Happy Friday! It’s a big weekend, with Valentine’s Day and President’s Day, not to mention the first day of (virtual) Zwickelmania! Here’s the news in Oregon beer to get us over the line; I’ll be updating this post throughout the rest of the afternoon with the latest as I find it. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Saturday is Virtual Zwickelmania — Portland edition

Tomorrow, Saturday the 13th, Zwickelmania returns—in a virtual format! As in previous years, Zwickelmania is split into two weekends, the first covering the Portland-area breweries tomorrow, and the second covering the rest of the state next Saturday, February 20th. The virtual format during the pandemic means it goes online:

As with so many of our favorite events, we will be moving to a virtual platform for Zwickelmania this year. It makes us sad, as we love seeing all of you visiting your favorite Oregon breweries for brewery tours, special tastings, live music, and so much more. Although we can’t see you in person this year, we are planning on bringing Zwickelmania to you!

[Via Facebook event] We are going to miss seeing you all in person but we will have brewer panel discussions and virtual beer tastings via our zoom and Youtube channel platforms, as well as virtual brewery tours here on our FB page.

It’s free to participate, just head over to the ticket page for the free ticket and schedule for the Portland events taking place tomorrow.

And related: the latest State of Excitement IPA collaboration brew is being canned today!

Buoy Beer with news releases and a new Head Brewer

Astoria’s Buoy Beer Company announced today (via email newsletter) the release of this year’s Love, Lost at Sea, as well as its Black is Beautiful barrel-aged stout, and its new head brewer, Paul Anderson:

Buoy Beer Company will celebrate February with the continued development of projects and the welcoming of a new team member. The fourth vintage of Love, Lost at Sea will release on February 14th throughout Buoy Beer’s Oregon and Washington distribution area. Barrel-Aged Black Is Beautiful Imperial Coffee Stout, a continuation of the joint project with Fort George Brewery, is available at Buoy Beer, Fort George Brewery, Pilot House Distilling’s Portland tasting room, and Adrift Hotel.

With the growth and expansion of the past few years along with plans to expand the brewery in 2021, Kevin Shaw, Buoy’s original head brewer (now Director of Brewery Operations), began to search for a replacement to take over the day-to-day operations of the brewery and lead the team. The new head brewer position will allow the brew staff in R&D to stretch their wings and continue developing beer projects.

Paul Anderson joins the team this month as the Head Brewer at Buoy Beer Company. Paul started homebrewing in college with a kit from the local homebrew store. While pursuing his Bachelor’s in Environment and Natural Resources, and a Master’s in Biology, Paul found himself brewing every weekend, applying his knowledge of science to brewing. With a nudge from a college professor, Paul decided to give it a go, and left grad school to pursue his career in beer. Since then, Paul’s journey has led him to work at Wyeast Labs, Deschutes Brewery, and Ordnance Brewery.

Love, Lost at Sea is the brewery’s annual barrel-aged barleywine, and one to get.

New beer release from Rusty Truck

Rusty Truck Brewing of Lincoln City has a new beer out today: Blueberry Chocoholic, to accompany the brewery’s Cherry Chocoholic.

Better late than never, and just in time for Valentines day. Cherry Chocoholic is back on tap, and she brought a friend.

Blueberry Chocoholic is the 2nd beer in the new Chocoholic series. Just like Cherry Choc Blueberry is a rich and robust Baltic Porter with gobs of dark chocolate and blueberry added post fermentation.

Ecliptic and Wayfinder team up on a Cold IPA

Ecliptic Brewing and Wayfinder Beer teamed up for Ecliptic’s first Cosmic Collaboration of the year, to brew a Cold IPA. The New School has details:

Next week Ecliptic Brewing will release their Wayfinder Beer collaboration Cold IPA. The emerging sub-style is similar to an India Pale Lager (IPL) but updated with the latest hops and brewing techniques. Wayfinder brewer Kevin Davey has been a big proponent of this term since their Relapse IPA debuted a few years back. The new Cosmic Collaboration is brewed and released from Ecliptic Brewing in N. Portland, OR and will be released on February 17th in 16-ounce cans and draft.

The New School dug into the details behind Cold IPA here, last year.

Widmer Brothers gets Jack’d up

Brewpublic reports that Widmer Brothers Brewing has released Hazy Jack Pale Ale, it’s first new beer of the year.

After a more subdued 2020 of seasonal beer releases, Widmer Brothers Brewing has released its first new beer of 2021 with Hazy Jack Pale Ale. An ode to the brewery’s 2001 classic Hop Jack Pale Ale, this is a modern take on this beer with a new contemporary label that features an aviator-wearing jackalope.

For the Portland launch of Hazy Jack Pale Ale, Widmer Brothers is partnering with local artist Mike Bennett on a scavenger hunt. This urban hunt that is a perfect socially distanced activity will feature three distinct Bennett artistic cutouts of the mythical jackrabbit-antelope hybrid that lives in the hop fields of the Pacific Northwest.

The beer is 6% ABV and 45 IBUs, and will be available through September.

Cooper Mountain’s latest beer gives back

Tigard’s Cooper Mountain Ale Works released a new beer that gives back to charities during this covid time:

Today, we launch a labor of love. Kate’s Nutty Shutdown Brown is our small way of giving back to the service industry that has taken beating after beating over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This beer is not a political statement, it is a call to action. Over the months that we have been operating our pub, we have seen the generosity of our patrons light up the darkest days that followed the summer.

Cooper Mountain Ale Works will be donating $3 of every pint that we sell to charities supporting the service industry. Please help us carry this forward for as long as necessary to keep these amazing people afloat.

Sunriver is a-canning

Today, Sunriver Brewing canned up its new Clearview West Coast IPA:

Freshly canned and ready for consumption! These blue beauties will be available starting today in all 3 of our pubs!
Clearview – West Coast IPA
The latest brew in our never-ending quest to develop the finest IPA. New school in design, Clearview offers the perfect balance of citrus, tropical and resinous hop character. This IPA is bright in appearance, bold in flavor, and has a clean, dry finish.
Hops: Citra, Mosaic, Sultana, Summit
ABV: 6.8% IBU: 65

Hopworks Giggle Nuggets goes live today

Hopworks Urban Brewery has its latest beer, Giggle Nuggets Dank IPA, going live today, in time for indoor dining re-opening as well as the snow:

The snow came just in time for indoor dining to re-open at our Powell Mothership – and for us to tap into a brand new beer: Giggle Nuggets Dank IPA. Come on over and warm up with a pint and a pizza! Oh, and did we mention we’ll be slinging beer to-go for 10% off when you dine in all weekend?!

Giggle Nuggets is an IPA so dank you’ll feel like it’s giggling at you with every sip you take. Brewed with Trident, Idaho 7, Altus, Chinook, and Columbus hops, Giggle Nuggets is packed with tons of fruity, resinous hop flavors! 7.5% ABV. 70 IBU.

Great Notion’s RBG beer drops on Monday

Portland’s Great Notion Brewing has its Ruth Bader Ginsberg tribute beer coming out on Monday (Presidents Day):

Celebrating the life and contributions of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, RBG is a tart ale that packs a powerful punch of raspberry, blueberry, and guava. Proceeds from the sale of this beer will be donated to @aclu_nationwide in recognition of Ginsburg’s time as general counsel for their Women’s Right Project. Get notorious on Monday, when RBG drops on the app at 9 am for pickup orders at all locations (pickup begins at noon), local PDX delivery, and shipping. (9% abv) $20/4pack