Welcome to a brand new year! Here’s the first Oregon beer news post for 2013; as usual I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Deschutes Brewery (Bend) is entering the new year right with their Barrel Aged Beer Tasting taking place next Friday, the 11th, at their Bend Pub’s Tap Room: from 6 to 9pm, for $45 per person, they are pairing six different barrel aged beers (The Stoic, Abyss 2011, Black Butte XXII (the recalled one), Super Jubel 2010, and two new ones, Cassis Abbey Ale and Peche Abbey Ale) with small-plate food items that sound decadent (suckling pig, Abyss cheesecake lollipops). This is one of Deschutes’ signature events and there are still plenty of tickets available online; and this is a really good deal for $45. Not to be missed!

McMenamins Old Church & Pub (Wilsonville) has a special beer tasting and meet the brewer tomorrow, January 3, for the unusually-named “Feliz Navi-Klaus”: “This “winter warmer” was brewed for the Fiesta Bowl, which will be showing in the Old Church. It has Habaneros, caramel and piney spice on the nose with a subtle warm, toasty chocolate taste on the palate. The use of Habaneros and brewers gold hops give it an expressive and spicey character which is well balanced by the chocolate and crystal malt.” The beer is 6.84% and of course any chili beer piques my interest! It goes on tap at 5pm and when it’s gone, it’s gone.

McMenamins Fulton Pub (Portland) has their own limited edition tasting tomorrow the 3rd, featuring “Cinnamon Bear”: “This ale is an Imperial Porter infused with cold pressed espresso, licorice root, and cinnamon stick.  There are layers upon layers of flavor in this big and rich brew.  Chocolate, malty sweetness, coffee, and of course cinnamon are all front and center here.  Hops play a backing role in this beer making for a mild herbal quality in the finish.” Spicy brews seem to be the theme du jour! The tasting starts at 5pm as well.

Gigantic Brewing (Portland): They have a new collaboration brew they’re prepping for an early February release, a “black bock” named “Kiss the Goat!”: “Shots from the brew day for our newest collabo – Kiss the Goat! A black bock brewed with our new friends, badass rock band Sons of Huns. Try the beer and hear the band at the Portland Mercury Malt Ball – Saturday Feb 2nd, Wonder Ballroom.” I haven’t seen details on the beer yet but a Bock is a perfect winter/early spring release.

Golden Valley Brewery (McMinnville) has a new Thursday (tomorrow!) release hitting the taps at both their locations: “Irish Red Thistle! Our flagship beer, Red Thistle Amber Ale brewed with Irish Malt! We will be offering $2 pints from 3-6 pm on Thursday!” I’d be curious to taste how the Irish malt changes the overall beer—a side-by-side would be interesting, but I don’t know if feasible—but you also can’t beat $2 pints. (The $2 price has only applied to the first keg for previous releases.)

Broken Top Bottle Shop (Bend) has a tasting with Portland’s BridgePort Brewing this Friday the 4th, starting at 5:30pm. They’ll have several of their beers on tap, particularly Ebenezer (though I don’t know what else specifically).