TGIF and happy Friday to you all! Here’s the Oregon beer news for today and going into the weekend. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so if you have something you’d like to share please contact me and I can get it updated.

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): Tomorrow, Saturday, is their annual Chocolate Beer Dinner (which you may remember was rescheduled from last month), five courses of chocolate-infused foods (cocoa dusted scallops, beet and cocoa nib salad, mole pork) paired with mostly chocolate-themed beers. This is one of Deschutes’ signature events (right up there with their barrel-aged beer tasting and fresh hop tasting) and this year the beers sound amazing: Chainbreaker White IPA conditioned with lemon, basil and white chocolate, Imperial Bitter conditioned with lavender and caramel and served with a salted cocoa rim, and S’Moores Beer (brewed with chocolate and toasted marshmallows). It’s from 6 to 10pm at their Mountain Room in Bend and tickets—of which there are 25 left when I checked this morning—are $65.

APEX Bar (Portland) tomorrow (Saturday) is holding “Lighten Up 2012” featuring a huge beer menu all day celebrating lighter beer (in color if not in strength): “It’s that time again, get ready to spring forward. Yes, APEX will be doing some tasty tapping to celebrate the changing of the clocks. This Saturday, March 10th from 11:30 AM onward, we’re going to serve up somewhere around 35!! delicious, seasonally appropriate, quaff-able treats in styles ranging from saisons, singles, bieres de table, bieres de garde, hefeweizens, a sour or two and some that just plain defy category. Don’t miss out as we Lighten Up! your palate this Saturday.” Check out that beer list—definitely a not-to-be-missed Portland stop tomorrow if you’re in town. (via Brewpublic)

The Brew Shop (Bend) is holding their fundraising Pliny the Younger tasting this Sunday, as I blogged about here. Tickets will be sold starting at 11 for $10 for an eight-ounce pour of Younger, with fully half of those proceeds benefiting the Humane Society of Central Oregon. The Younger will being pouring at noon, and in addition they will have five other taps devoted to Russian River brews (proceeds from those sales will also benefit the HSCO). I’m anticipating a packed house, standing room only, so be sure to get there by 11 to get in line for a ticket.

Belmont Station (Portland) is having a tasting tonight from 6-8pm featuring a “12% Import” theme: “12% Imports specializes in importing some of the most amazing hand-crafted beers from very small artisanal breweries around the globe. Co-owner Maggie Fuller will be here to share the stories and pour complimentary tastes of some of their great lineup. Expected pours: Stillwater Folklore & Premium, Hoften Dormaal, Tilquin Geueze, Evil Twin Soft Dookie, and De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse. Emelisse Winterbier on draft. Get the lowdown on these breweries at www.12percentimports.com” (I wasn’t aware until now that this is an actual importing company.)

Full Sail Brewing (Hood River) has a beer tasting today at Market of Choice in Corvallis from 3 to 5 pm: “Try the newest brewers share beer, Extra Special Barney by brewer Barney Brennan, Top Sail Bourbon Barrel Imperial porter, the latest brewmaster’s reserve Imperial Stout and Old Boardhead Barleywine.” (via Oregon Brewers Guild)

And speaking of Full Sail, the latest Brewer’s Share special beer has been announced: Phil’s Existential Alt. “The second beer in the series “Phil’s Existential Alt” developed by Brewer, Phil Roche was released in 22oz. bottles and on draft in March. According to Phil, A generous amount of Munich and Vienna malts give this beer its copper color and toasty-caramel aroma. German noble hops provide complimentary bitterness and a clean, dry finish. The beer has been cold-conditioned for six weeks and goes down smooth. ABV 5.1% IBU 43.”

McMenamins Hillsdale Public House is celebrating 26 years of one of McMenamins’ best-known beers, Ruby Ale, all day on Wednesday the 21st. “Celebrate this raspberry-ale wonder with pints for $2.50, bottles to go for $4.50, food specials (like a Ruby-marinated chicken sandwich with herbed goat cheese, your choice of side and pint of Ruby for $12 or without the pint for $9.50) and more.”