Key Events During Oregon Craft Beer Month

Oregon Craft Beer month is now underway--to less fanfare than usual.  Perhaps this is the inevitable result of every month looking like craft beer month in Oregon.  Nevertheless, there are a few important events to put on the calender, and they are these:

World Beer Congress, July 28-August 1
For some reason, this event has been flying a bit under the radar, and yet it is a big-ass deal.  The congress only happens every four years, and this year it'll be in Portland from July 28-August 1. A lot of the events are not for Joe Beergeek (Beer Canning and Double Seaming Technology), but there is one thing that might attract your attention: Beer Steward Seminar.  This is a program designed in part by our own Karl Ockert, who writes: "It is aimed towards educating the beer professionals who handle, sell and promote good beer and we have trained almost 1500 wholesalers, retailers, brewers (and beer writers) in the 18 months since we started."  I've written about this before, and I am psyched to attend the session and see what they've come up with.

Puckerfest, July 13-19
Belmont Station's annual ode to tart kicks off on Friday (just as I leave town for the weekend--@#$%!!).  I alert you particularly to Friday the 13th, when Oakshire's Skookumchuck makes a showing and Saturday, July 14, when Cantillon--now rare--has its day.  The schedule is here, and truth be told, every day is going to be a winner with rare, lovely beers. 

PIB (July 20-22) and OBF (July 26-29)
Forces of nature about which oceans of ink have been writ.  Note the dates and the beers: PIB and OBF

Saraveza's Imperial IPA Fest, July 22
Beyond the title, which mostly says it all, I give you a few of the more exotic entrants: Block 15 Blockhead, Deschutes Jedeye, Fort George Bad Juju, and Ninkasi Babylon.

Fred Eckhard's Beer and Cheese Tasting, July 24
The twentieth annual, at Flanders Rogue at 5 pm.  Call 503-222-5910 for deets.


For the full list of events, check out the Oregon Brewers Guild.