Here’s the final Oregon beer news for January ’21, finishing up this week with a Friday round-up. Let’s get this going so we can get to the weekend! I’ll be updating this post occasionally with news as I find it, so check back in for the latest.

New brew coming from Initiative

Redmond’s Initiative Brewing has a new brew coming soon from its new in-house brewery, a Hazy IPA that should be tapped the week of February 8. This new beer is brewed with white wheat, and Mosaic and El Dorado hops, and should weight in at 7.2% ABV. The brewery promises, “This Hazy is packed with a juice aroma of dank citrus that will quench anyone’s thirst!”

Bare drinking with Boss Rambler Beer Club

“Bare” as in the name of the beer, that is. Bend’s Boss Rambler Beer Club has a new light lager available in cans:

Cold temps, a little snow on the ground, no worries… we’re still livin’ the LITE BEER LIFE and stoked to release BARE: a stripped down, BOTTOMS-UP LAGER that is REFRESHING, POUND-ABLE, and everything you’re looking for in a GO-TO LITE BEER. Whether you have snow under your boots, or sand between your toes, it’s always time to DRINK BARE! 4.8%abv

Three brand new cans from Sunriver

Sunriver Brewing announced today the release of three new 12-ounce cans to join its lineup, the first since 2017: Clearview West Coast IPA, Rivermark Pilsner, and Pop Demand Hazy IPA. It’s a three-beer rotating series.

The first can release in late February is Clearview – West Coast IPA. Clearview was released in draft in January in all three Sunriver Brewing Company pubs as well as select locations around the Pacific Northwest.

The brewery also revealed its 2021 beer calendar which I’ll most more about shortly (will link here when posted).

The calendar includes a plethora of Limited Release beers available in both 16-ounce cans and draft. This year the Haze Factory and IPA Factory return with some old favorites as well as some brand-new beers. 2021 also introduces the Herd Mentality Series, which consists of variants of the award-winning Cocoa Cow Chocolate Milk Stout. Expect to see some exceptionally creative stouts, featuring brews such as Cherry Vanilla Cocoa Cow and Cookies & Cream Cocoa Cow, amongst others.

Great Notion goes in a new direction — lager!

Portland’s Great Notion Brewing is best known for its hazy, New England-style IPAs and pastry sours and stouts, but yesterday the brewery posted something new on Facebook—it’s new lager series Puffery which dropped today.

We’re all puffed up with pride over this delicious new lager series. The first installment of Puffery is a Munich-style Helles done right. Hallertau Mittlefruh hops, pilsner malt, and a touch of light Munich malt – and time – are all that we needed for this perfectly crushable beer. Puffery comes home to roost [today] at 9 am on the app for pickup orders at all locations (pickup begins at noon), local PDX delivery, and OR, NV, and AK shipping. (5.4% abv) $15/4pack

Modern Times PDX turns 3

Portland’s outpost of San Deigo’s Modern Times Beer is celebrating its third birthday this weekend, with beer and food specials perfect to take to-go:

WE’RE 3! This weekend, in honor of the Belmont Fermentorium’s third journey around the sun, we’re unleashing a hoard of crowlered titans. Our PDX magicians will also be slinging some exceptional food specials, so if you’re in the mood to help us celebrate this weekend, feel free to swing by for something to-go.
CROWLERS:
Chaos Grid: Quadruple Flowers (13.5% bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout)
Mega Dragon Tones: Chocolate Disco (14.2% barrel-aged imperial dessert stout w/ cocoa & vanilla)
Monsters’ Park Aged in Bourbon Barrels w/ Vanilla (14.2% imperial stout)

New beers list

Here’s a roundup of new/returning beers announced by various breweries:

• Bine Valley Brewing (Salem): Real Joosy: “This weeks Real Joosy is inspired by a seasonal release Hale Yeah. Packed full of Mandarin Oranges, Vanilla and a hit of lactose makes this Real Joosy a perfect breakfast beer. Get the bacon and eggs ready. Available for pickup tomorrow 1/30!”
• Bridge 99 Brewery (Bend) has a new Blackberry Wheat Ale to check out: “Our Blackberry Wheat Ale is a little creamy, a little berry and a whole lot happy in a glass. We use real Blackberry Puree from Oregon Fruit Company and add rolled oats to create this flavorful Ale.”
• Rogue Ales (Newport): Newport Nights Imperial IPA: “It’s back! Newport Nights Imperial IPA. This deceptively drinkable 9.8% abv bruiser is an absolute fan-favorite of the Rogue Nation (and rogue employees!) alike. On draft now at Brewer’s on the Bay, with 4-packs and merch also available.”
• Upright Brewing (Portland): Atmospheric Rain IPA: “It feels like the perfect weekend to escape to the coast. Though any beer pairs well with the sound of crashing waves, we recommend the new Atmospheric Rain IPA to fit the mood, whether you’re getting away or staycation-ing at home. Grab some crowlers to go from the tasting room 12-5pm this Saturday!”
• Beachcrest Brewing (Gleneden Beach): Proposal Rock Porter: “Beer Release!!!! Saturday at noon we’re dropping our 2nd seasonal release of 2021: the Proposal Rock Porter. The porter is toasty, dark, chocolatey and finishes balanced and slightly dry. Named after the iconic rock formation on the central coast where many a lover have been known to find romance perhaps this elixir will lead to your heart’s delight too.”
• Great Notion (yes, another beer): Gorillas in the Grist: “We’re going ape with bananas in the brewery these days! Bunches of banana and chocolate come together in our newest imperial pastry stout, Gorillas in the Grist. This one won’t hang around long, so be sure to try it before it disappears into the mist. Get this a-peeling brew when it drops on Monday at 9 on the app for pickup orders at all locations (pickup begins at noon), local PDX delivery, and OR, NV, and AK shipping. (11.6% abv) $25/4pack”
• Worthy Brewing (Bend): Peace and Salinity: “While the sky went dark with smoke this summer and people were once again pushed to spend more and more time indoors a single lot of pilsner malt stood tall against the darkness. Alas, the malt was not ruined, and in fact, gave us the opportunity to brew a once in a lifetime beer. While the smoke doesn’t impart strong flavors it lends a subtle earthiness to the beer that combines nicely with pilsner malts characteristic breadiness. The lager was then cold fermented and finished with a lemon zest sea-salt to give this beer aromas of lemon shortcake. A healthy handful of under-modified wheat malt along with the salt brings this lager an unbelievably creamy mouthfeel.”