Newest Fest of the Season: Cans

It used to be that there was nothing between the Spring Beer Fest and the kegger at the park (OBF). But then came the International Beerfest to break things up. A few years later it was the Organic Beer Fest. Now it looks like Ezra has carved out a regular spot for the Fruit Beer Fest. Can we handle one more? Why not. This weekend, the Cans Beer Fest debuts at the Guild.

I don't actually care that much about the cans phenomenon roaring through craft world. Cans are fine, and I appreciate their several virtues (they're eco-friendly, lightweight, keep beer fresh and shielded from damaging light, and have a retro chic you have to admire)--but after all, it's just packaging. I care more about the beer inside, and what attracts me to this fest is the beer list. Because Oregon is so beer-rich, we don't have a lot of fests that key on non-Oregon beer. This is the Cans Fest's strength. In addition to some of the usual suspects (Caldera, Oskar Blues, Maui), there are quite a few breweries I've never or only rarely had the pleasure of encountering:

• Avery (Boulder, CO)
• Central City (Surrey, BC)
• Kenai River (Soldotna, AK)
• SanTan (Chandler, AZ)
• Ska (Durango, CO)
• Two Beers (Seattle)
• Uncommon Brewers (Santa Cruz, CA)

Most of the breweries will offer a few beers, and the final list includes 35 beers from 18 breweries. The full line-up is here. As a bonus, Natian Brewing will have cans of La Luz Summer Session (a misnomer for this booming 6.2% beer).

All the details can be found on the stylish poster, which is readable if you click to enlarge.