Happy Friday everyone—the weekend is here, and you all earned it. Here’s the news in Oregon beer to carry you through the weekend, which I’ll continue to update throughout the afternoon. So grab a beer and come back to this page for the latest updates.

Ecliptic and Von Ebert team up for new Cosmic Collaboration

Portland’s Ecliptic Brewing is teaming up with Von Ebert Brewing to brew the latest of Ecliptic’s Cosmic Collaboration series—Blackberry Meyer Lemon Ale, which will be available in April. Details from the press release:

Ecliptic + Von Ebert Blackberry Meyer Lemon Ale is brewed with Pale and Wheat Malts, as well as Kveik yeast. This unique Norwegian yeast strain imparts clean, fruity aromas and flavor, which complement the real blackberries and Meyer lemon added to the brew. A collection of hops, including Strata and Mandarina Bavaria, further highlight the fruity and citrus flavor profile of this refreshing beer. Clocking in at 6% ABV, this super dry beer is the perfect springtime release.

“We’re working with five breweries this year, all from the Pacific Northwest,” says Ecliptic’s Owner and Brewmaster, John Harris. “Sam Pecoraro and the rest of the crew at Von Ebert have been making some tasty beers, so we wanted to team up. We’re excited to play with Kveik yeast for the first time and punch up the beer with all the real fruit added, too.”

Ecliptic + Von Ebert Blackberry Meyer Lemon Ale will be released in 16 ounce cans and draft throughout Ecliptic Brewing’s distribution network on April 14th. Visit Ecliptic’s website for up-to-date details on this release and virtual launch party.

Block 15 Saturday drive-thru sale

Corvallis’ Block 15 Brewing has two new beers for its Saturday drive-thru release and sale (which is tomorrow).

Two brand-spankin’ new releases coming to your fridges this weekend! First is the freshest release in our series of single-hopped IPAs, Selection Series, Citra—exclusively featuring Citra hops from B.T. Loftus Ranches in Yakima, WA. The second is a long-time draft-only offering, now available in cans for the first time—Dortmunder Export!

Both are one-off cans, and there are other packaged beer available as well when you order online.

Wayfinder’s new beers

I missed this last Friday when the email newsletter came out; Wayfinder Beer in Portland has its newest beers out, Märzen and Retro Gold, a “West Coast Cali-Style IPA Collab with Breakside.”

Märzen
Wayfinder’s interpretation is a classic approach, employing an extensive double-decoction mashing regime and prolonged maturation. The resulting aroma is a touch of light toffee with a spicy, delicate hop. The body is warming and pronounced but finishes dry and moreish.

Retro Gold
We teamed up with the painfully handsome Ben of Breakside to concoct this one. Brewed in the classic California fashion, Retro Gold is a lean and assertive IPA that reminds us of beer before the NE Juicy IPA explosion. Big aromatics of pine and citrus.

You can order beers to go online, for Saturday pickup from 1 to 5pm.

Level Beer to open third location

Portland’s Level Beer is slated to open a third location later this year, according to Brewpublic:

One vacant building in Portland has found a new tenant as Level Beer is set for another expansion as it plans to open its third outpost in Portland this year. Level 3, a forthcoming taproom will take over the former See See KTM Motorcycle Shop located at 1447 NE Sandy Blvd. The new location will be nestled in-between Voodoo Doughnut – Davis and Sandy Hut and next door to the Executive Lodge.

As we begin to turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, the owners at Level Beer decided to take a gamble on expansion as it embarks on opening its third location. But this a risk that the ownership team at Level Beer – Geoff Phillips, Jason Barbee, and Shane Watterson – are willing to take on. Having their own taprooms allows Level Beer to have more control in getting their beer to market and is one that appears to have been working well for them. Plus, Phillips also has more time to focus on the brewery after he closed down Bailey’s Taproom late last year, the beer bar that he owned after the bar ended its 13 year run in downtown Portland.

Lots of good details in the full article.

More news from Ecliptic

Even more news from Ecliptic today, featuring a new pilot brew system along with a new beer:

Our brewery team is taking experimenting to the next level with the addition of a two-barrel pilot brewery. This system gives us the opportunity to create small batch beers that produce just four kegs, making for endless possibilities!
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Space Sticke Alt was developed in the pilot brewery and is on tap now at Ecliptic! This limited edition brew features Hallertau Tradition hops with flavors of toasted coconut, walnut and banana bread, and lesser notes of clove and spice. Next time you’re at Ecliptic, ask our staff what we have on draft from the pilot brewery!

Fanzine from Fort George returns

Fort George Brewery’s popular seasonal IPA, Fanzine, returns tomorrow (Saturday) at both Fort George and at Great Notion locations in Portland (Fanzine is a collab with Great Notion):

Fanzine IPA, our Spring Seasonal, is dry-hopped with a mix of traditional & newer hop varieties, accompanied by a light grain bill allowing the hops to shine. A blast of mango, pine, and tangerine aromas tickle your nose, followed by a heavy dose of citrus & melon flavor. A slight bitterness appears about halfway through each sip, leaving the tiniest tingle on your tongue.

Brewed in collaboration with Great Notion Brewing, Fanzine will be released on draft and in 16oz 4-packs this Saturday, March 6th. Get yours online, on draft & in cans at Fort George, or cans to-go at any of Great Notions PDX locations. Fanzine will *NOT* be available on the Great Notion App.

New year-round hazy pale in cans from Crux

Bend’s Crux Fermentation Project has added a new year-round canned beer to its lineup: Kia Kaha Hazy Pale.

Some of you may have had Kia Kaha on tap over the past year or so as we dialed in the recipe but did you know that it’s now available all year long in six-packs? We’re excited to add this easy-drinking New Zealand style hazy pale ale to the line-up, especially as the days get warmer and longer.

It’s available in 12-ounce cans.

Cascade Brewing Blue Verbena to the lineup

Portland’s Cascade Brewing is also adding a new canned beer to its lineup, Blue Verbena, starting today:

Blue Verbena features a sour golden ale aged in oak foudres for up to 10 months then infused with Northwest grown blueberries and lemon verbena. It’s crisp, dry, and has a lower acidity than your typical Cascade sour. Coming in at 6.2% ABV this blueberry beer was meant to be crushed!

Limited hazy IPA bottle release from pFriem

Hood River’s pFriem Family Brewers has its new limited release beer out now in bottles—Hazy Sabro IPA:

Our New England-inspired, Hazy Sabro IPA greets you with an aromatic, hoppy hello of papaya, key lime, cantaloupe and pine. It’s both complex and crushable with a lingering, grapefruit finish, refreshing as a beam of sun spilling on a Pacific forest floor.