Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Tuesday, the 20th of January. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest news. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

The Bier Stein in Eugene today is celebrating the launch of Portland’s Gigantic Brewing in Tracktown—“Portland’s famed Gigantic Brewing finally gets distribution to our fair village. Come celebrate!” The Bier Stein doesn’t have a particular time attached to the event on their events page so let’s go with “all day”—head down and pick up some bottles and enjoy some of the terrific Gigantic beer they have on tap. Update: Brewers and Owners Ben Love and Van Havig will be on hand pouring as well!

Steens Mountain Brewing (Burns): I first wrote about Burns’ first brewery a year ago, and just last week the Bend Bulletin published a profile of the diminutive brewing operation that’s worth a read. “Working on a half-barrel system, [owner/brewer Rick] Roy sold .55 barrels of beer — about 17 gallons — mainly in October of last year, his first month of selling, according to the OLCC’s most recent report…. And of course there’s the hops. Roy uses his secret stash of wild Harney County hops in as many of his beers as possible.” That bit about the hops interests me particularly—Roy has found wild hops growing at old homesteads, which naturally makes me wonder… did the homesteaders plant them?

Cascade Brewing (Portland): Tonight’s Tap It Tuesday at the Barrel House at 6pm is featuring “Live” Black Currant. “This NW style sour Red ale was matured in Pinot Noir barrels for nine months before adding generous amounts of black currants and aging for an additional four months. Bright notes of passion fruit and red raspberry lead to deeper flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon, earth, black cherry and dark fruit preserves. 7.5% | $8 Glass | $3 Taster”

Worthy Brewing (Bend) continues to grow: today they have taken possession of a new, 120-barrel brite tank. That is a lot of potential beer right there (3,720 gallons, or 29,760 pints)!

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): They have two new beers on tap at the Bend Pub: “Come try the Thump Thump or The Must Have Tripel. For every beer you drink today, we give $1 back to the community.” The Must Have is one I got to try this past weekend, a Belgian-style Tripel with grape juice from grapes grown at Goschie Farms, subsequently aged on the grape must. Thump Thump is a coffee beer brewed in conjunction with Bend’s local Thump coffee shop: “Brewed with, de-bittered black, and coffee malts, this Imperial Porter provides a nice bouquet of dark flavors and aromas. A small addition of oats and toasted coconut provide a nice creaminess to the finish. With a healthy addition of Thump’s Brazilian Roast whole bean coffee to the bright tank, this beer begs to be drank in the morning, but your boss might not approve.”

Upright Brewing (Portland) has a new Belgian Blonde ale available on tap now! “Belgian Blonde is a bright, dry beer with tons of aromatics from a mix of sterling, ultra, and columbia hops, along with earthy and fruity notes from a farmhouse ale yeast much more forward than our usual house saison strain. The light beer is stronger than it seems at 7.1%.”