I’d previously mentioned (briefly) a bit about the Fresh Hop Beer Tastival coming here to Bend at the end of the month, but I hadn’t expanded upon it. Essentially, it’s a traveling beer festival, dedicated to fresh hop beers from Oregon brewers, and it’s been hitting a different city each weekend this month. It started in Hood River, then Portland, this weekend (the 20th) it will be in Eugene, and finally in Bend on the 27th.

Jeff at Beervana has the list of beers on tap for the Tastival, and while he didn’t make it to the event itself, still managed to review some of them (and a few others, to boot).

(Incidentally, Jeff is writing some of the best fresh hops content out there right now. Go read Beervana.)

The Tastival is being put on by Oregon Bounty ("visit Oregon, stay a few nights, and enjoy culinary travel experiences that highlight the state’s bountiful food, unique lodging, restaurants and scenery"), and the Oregon Brewers Guild, and has pretty standard beer fest pricing: $5 for the glass, $1 for tasters, $4 for full pours. Aside from the $5 for the glass, admission is free. It runs from noon til 7.

Hopefully I’ll be able to make it to the Bend showing on the 27th, though I’ve got other things going on that day also. You can be sure I’ll write about it if I can go.

Here’s another blogger’s review, of the Portland (actually, Troutdale, just outside of Portland) Tastival. Sounds good. Although they might be running low on some of the beers; here’s yet another blogger lamenting the absence of several of them at the same Portland event. I suppose that’s a point—by the time it reaches Bend, half the beer might be out already!