The 12th annual Cheers to Belgian Beers festival returns to Portland this weekend, taking place Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2 at The North Warehouse on North Tillamook Street.

CTBB is one of the better “themed” beer festivals out there, in which most beers present are brewed using the same Belgian yeast strain; participating breweries determine the color (light or dark) and strength (low or high ABV, naturally) based on a dart throw. Depending on where the dart lands, they will brew a beer appropriately (“amber” is the midpoint color, and 6% is the midpoint ABV).

This year’s yeast is Precious, described in the press release as “a classic Belgian yeast that features a very mild phenolic character balanced with moderate fruitiness.” New this year, brewers had the option to “add a secondary aging strain, Suburban Brett, a brettanomyces yeast that shines when used in wood barrels, producing complex and balanced aromas of sour cherry and dried fruit.”

The full list of breweries and the beers they brewed is available online here.

And of course, since I’m based in Bend, I received notice of the Central Oregon breweries that are participating:

Of the 70+ breweries taking part, three are from the Bend-area: Crux Fermentation Project will serve Pilot Butte Pilz, an Imperial Pilsner; Immersion Brewing will pour Mighty Madi, a Belgian Style Tripel; and Redmond’s Wild Ride Brewing will bring Wild & Scenic Saison, an Amber Saison.

An Imperial Pilsner from Crux using Precious Belgian yeast? Different (though I note the ABV is only 6.7%).

Cost is $20 which gets you the glass and eight drink tickets (admission itself is free); additional tickets are four for $5. You can pre-purchase online.

Finally, this year’s CTBB benefits a great cause:

The festival is donating $1 from every ticket package sold to House That Beer Built, a partnership between Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East and the local craft beer industry. This exciting new collaboration celebrates the strength and creativity of Oregon’s craft beer industry, along with its passion for community involvement. Participating breweries and businesses pledge to raise funds with the goal of collectively raising $75,000 to fully sponsor a home for a Portland family.

It’s a great way to start off the month of June, so if you haven’t already, plan accordingly and enjoy a great lineup of Belgian-styled beers.