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Celebrating Oregon Beer
Your fortnightly round-up of all the beer and hop news from the Beaver State.
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Last night the beers of Oregon Homegrown debuted at The BeerMongers. Six of the fifteen beers were on tap: Block 15, de Garde, Evasion, Ferment, Von Ebert, and Wayfinder. It was really fun to try them all side by side and begin to get a sense of the "Deep Cut" Cascades. One of the flavor notes Crosby mentioned was "mandarin orange," and that was coming through loud and clear. You'll have to try them and let us know what you think.
You can find more information about the project the full list of beers and breweries here. Be sure to visit them individually if that's handy, and note the tap takeovers coming up:
We have a lot of events coming up, so let's get to it--
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- News -
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Oak Union's New Taproom
Three-year old Oak Union has been winning awards and converts, but has had to do it without a place to call home. Until now. The brewery announced it had found a place in Milwaukie, which is becoming quite the brewery hotspot.
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Westwood Tours
Westwood Farms, one of two Willamette Valley barley growers, is offering farm tours June through early July. Join them for a guided farm tour and see firsthand how barley is grown, maintained, and prepared for its journey into malt and beyond. Tours are open to the public.
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Schlitz Calls it Quits
Once the largest brewery in the US, Schlitz has been a brand of Pabst for 27 years. But soon it will be gone for good. Wisconsin Brewing Co. brewed the last 80-barrel batch on Saturday.
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Breakside on TV
It's always cool to see a brewery make the local TV. Last week, Breakside got its closeup after winning more medals than any other brewery at the World Beer Cup. Brewer Ben Edmunds went on Hello Rose City to discuss the feat.
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Timber Pils Debuts
Widmer Brothers Brewing has announced the launch of Timbers Pils, a German-style Pilsner brewed as the official craft beer of the Portland Timbers. The beer is available everywhere--including Providence Park!
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Plan Now for Fresh Hop Season
In just less than three months, Oregon's hop growers will begin harvesting thousands of acres of their little emerald cones and soon after that fresh hop season will begin. It's one of the most amazing moments on the beer calendar anywhere in the world. By mid-September, hundreds of fresh hop beers will be populating taplists around the state, and locals will go into a lupulin-fueled frenzy. You shouldn't miss it.
What Are Fresh Hops?
The flowers that scent and flavor beer won’t store unless they’ve been dried in a kiln. But like any herb or flower, drying a hop changes its chemical structure, and therefore its flavors. Think of the difference between fresh and dried basil. The problem is, it’s very hard to capture that “fresh” essence, because every hour a hop is separated from the bine, its essential acids and oils break down. Only in places like Oregon can breweries pick up fresh hops and race them back to their waiting whirlpools and conditioning tanks before they've wilted. And this isn't just a gimmick. Fresh hops taste different than conventional hops, with a "green" vibrancy that seems to electrify the beers. It's really something to experience.
When to Come
Labor Day marks the real start of the season, but you’ll find the greatest number of fresh-hop beers between the middle of September and the first week of October. If you’re scheduling a visit, mid-to-late September is ideal; Oregon’s weather is usually nice, most of the fresh hop beers are still very fresh, and that’s when the festivals and pop-ups start.
Because fresh hop season arrives after summer travel, many out-of-state beer fans miss it. At least once in your life, you should trek to Oregon to witness (and taste) this season. The good thing is that room rates are lower, and the traffic has settled down. So mark it on your calendar and make 2026 and come experience some of the best beers in the world.
More reading:
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- Upcoming Events -
Please send us all your upcoming event information at the following email so we can include them in our weekly roundups: events@celebrateoregonbeer.com.
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Eugene Beer Week
Eugene Beer Week will feature beer tastings, brewer's dinners, special bottle releases, a home brew competition, and more. The week, which runs from May 29-June 7th, culminates with the Sasquatch Brewfest
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Pouring at the Coast
The coast is calling and the craft beer is pouring! Join the fun Sat, May 30 in Seaside for an unforgettable day filled with amazing breweries, live music, ocean air, and great people: 32 craft beers, 16 breweries, land live music all day.
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Salmon Safe Festival
Join the nonprofit Salmon Safe for a family-friendly food, beer, and cider event at Alchemy Cider Co. on Sunday, May 31st. Proceeds from the event benefit Salmon Safe, an organization promoting better farming practices to keep our watersheds safe and healthy.
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Public Coast's 10th
On Sat, June 6th, celebrate Public Coast's 10th anniversary. This day-long event will include a beach pick-up followed by live music, anniversary beers, and food specials.
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Grand Lodge Brewfest
On Sat, June 6, McMenamins Grand Lodge is hosting a celebration of beer, cider, wine, spirits and more at the 4th Annual Grand Lodge Brewfest. Bring your blanket or lawn chair, grab some food and enjoy an evening of specialty beverages and live music.
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Soccer Fest 2026
Away Days, the soccer-obsessed brewery that also makes great session beer,s is welcoming the World Cup to North America with Soccer Fest, June 11-July 19. They will transform the US National Bank Building in downtown Portland into the ultimate World Cup fan fest.
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Six weeks, daily matches, one giant screen with hundreds of fans. DJs, games, pop-ups, merch and of course beer flowing from the taps.
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Elements of Hip Hop
Gigantic is debuting a new event on Sat, June 13 at their brewery--a full-day celebration of hip hop culture featuring local MCs, DJs, breakdancing, live graffiti art, food vendors, and beer. The brewery is excited to showcase Portland hip hop's creativity and energy with a stacked lineup of local talent.
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Lupulin Ecstasy
On Saturday, June 13, Lupulin Ecstasy returns. Fort George's summer IPA festival features beer from the world's best hop-forward brewers, live music, food, all on the the grounds of the historic Flavel Mansion in Astoria.
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MadCow's 5th
MadCow Brewing Company will celebrate five years of its Gresham taproom and nine years of brewing on Sat June 13, with an anniversary party featuring a special beer release, commemorative glassware, food truck, merchandise, giveaways, and more.
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Occidental's 15th
On Sat June 13th, Occidental turns 15 and it's throwing a party featuring live music, giveaways and merriment. As a thank you for years of loyal support, Occidental will roll back to the price of a 2011 pint: $4. The brewery will release “Quindici” Italian Pilsner as an anniversary treat.
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Great Notion's 10th
Join Great Notion on Saturday, June 27th at their NW 28th location for an anniversary blowout featuring 40+ beers on tap, a Beastie Boys tribute band, food, games, dirty soda bar for the kids and some of the rarest barrel-aged beers they've ever released.
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