Happy Friday! Here’s the Oregon beer news for the Friday of March 8 and the weekend. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Today is the start of the Lucky Lab‘s 14th Annual Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival in Portland! This is one of the Portland premiere events and one every beer geek in the area should be checking out. “Come join us for the big, crazy beers at this year’s Tastival at the Quimby Beer Hall Friday and Saturday, March 8th and 9th, noon to 10 p.m. We call it a tastival because we encourage people to try many of the barleywines and other big beers on offer. An event glass and two tasting tokens are just $9 and extra tickets are $1.50 each for a four-ounce pour (you’ll need double tickets for special rare beers). We have a tentative total of 43 beers to taste. We will have about 25 on tap at any one time, and we will tweet as the days progress so you’ll know what has blown and what is still pouring.”  Keep an eye on the Facebook page for updates.

Sixteen Tons (Eugene) is holding their “IPA Fest” this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, and featuring some 70(!) beers from a huge number of breweries, including “Russian River, Elysian, Ninkasi, Oakshire, Claim 52, McKenzie Brewing, New Belgium, Gilgamesh, Epic, Breakside, Boneyard, Midnight Sun, AleSmith, Firestone Walker Double, Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, Dogfish Head, Bear Republic, Great Divide, Green Flash, Gigantic, Evil Twin, Mikkeller, Hopworks, Double Mountain, Stone, 10 Barrel Hop, Good Life, Laurelwood, Boulevard, Block 15, Deschutes, Hopworks, Anchorage, and more!” It’s free entry and cash-only. If you’re a hophead you’d better check this out.

GoodLife Brewing (Bend) posted a picture today of what their new, soon-to-be-available cans will look like—very nice! They are using a mobile canning company to can their Descender IPA and Sweet As Pacific Ale, which should come out later this month I believe. This will make them the first Central Oregon brewer to can their beer. (Worthy Brewing will follow in a few months.)

And, tonight GoodLife is hosting a White House Beer Party featuring the release of a version of the White House honey beer recipe that came out last year: from 5 to 7pm is when it’s taking place, and only a limited amount of the beer was brewed. “We got a hold of the White House’s beer recipe, passed it to GoodLife and they brewed us up a batch of presidential barley pop. Come on down and try it with us. We’ll tap the keg, toast Obama and drink like they do at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Free entry and $3 pints ’til the beer is gone! Local rockers, Wilderness, is providing the soundtrack.”

It’s Pliny the Younger season, and this much-lusted-after beer has been making sporadic appearances in Portland this past week or two, but one of the biggest PtY events is coming up this Monday through Wednesday at Belmont Station: special tappings all three days that will be a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. However it will be a ticketed-only event and you must purchase tickets in advance to get Pliny. “The Biercafe will remain open to the public all 3 days so seats are first come first served, but by limiting the number each day everything stays relaxed. A ticket entitles you to one glass of Russian River Pliny the Younger and one glass of Pliny the Elder. You can buy as many tickets as you want to share with friends but we will not serve more than one glass of each to any one individual in one day (these are strong beers folks and you are welcome to share!). Tickets are $13 (cash) or $13.50 (card) each with $6 donated to Habitat for Humanity Portland/MetroEast. You must buy tickets for either Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. You can come in any time between 2PM and 10PM on the date of your ticket but you must come on that specific day. Tickets go on sale Friday March 8 @ 2:30PM.”  If you’re looking to get in on this three-day tapping event, don’t delay and buy your tickets now!