Here’s the news in beer from around the state for Thursday, February 4. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

The second annual Salem Winter Brewfest kicks off today, taking place in, er, Salem at the Capitol Mall right across from the Oregon State Capitol Building. It runs today through Saturday the 6th, and features over 110 beers and ciders from an impressive list of breweries and cideries.  It’ll cost you $20 for one day or $30 for all three, at the door, or $15 and $25 in advance at Gilgamesh Brewing, Santiam Brewing, Salem Ale Works, Vagabond Brewing, b2 Taphouse, Westside Taphouse, and Venti’s, all in Salem.

Worthy Brewing (Bend): Staring today and running through Saturday the 6th, Worthy is celebrating their third anniversary! “Join us for our annual release of GTX (Go Time Extra Pale), which was the first recipe we ever brewed, way back at the end of 2012. The amazing kitchen team as some delicious pairing specials and there will be commemorative glasses for sale that includes a fill!” It’s a bit of a low-key anniversary as the brewery is also undergoing an expansion and canning line install as well as the buildout of their observatory and banquet hall feature outdoors, but it’s still a great time to celebrate three years with Go Time!

And Bend’s excellent Broken Top Bottle Shop is celebrating their fourth anniversary today, on the 4th (appropriately enough!). They’ll be kicking off an evening of free live music with three bands starting at 4pm, plus I’m sure there will be beer and food specials for the day. Also expect it to be busy! Congrats to BTBS on four great  years!

Eugene’s Oakshire Brewing will be at Portland’s Imperial Bottle Shop today from 5 to 8pm for a vertical tasting of their Barleywine plus a few additions: “Join Oakshire Brewing as we pour a great lineup of beers including: 2013 Barleywine, 2014 Barleywine, 2015 Barleywine, 2014 Bourbon Barrel Very Ill Tempered Gnome, and Cranberry Berlinerweisse. $8 sampler tray of all 5!”

The Green Dragon (Portland): Tonight’s meet the brewer event starting at 5pm is featuring Doug Ellenberger of Everybody’s Brewing: “Easy-going might be the best way to describe Everybody’s Brewing, a small brewpub from White Salmon, WA in the Columbia River Gorge. The atmosphere is laid back, the food is tasty and affordable, and session beers rule. Brewmaster Doug Ellenberger brings four of his best brews to the Green Dragon this Thursday. Drop in, relax and enjoy a night of easy drinking.”

GoodLife Brewing (Bend) continues their Brewshed® Session Ale rollout today, with a release party at Beergarden in Eugene from 5 to 7pm. “GoodLife Brewing will be donating 1% of all sales to the Brewshed® Alliance, split between to the two nonprofits. The beer will be available February through June, so buy a beer and support conservation for those four months! We’ll be giving out Brewshed® Session Ale shirts throughout the night and raffling off other GoodLife swag, so we’ll see you there!”

Belmont Station (Portland): Today they are hosting Portland Cider Company for a tasting from 5 to 7pm: “Join Portland Cider for a tasting of their tasty ciders — in honor of Portland’s CiderCon! We will be tasting Kinda Dry, Sorta Sweet, Apple, Hop’Rageous and Pearfect Perry.”

McMenamins 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop (Portland) is holding a “Meet Your Maker” tasting today from 5 to 8pm featuring Jacob Wilson of the West Linn brewery, and his beer Whiskey Oak Aged Charlie Brown Ale: “The leaves changed, the weather got colder, and Charlie Brown and the gang were on the television. It was awesome. And while Linus waited in a field for a magical pumpkin to appear, and Lucy prepared to pull the football on an unsuspecting Charlie Brown, I aged a keg of this delicious brew with whiskey soaked oak in anticipation. This full bodied beer has hints of real pumpkin, fall spices, and a smooth nuttiness to round out this delicious seasonal selection. Along with nice, subtle whiskey and oak notes, this beer will bring you back to Halloween. Don’t wait, though, because like the Peanuts television specials, it will be gone soon.”

The BeerMongers (Portland) is hosting Melvin Brewing for their “Melvin National 2×4 Day” today: “Come celebrate the West Coast launch of the best damn DIPA in the world. The 2×4 Double IPA is the Gold medal winner at WBC, GABF, NABA and two years in a row at the Alpha King Challenge in Denver. Get down to the Mongers and experience the mad floral, citrusy and clean taste of the best. Don’t hate, PARTY!”