Happy Hump Day! I hope your week has been going well! If not let’s see if we can brighten it up with the news in Oregon beer. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news as I find it, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

Alameda Brewing (Portland) has their Brewers Dinner tonight, where they’ve joined forces with Portland’s Dan & Louis Oyster Bar for a four-course dinner which features beer as an ingredient (as well as an accompaniment): “Join us for a truly exceptional dining experience! Chat with the Alameda and Dan & Louis crew about all things beer & cuisine while dining in one of Portland’s most historic landmarks – the oldest family-owned restaurant in town! Dinner is $60pp or $50 w/two cans of food. At a time when so many in our community are going hungry, we hope you’ll join us in sharing some food with others. Please call Dan & Louis for reservations: (503)227-5906.”

Belmont Station (Portland) is highlighting cider today, hosting a tasting with Corvallis’ 2 Towns Ciderhouse from 6 to 8pm today: “Two Towns Ciderhouse is making what they consider to be “Damn Fine Cider” in Corvallis. We heartily agree. Come taste their full line including InCider, Bad Apple semi-dry strong cider, Nice & Naughty spiced winter cider, and Pearadise Pear.”

Beerworks (Medford) is hosting Bend’s GoodLife Brewing for a free bottle tasting today from 5 to 7pm. The two bottled offerings from GoodLife are their Mountain Rescue Pale Ale and Descender IPA; hopefully they’ll have some of their others (Sweet As, Pass Stout) on hand as well.

Lompoc Brewing (Portland) is thinking outside the box with a new “blond stout” they are releasing today at their Hedge House starting at 4pm. Is “blond stout” even a thing? “Meet the Lompoc brewers and enjoy our new Illegally Blonde Stout at Hedge House. No it’s not Reese Witherspoon, but it is an actor of sorts. This light colored, full-bodied beer will make you think it’s costumed and playing a role that’s not its own. Inspired by the German pale stouts of centuries old, it owes its body and bitter flavors to rolled oats and acidulated malts rather than dark, roasted ones. Centennial and Willamette hops contribute pleasant fruity and floral notes. Oh, and did we mention free food?”

Breakside Brewery (Portland) is putting the finishing touches on their new production brewing facility in Milwaukie, and today John Foyston has the details on the new brewery and taproom opening on January 30: “From nanobrewery to microbrewery with a 30 barrel system in three years, Breakside Brewery’s new location is proof the craft beer producer has no intention of slowing down. The new 7,000 square foot facility opens Wed., Jan. 30 just behind Bob’s Red Mill in Milwaukie and features a tasting room with 24 taps. Neighbors and visitors will be able to take a seat in the tasting room and taste their way through Breakside’s imaginative brews along with their inspirational beers. The brew masters will staff the room themselves and happily share their knowledge about each brew with guests.”  There’s a lot more detail at the article but overall this is going to be an impressive facility.

Double Mountain Brewery (Hood River) is starting up brewery tours next month: “We are kicking off monthly brewery tours happening on the first Saturday of each month at noon. Tours are FREE, you just have to make reservations at tours@doublemountinbrewery.com. There is still room on our February 2nd tour, come out to Hood River and make a day of it!” Yes, brewery tours are often a standard, but even so it’s nice to see Double Mountain take time to offer up a (hopefully) good experience.

BricktownE Brewing (Medford) has a new “LTD” brew on tap today: “[I]t’s Heide Keifer’s O Darkness Wheat Stout, it finished sweet and roasty at 6.5%ABV. It’s real nice for these cold days!”