Happy Monday! It’s back to work for many of us so to help distract you here’s the Oregon beer news for Monday, January 9th. I will continue to update this post throughout the day with news items that I find, and if you have some news you’d like to pass along contact me and I’ll get it updated.

Deschutes Brewery (Portland): Their Portland Pub is closed today for a post-holiday employee celebration today, but will be back open for regular hours tomorrow.

Golden Valley Brewery (McMinnville/Beaverton): As I reported this weekend, the new GVB Beaverton location is slated to open on Monday, January 23rd, just two weeks away! Good news for folks in the Beaverton/Hillsboro area, and (relatively) convenient for those passing through as well, being located just off of Highway 26.

Gilgamesh Brewing (Turner) has a beer pairing dinner on January 23rd with Venti’s Cafe + Taphouse in Salem, and they have finalized the menu: three courses (with a palate-cleansing sorbet in between the first and second) paired with Gilgamesh beers (Filbert Lager, Cherry Coffee Cordial, and Blitzen Prancer Winter Ale) for $35. In addition, there will be an exclusive release of “Mega Mamba”, an imperial version of Mamba (their hopless, black tea beer).

Gigantic Brewing (Portland): The new brewery hasn’t opened yet, but founding brewers Ben Love (formerly from  Hopworks) and Van Havig (formerly from Rock Bottom Portland) have been on a collaboration brewing spree around the state (as best as I can describe it from afar): brewing “Collabo Wabo” with Oakshire; with Pelican Pub for their Winter Brewers Dinner; and today with Breakside Brewery in Portland, a “Hoppy Hoppy Nanobrow” 8% abv IPA. The question is of course, where next? Hey guys, wanna come to Bend?

Upcoming tastings, releases, and “Meet the Brewer” events:

• Oakshire Brewing (Eugene): Tomorrow (the 10th) from 4 to 6:30pm Oakshire is featuring “Coconut Bliss Floats” at the Eugene, Cascades & Coast Adventure Center—just what it sounds like, ice cream floats made with Overcast Espresso Stout and  Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss vegan ice cream.
• The Green Dragon (Portland): Wednesday the 11th the latest in the Green Dragon Brew Crew release for “Big Ass Beer Month” is The Velvet Bulldozer, a Belgian Strong Ale aged in a Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey Barrel, from 5 to 8pm. And on Thursday the 12th, they have a Meet the Brewer featuring Hopworks Urban Brewery.
• Full Sail Brewing (Hood River): Don’t forget, their January Brewmaster Dinner is this Thursday the 12th, featuring a “Breakfast for Dinner” menu starting at 5pm and costing $30 per person.

Happy hours, specials, and cheap pours:

• Lompoc Brewing (Portland): Miser Monday at the New Old Lompoc and Oaks Bottom locations yields $2.50 pints all day.
• Silver Moon Brewing (Bend): Mondays are “locals” day, which mean $2.50 pints all day.
• Migration Brewing (Portland): They offer $3 pints all day long.