Today is the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Normandy by Allied forces to liberate Europe from the Nazis; it’s a day to raise a beer to those that lost their lives, and to those who survived and helped to win the war. And here’s the Oregon beer news for this Thursday, with plenty of opportunities to do so; I’ll be updating this post throughout the day so check back often for the latest.

Medford Beer Week begins today! It runs from today, June 6, through Sunday, June 16, and culminates in the Southern Oregon Craft Brew Festival on Saturday the 15th. In the meantime, I’ll round up the various events each day, starting with:

• MARQUEE: Cash Kick-Off to Medford Beer Week with Block 15 and Radio Medford @ Tap City Beverage: 2pm – 10pm
• Medford Beer Week Kickoff @ Wild River Brewing: All Day
• Happy Beer Week! @ Osmo’s Alehouse: All Day
• Tap Takeover with Ninkasi Brewing @ Growler King Hwy 99: 5pm – 8pm
• Roll Into Beer Week with Southern Oregon Roller Derby and Riverbend Brewing @ Beerworks Medford: 5pm – 9pm
• 7th Annual Ring The Bull Tournament @ Opposition Brewing: 6pm – 8pm
• Rushmore Society Newbie Rally @ Walkabout Brewing: 6:30pm – 9pm

Eugene Beer Week continues as well, with these events today:

• Bingo Night with Ninkasi Brewing at Cornucopia 5th Avenue @ 9pm
• Hop Valley Brewing has a new beer release at its 1st Avenue location all day
• There’s a Sierra Nevada Brewery Raffle at both Cornucopia locations all week
• The Bier Stein has its Tower of Sour event continuing today
• Claim 52 Kitchen is celebrating its first anniversary on Willamette Street, with cake and beer!
• Today’s Ninkasi Brewing special release is old school with an Imperial West Coast IPA
• Ninkasi is also hosting Pints for a Cause today which I’m including here; the brewery is raising funds for BRING
• (All week) Beergarden has a week-long pop-up pub with Fremont Brewing.
• (All week) PublicHouse in Springfield welcomes Breakside Brewery for a week-long pop-up pub.
• (All week) The Tap & Growler is holding Eugene’s Best IPA Challenge: A Blind Taste Off all week long.

Belmont Station (Portland) is hosting a beer tasting with importer D&V International today from 5 to 8pm: “Join us for a very exciting night with D&V International, the people who bring us imports like Duchess de Bourgogne and St. Bernardus. They will be in the shop for a tasting of the following: Duchess original, Duchess cherry, St. Bernardus Abt 12, St. Bernardus Triple, and St. Bernardus Wit. This is a unique opportunity to be able to try these pioneer Belgian beers all at once. Duchess and St. Bernardus are brands we see everywhere, and if you’ve never thought to grab one off the shelf, now is your chance!”

Imperial Bottle Shop (Portland) is hosting a party and fundraiser with Double Mountain Brewery and its new Basic Rights IPA from 5 to 9pm today: “To celebrate Pride Month, Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery brewed a special IPA just to help raise funds for Basic Rights Oregon! Double Mountain and Imperial will each be donating $1 to Basic Rights for every pint of Basic Rights IPA poured during the event. Double Mountain will also be donating a portion of proceeds of bottles sold, so we’ll have plenty of bottles on hand to take home. We also invited our friends from Occidental Brewing Company to join in the fundraising fun! We’ll have their Pilsner on tap with the same deal: both Imperial and Occidental will donate $1 for every pint sold at the event. And we’ll also have their first ever #ProstToPride Pilsner can for sale. It’s not just a beautiful rainbow can… snap a pic drinking it, post it to instagram and tag @OccidentalBrewing with #ProstToPride, and they’ll donate $2 to Basic Rights!”

Ecliptic Brewing (Portland): The next anniversary Cosmic Collaboration beer coming out is in partnership with Breakside Brewery: Nectarine Sour Ale. From the press release issued today: “In celebration of Ecliptic’s fifth anniversary, the company is releasing a “5 Years/5 Beers” series, and the collaboration beer with Breakside is third in the launch. Ecliptic Brewing owner and Brewmaster, John Harris, worked with Breakside’s Brewmaster, Ben Edmunds, to create the recipe, and the result is a thirst-quenching beer that will help kick off the summer season. The ale is brewed with pale and Munich malts, wheat and oats, but what provides its unique, fruity flavor is both pureed and fresh nectarines. A touch of coriander and Ecliptic’s house lactobacillus strain add to the classic sour ale flavor profile.” There will be a beer dinner on June 19 as well.

Portland’s Cider Riot won some awards recently, and announced the news today in a release: “Oregon’s Cider Riot! recently returned from the world’s oldest cider competition with awards for two of its ciders. Cider Riot!’s 1763 Revoutionary West Country Cider, a vintage cider made with traditional English bittersweet apples from Yamhill County, won a Bronze Award in the West Country Style class, and New Wave Pub Cider took a Bronze Award in the International Cider Championships in the acid dominant class. New Wave blends fresh pressed Pacific Northwest eating apples with bittersweet and bittersharp cider apples for just a hint of tannin and depth. The Royal Bath and West Show has been held annually since 1852 and celebrates rural life and agriculture, with competitions for livestock, cheese, and bees and honey in addition to cider.”

Golden Valley Brewery (McMinnville) has a new beer release today: “McFarland’s Scottish Ale is brewed especially for the McMinnville Scottish Festival happening this weekend. Amber in color and lightly malty with an earthiness – a delicious combination. Try a pint at the brewpub or at the festival this weekend. Sláinte!”

Fearless Brewing (Estacada) opened 16 years ago today, and this weekend is planning its anniversary party this Saturday with the release of a new beer: “FEARLESS BREWING COMPANY SWEET 16 LAGER will be released at the brewery Sweet 16 Anniversary Party, Saturday, June 8th. Live music by Rick & Barb & Friends starting at 5:30 pm. Come join us for some great beer, friends, and fun. SKål!”