Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Wednesday, the first of February. As usual I’ll be updating this post periodically throughout the day so if you have some news to share, please contact me and I’ll get it updated.

Lots of beer news going on in Bend today: Deschutes Brewery is holding their official Grand Re-opening of their expanded and remodeled Pub starting at 5pm. Owner Gary Fish will be on hand to welcome everyone, the first 1000 people in will receive a commemorative pint glass, and there will be a special “Imperial Bachelor Bitter” on tap for the opening.

And, literally across the street from the Deschutes Pub in downtown Bend, Brother Jon’s Alehouse is also opening today: this is the second location spun off from the popular Brother’s Jon’s Public House, which offers great food and an impressive taplist on Bend’s westside. The opening of their new downtown location provides another great spot for finding good beer in Bend.

Silver Moon Brewing in Bend is closed today and tomorrow (the 1st and 2nd) for a kitchen remodel, and will be back open on Friday for their new “Keg Killer” special: a single keg of Dark Side Stout barrel aged and infused with coffee and hazelnuts, that will go on tap at 4pm and only be available until the keg blows. Last week they also offered a deal where the person that orders the last pint from the keg gets a free Silver Moon pint glass, though I don’t know for sure if that is happening this week as well.

Full Sail Brewing (Hood River): Today at 5pm at both the Hood River tasting room and at the Riverplace Brewery in Portland, Full Sail will be holding a horizontal tasting of their Top Sail Bourbon Aged Imperial Porter: “For 12 months our Imperial Porter has been aging in three different styles of bourbon whiskey casks from Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam and Austin Nichols. Top Sail is a blend of all three, but we reserved some of each from the individual barrels for a killer horizontal tasting. Compare the barrels from the different distilleries to the final blend with us at our Top Sail Bourbon Porter release party.” You can bet that there will be a charge for that, but nothing’s listed and even so I have no doubt that it is completely worth it. Call either location to find out more.

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

• The Brew Shop (Bend): Tonight Elysian Brewing is going to be there, doing a tasting from 4:30 to 6:30; they will be pouring a handful of brews including Nibiru Yerba Mate Tripel, and possibly their new Idiot Sauvin IPA will be on tap down in the Platypus Pub.
• Then, Elysian will also be  holding tastings two more nights in Central Oregon: Thursday the 2nd at the Cross Creek Cafe in Redmond from 6 to 8pm, and Friday the 3rd at Velvet in downtown Bend from 5 to 9pm (it’s “First Friday” in downtown Bend so it will be busy that night).
• McMenamins Roseburg Station (Roseburg): “Umber Waves of Grain” is pouring on nitro now, a 5.6% abv multigrain stout with “Barley malts, Rye malts, Oat malt and Wheat malts” which sounds pretty tasty!
• Breakside Brewery (Portland) has posted their upcoming releases for February, including the unlikely-but-tasty-sounding “BLT Gose.”