Here’s the beer new from around Oregon for Tuesday, January 10th. As usual I’ll be updating this post throughout the day with news that I find, and if you have some news to share please contact me and I’ll get it out there.

Widmer Brothers (Portland): This year’s Brewmasters’ Release “W” series beer is W’12 Dark Saison which sounds incredibly interesting (inspired by the Cascadian Dark Ale perhaps)—infusing a saison style beer with dark malts. And Sanjay over on the Not So Professional Beer Blog has the first review which affirms this: “I expect W’12 will be the first Saison that many beer drinkers will enjoy. So if you’ve never tasted a Saison, it’s time to give it a try.” I’m on the lookout.

Coalition Brewing (Portland) has a new beer on tap which if you’re a fan of nut brown ales you should check out: “Today is the day you have been waiting for….we put Mr. Brownstone on tap, in a special, limited release! Mr. Brownstone is a Hazelnut Brown Ale made with all local filberts, and it is frickin’ delicious!”

It’s still a ways off but the dates for the Portland Fruit Beer Festival have been announced: “The 2012 Portland Fruit Beer Festival will be June 9th and 10th with a special ticketed preview dinner event on June 8th!” That’s the second weekend in June, so get it on your calendar now.

Speaking of festivals, The Eastburn (Portland) is holding their annual Buckman-Kerns Brewfestthis Sunday, January 15th, starting at noon: “Come join us on Sunday January 15th at noon for the 2nd year of celebrating the excellent breweries we are so lucky to have in our neighborhood. Participants this year are Lucky Labrador, Coalition Brewing, Natian Brewing, Migration Brewing, Buckman Brewing, Cascade Brewing and Burnside Brewing! Admission is only $10 which gets you a Brewfest Pint Glass (a real pint glass, not plastic! Yeah!) and 4 tickets. Tickets are $1 each and 1 ticket gets you one taster or a full pint for 4 tickets. We’ll have great food and of course lots of great beers.”

And PDX Pipeline is giving away three pairs of tickets to the Buckman-Kerns Brewfest, you simply comment on that post to be entered to win. They’re drawing winners from the comments on Friday the 13th.

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

• Oakshire Brewing (Eugene): Ice cream floats! “Oakshire Brewing and Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss will create their one-of-a-kind delicious floats, a combination of Oakshire Overcast Espresso Stout and Coconut Bliss’ organic, vegan ice cream. Join us for this uniquely Eugene treat. Free!” From 4 to 6:30pm at the Eugene, Cascades & Coast Adventure Center in Springfield.
• Lompoc Brewing (Portland): “Join us starting at 4 pm on Friday [January 13] at New Old Lompoc for the release of 3 versions of Black Dawn III Coffee Stout, the third installment of our annual coffee stout. Our friends at Ristretto Roasters provided the coffee, cold pressing 20 lbs of their Beaumont Blend, El Salvadoran and Peruvian beans.” (via Facebook)
• 10 Barrel Brewing (Bend): They will be at Beaverton’s Uptown Market (the new bottle shop) on Thursday the 12th from 4 to 7pm, pouring S1nist0r Black Ale, Apocalypse IPA, and Precursor (single batch bourbon-barrel aged strong ale). If you haven’t tried the Precursor, this is a great opportunity to do so as it’s extremely limited.

Happy hours, specials, and cheap pours:

• Silver Moon Brewing (Bend): This week’s Growler Power Hour ($5 growler fills from 4 to 6pm on Tuesday and Wednesday) beers are Bridge Creek Pilsner and German Schwarzbier Black Lager.
• Bend Brewing (Bend): Tonight is Locals Night, which means pints are $2.75 from 4pm until closing, and appetizers are half-price from 4 to 6pm and from 9pm to closing.
• Lompoc Brewing (Portland) features “Tightwad Tuesday” at their Fifth Quadrant and Hedge House locations, with $2.50 pints all day long.
• Cascade Brewing (Portland): Tap It Tuesday today features “Strawberry”, a northwest-style sour aged in barrels for seven months, then on strawberries for another eight months. The tapping starts at 6pm.
• Three Creeks Brewing (Sisters) has $3.25 pints all day long.