Two Exciting Events This Weekend!
There are too many awesome beer events happening to mention them all on this blog. (Though if you want all the events and beer news in Oregon, sign up at this link—the Celebrate Oregon Beer newsletter is a fantastic resource.) That said, I would be a fool not to mention the ones I’m actually involved with—and I have a couple of dandies this weekend.
Friday (9/19) - Fresh Hops & Fresh off the press
We have a fun, multimedia night of hops planned. The event has been scheduled to coincide with fresh hop season and the release of a new hand-printed poster of nine “Iconic American Hops.” Starting at 7pm, we’re going to do a panel discussion about hops, fresh and otherwise, with the brewmaster and master brewer of Gigantic (Van Havig and Ben Love), hop grower Max Coleman, Dave Selden, and me. You may recall Dave from a poster he created about beer glassware. Like that poster, this one is hand-inked and printed on a 1909 letterpress print. (It is, 🤫, actually cooler than the glassware poster—you can glean something from the pic above—but I can say no more at this time.)
Gigantic will have four fresh hop beers on tap: Fresh Hop Pilsner (US Tettnanger), Fresh Hop IPA (Centennial hops), Sodbusted MechaSimcoezilla (Simcoe), and a fresh hop Strata IPA brewed with Georgetown Brewing. This is a great chance to hear about how the whole fresh hop process works, from field to glass, with some of the most knowledgeable people in the biz. Plus me! Will I stir the pot by getting Van to rant about which process is best? You know I will! Will you drink all four beers (perhaps in half pints—moderation!) and buy a poster from Dave? Of course you will! Come join in the fun.
Friday, Sept 19th, 7pm
Gigantic Brewery Barrel Room
5224 SE 26th Ave
21+ with ID
Saturday (9/20) - Cask Fest!
Away Days continues to beat the drum for cask ale, and this is going to be a perfect day (forecast: 77 degrees and sunny) to enjoy a glass or few in Away Days’ lovely beer garden. Beers from all the finest purveyors of cask ale will be on hand: Away Days (obvs), Baerlic, Foreland, Gigantic, Level, Living Haus, Machine House, Montavilla, Obelisk, Steeplejack, Threshold, and Upright.
At 4pm, we’re going to have a cask discussion, and I will again be unnecessary in a panel studded with the very estimable talents of Anna Buxton (Steeplejack), Alex Ganum (Upright), Van Havig (Gigantic), and Away Days’ Marshall Kunz. All of these folks have been equally devoted to cask ale in Portland, and it’s going to be great to hear from them. (I assume I was invited for my looks, not my brains.)
Friday, Sept 19th, doors open at 2pm
Away Days Brewing, 1234 SE Cora St.
Free entry, mug and five ticket bundle $35, 1/2 pour tickets $4
Cask panel discussion at 4pm
Cask quiz results at 5pm
Fan fave beer award at 6pm