregon) and aged 14 months in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels.” And, there will be three more sour beer releases in the Breakside Sour series before the end of the year.

July is also apparently Portland beer festival month, with several big brewfests taking place, the first of which is this weekend with the Portland Craft Beer Festival. This one takes place from Friday the 6th through Sunday the 8th, at the Fields Neighborhood Park in northwest Portland. “Only beers, plus ciders and wine, crafted within the city limits of Portland are featured at the PCBF which makes it unique and different from other beer festivals. PCBF is held annually the first full weekend in July, helping to kick off Oregon Craft Beer Month. We look forward to our next celebration of Portland craft beer Friday July 6th, Saturday July 7th, & Sunday July 8th, 2018. Tickets are now available through Bold Type Tickets.”

Monday, 7/2

No specific events or news that I’ve found yet, but look for the usual happy hours, specials, and locals nights at your favorite breweries and pubs nearby.

Tuesday, 7/3

Tuesdays are Community Pints days at Deschutes Brewery, where $1 from every pint sold is donated to a local non-profit organization at all Deschutes locations. For the month of July, the Bend locations are supporting Heart of Oregon Corps, and in Portland the Pub is supporting Shriners Hospitals for Children. Both excellent causes and worth your time to swing down to one of the locations and enjoy a pint or three to help out.

Wednesday, 7/4

Happy Fourth of July! Make sure to stock up on beer for the holiday, as many places will be closed.

Thursday, 7/5

Belmont Station (Portland) is welcoming Tumalo Cider Company for its Tangerine Cider release and tasting from 5 to 8pm: “Bend’s own Tumalo Cider is releasing its newest flavor: Tangerine! Come give it a try, and taste a handful of their other ciders: Raspberry Farmhouse, Ginger Oak and Dry.”

Friday, 7/6

The Bier Stein in Eugene is celebrating its 13th birthday with a Friday the 13th Anniversary Party on, er, Friday the 6th. (Yes, it does seem like holding the following Friday the 13th, even if that’s not technically the anniversary, would have been the obvious move…) “We are celebrating our 13th anniversary on Friday July 6th! When we first opened, the craft beer scene was still in it’s infancy, but as the years have passed The Bier Stein has grown in accordance with the tremendous expansion experienced throughout the beer industry. To say thank you for all of your support over the years we are offering up 13 classic craft beers that were available in 2005 at flashback pricing & since it is custom to celebrate a 13th anniversary with lace and fur, we encourage you to dress appropriately! Come grab a cheap pint and let the nostalgia of these classic, industry defining brews whisk you away to the glory days of craft beer.” Despite the date, big congrats to The Bier Stein, 13 years strong as simply one of the best beer bars around!

Saturday, 7/7

Silver Moon Brewing (Bend) is hosting its CAMP 97 Patio Party from 5 to 9pm Saturday evening: “Silver Moon Brewing & Cascadia Vehicle Tents are coming together to invite you to CAMP 97, a collaboration kickoff patio party on Saturday, July 7th! It’s your chance to check out the new collaborative can of IPA 97- CVT Edition, a limited summer release! This is the OFFICIAL Grand Opening of the new Silver Moon Patio! CVT-Cascadia Vehicle Tents will have some tents on display & friendly folks to give you the lowdown on rooftop tent camping. There will also be a raffle, food trucks, & live music by Corner Gospel Explosion! We’re also running our annual 4th of July weekend T-Shirt & Pint special! So much to come out for on a sunny Saturday in Bend! 5-9pm. Kids & furry children welcome!”

The Sasquatch Brew Fest takes place Saturday at The Bier Stein in Eugene, the annual event honoring the late Glen Hay Falconer which raises money for non-profits and brewing education. “A large portion of the proceeds will be provided to the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, a non-profit organization staffed by Glen’s family with a mandate to support craft brewing by providing brewing scholarships. Additional funds obtained from the beer bash will be presented by the Northwest Legends Foundation to Eugene-based non-profit organizations – again – in memory of Glen.” Cost is $10 to attend.

McMenamins 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop (Portland) is hosting a cider tasting with Woodbox Cider on Saturday from 2 to 4pm.

Santiam Brewing (Salem) is hosting Rock The Cask Bar 2018, a cask ale fest all day long: “Celebrate our 6th year with us at Santiam Brewing at our annual Rock The Cask Bar cask ale festival, with Live music, cask ales and BBQ. Music in a 40’x80’ tent on the rear courtyard.” In addition to Santiam, the following other attendee cideries and breweries are listed: Bauman’s Cider, Machine House Brewery, Conversion Brewing, Calapooia Brewing Company, Plank Town Brewing Company, Brewers Union Local 180, Bine Valley Brewing, Anthem Cider, Ratchet Brewery. Should be a fun day!