Happy Hump Day! I actually spent a large part of yesterday thinking it was Wednesday, but I think I’m back on track and have the Oregon beer news for Wednesday the sixth of March. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post with the latest info as I find it, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Double Mountain Brewery (Hood River) continues their rolling release party for their newly-bottled Molten Lava Imperial IPA, tonight landing in Eugene at Sam Bond’s Garage. Yesterday in Bend they brought Molten Lava plus 8 taps of Double Mountain brews to Brother Jon’s Alehouse, so I’d expect similar tonight in Eugene!

Breakside Brewery (Portland): Tomorrow night, March 7, Breakside is teaming up with SE Portland’s Lardo to put on a special “Cheese vs. Beer” pairing event that sounds great: hosted by cheesemonger Steve Jones and brewmaster Ben Edmunds for the pairing with a Breakside tap takeover afterward, it’s limited seating for $22 and you can get in on it by emailing luke@lardopdx.com or calling 503-234-7786. Planned Breakside beers making an appearance: Aztec Ale, Barberhop Quartet Double IPA, Cedarbaumbier Battle of the Bulge Belgian Stout, MacFischer’s Peated Scottish Ale, Szechuan Blonde, Woodlawn Pale Ale, French Fennel Farmhouse—which sound fantastic.

Pfriem Family Brewers (Hood River) have a release party at their brewery tonight for their new Black Saison: “Black Saison Release Party Wed, March 6th @ 5:30! 7% ABV, 34 IBU’s. Tangy, spicy, intriguing roastiness and pairing it up w/ ancho & honey glazed riblette free appetizer!”  I wonder if “Black Saison” is the new CDA?

Burnside Brewing (Portland): They had a new beer release that hit the taps yesterday, a Common Beer which is a first for the brewery: “4449 is Burnside Brewing’s first lager and a solid representation of a traditional Common Beer, which originated in California during the gold rush. Ours is inspired by Southern Pacific 4449, the only surviving example of the GS-4 class of steam locomotives. Placed into service in 1941, 4449 has been fully functioning for nearly 70 years and calls Portland its home.” I love the history backstory behind this beer.

Vertigo Brewing (Hillsboro) has a couple of things happening. First, tonight they have a release of their new Barrel Aged Milk Stout (B.A.M.) taking place from 4 to 8pm: “Vertigo Brewing’s Got? Milk Stout has been aging in the Big Bottom Bourbon Barrels and is now ready for consumption. It will be available in glass (12 oz.), grenade ($8 fill), and growler ($14 fill). Bring dinner or snack and enjoy the newest Barrel Aged Brew.”

And, they also have a new beer in production they’ve dubbed “The Dude,” an Imperial Stout destined for Big Bottom Whiskey barrels; here are some specs: “Some brewing specifics on “The Dude”: More than 500 lbs of grain for a 5 barrel batch (10 kegs), Original Gravity: 1.077, SRM 38 and IBU’s: 50.” You gotta love a Big Lebowski reference!

Sad news: Intrepid beer writer Brian Yaeger reports that Forest Grove’s Off the Rail Brewing is closed (and has been since the first of the year): “[The brewery] has powered down after a dozen years of brewing up Black Sabbath inspired beers. None of their beers contained copious illicit drugs or bats, but beers like War Pigs Wheat and Over the Mountain Stout at least indicate what was blaring in the 12-barrel brewhouse run by brewer Dan Bragdon and his wife Antoinette. In the end, the Bragdons didn’t point to lagging sales but said it was a ‘personal decision. It wasn’t business.'” I’m sorry to say I never got the chance to try their beers or visit (but then again, I haven’t been to Forest Grove in awhile either).