June is a big month for Bend brewery anniversaries, with GoodLife, Crux Fermentation Project, and Deschutes Brewery all celebrating within a couple weeks of each other. This year, Deschutes turns 31, and is celebrating with a 31st Anniversary Luau Party on Thursday the 27th, and two special beer releases. One of those beer releases is a holdover from last year’s 30th anniversary festivities, the collaboration with The Ale Apothecary that is finally ready, proving that you simply can’t rush those types of mixed-fermentation, wood-aged specialties.

Let’s go to the press release!

Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Oregon’s original brewery, celebrates 31 years as an independent craft brewer on June 27^th. Deschutes ranked as a top 10 brewery out of more than 7,400 brewers nationwide by members of the American Homebrewers Association in Zymurgy’s Best Beers in America. A great honor to kick off the anniversary festivities.

In celebration of the brewery’s heritage, Deschutes will release two exclusive reserve beers, Oregon Historic Super Juice, a collaboration with The Ale Apothecary and Black Butte XXXI, Deschutes Brewery’s commemorative anniversary reserve.

Oregon Historic Super Juice is the grand finale of the brewery’s 30^th anniversary family tree collaboration beers. In honor of their Bend, Oregon roots, Deschutes invited several of the brewery’s alumni to collaborate on special beers around the momentous occasion. Historic Oregon Super Juice, a partnership with Paul Arney of The Ale Apothecary, former head brewer at Deschutes Brewery’s Bend pub, has been aging for the entire year in seasoned Ale Apothecary barrels and is ready to release just in time for the brewery’s 31^stbirthday.

Historic Oregon Super Juice is wild fermented with The Ale Apothecary’s house mixed culture. Honoring Ale Apothecary’s authenticity of production, all ingredients for this beer were locally sourced in Oregon including heirloom apples handpicked by In Cahoots Apple Collaborative in Central Oregon where the hand-pressed apple juice was fermented spontaneously from the wild yeast on the apple skins, hops from Goschie Farms out of Silverton and malts from Mecca Grade Estate Malt in Madras. “We can do all of this from Oregon, what a great place to live!” said Paul Arney.

A true example of an appreciation for craft beer culture, this was a special collaboration for both brewers. “This beer is meaningful,” said Ale Apothecary’s founder Paul Arney. “It’s about my relationship with Deschutes, the place where I got my start.”  Veronica Vega, director of product development at Deschutes shared the sentiment. “Paul taught me how to brew at the Bend Pub and when he left to start The Ale Apothecary, I got the opportunity to take over his position as Bend Pub Brewer. I will always be grateful for his mentorship and friendship in beer.”

An extremely exclusive, limited release, Historic Oregon Super Juice is funky and tart at 6.3% ABV and 10 IBUs with notes of baked apple and light graham cracker. This release of less than 100 cases, will be available in 500mL bottles for sale at the Deschutes Brewery Bend and Portland pubs and Bend tasting room, as well as The Ale Apothecary’s tasting room on Friday, June 28^th.

Black Butte XXXI, Deschutes Brewery’s specialty anniversary reserve, is an annual tradition since the brewery’s 20th anniversary in 2008. The beer is an imperial barrel-aged double version of the brewery’s flagship, Black Butte Porter, that changes every year.

Deschutes brewers love to experiment with this beer and this year were inspired by Turkish coffee and added chocolate, cardamom and cold brewed coffee from Third Rock Roastery, a locally owned roastery by Deschutes Brewery co-owner Scott Hughes. BBXXXI is 80% barrel aged in oak bourbon barrels.

This imperial porter is 12.2% ABV and 50 IBU and is available in hand-dipped waxed 22-ounce bottles and draft and will ship to wholesalers on June 24 across Deschutes’ full distribution footprint.

Pay attention to the dates. Thursday the 27th, the Luau Party takes place at the downtown Bend Pub starting at 5pm, and features live music, special beers, and cake and the founder’s toast at 7pm:

Come join your friends and neighbors in the alley behind Deschutes Brewery in celebration of our 31st anniversary! Grab your Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts and coconut bras and come enjoy the island vibes we’ll be serving up. Live music from The Mostest, GBots & The Journeymen, and Tone Red along with tasty luau style eats and the official release of Black Butte XXXI Anniversary Porter, featuring chocolate, cold brew coffee, cardamom, and bourbon barrel aged.

Ride your bike to the luau and be rewarded with a sweet surprise!

Then the release of Historic Oregon Super Juice actually takes place the next day, Friday the 28th, and both Paul Arney and Veronica Vega will be on hand at the Bend Pub sampling the beer and discussing the collaboration from 5 to 7pm. You’ll be able to buy bottles of Super Juice but I don’t yet know the pricing for it.

The Portland Pub will also be celebrating with the release of Black Butte XXXI on Thursday, and Historic Oregon Super Juice on Friday, all day on both days. However if you want to join the party you’ll need to come to Bend!