It’s Monday and the start of a new week and getting caught up on all the news happenings from around Oregon! I’m also just getting starting building out an “Oregon news calendar” here on the site which I’ll be populating with all the major Oregon beer news/events, so check that periodically to see what’s going on. I’ll be updating this news post throughout the day so if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get it posted.

Double Mountain Brewery (Hood River): Saturday the 17th, on St. Patrick’s Day, Double Mountain is celebrating their 5th Anniversary all day long with live music, reserve beers and a special menu: “In honor of St. Patrick and five years in the biz, we are continuing our tradition of big Anniversary Parties with a gig to remember. Rock legends the MEAT PUPPETS will headline a stellar lineup of bands throughout the day; the taps will be chock full of reserve DM beers, including a special bourbon-barrel-aged brown ale which will see its debut; the Taproom kitchen will feature some St. Patrick’s Day specials; and it’ll all take place under a massive tent right in front of the brewery. Booyah!” Admission is free and the event will be family-friendly until 8pm.

Coming up later this month, on the 24th (Saturday), is the (first annual) Malt Ball in Portland: a music and craft beer event where breweries are offering up collaboration beers with bands—beers brewed exclusively for this event. It takes place at the Bossanova Ballroom on East Burnside in Portland, and cost is $20 in advance, $25 at the door, which includes admission, commemorative mug, and four tasting tokens (more available for purchase presumably).

Vertigo Brewing (Hillsboro): They are getting set to release their Razz Wheat in bottles—which is I believe their first bottled beer release—and posted that sneak peak of the label (destined for 22-ounce bottles). Razz Wheat is an “unfiltered American Wheat Ale [that] eschews syrup for over twelve pounds of real raspberries per barrel” that is 5.3% abv.

The Green Dragon (Portland) has a Meet the Brewer this Thursday the 8th with Lompoc Brewing: brewers Bryan Keilty and Dave  Fleming will be on hand pouring 2008 Barrel-aged Doppelbock, Cherry Bomb, 69 Baltic Porter, Kick Ale Pale Ale, and Flower of the Gods IPA. It runs from 5 to 8pm.

Beerworks (Medford) announced a special “surprise” free tasting for tomorrow night, featuring Sierra Nevada Brewing, from 5 to 7pm. No other details forthcoming (yet).

Belmont Station (Portland) is hosting a tasting and meet the brewer even with Portland’s new Harvester   Brewing on Thursday the 8th from 5 to 8pm: “Harvester is a new exclusively GLUTEN FREE Craft Brewery in Portland and tonight they debut two new beers: Experimentale Red & Dark Ale to taste alongside their flagship Pale Ale. All gluten free and so tasty even those of us who are not restricted enjoy them! Let Brewers James Neumeister and John Dugan pour you a taste and tell you the story!”

Uptown Market (Portland) has a cool event going on tonight: a homebrew class to learn to brew a clone of Widmer Alt, starting at 6. Not only will the class be brewing the beer, but they also note that, “Beer will be released at the Brew with the Brewer event on April 14th!” Love that idea…