Happy post-St. Paddy’s Day—I hope the hangovers are minimal. Here’s the news for Wednesday, March 18. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often for updates. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Ninkasi Brewing (Eugene) sent yeast to space—seriously, they put brewer’s yeast on a rocket in a project dubbed the Ninkasi Space Program—and now they are releasing a beer made with that yeast: Ground Control Imperial Stout, due on April 13. From the press release: “Ninkasi is proud to introduce Ground Control, an Imperial Stout brewed with Oregon hazelnuts, star anise and cocoa nibs and fermented with an Ale yeast that survived a trip to space and back… six vials of brewer’s yeast traveled 77.3 miles in altitude aboard a rocket, and returned safely to Earth. The result: healthy, hungry and viable yeast, ready for brewing. The yeast was cold-transported back to Ninkasi’s lab in Eugene, where it was propagated and tested before being used to ferment its first beer, Ground Control.” That… is the ultimate stunt beer.

Cascade Brewing (Portland) is expanding! The Oregonian ran a story on it yesterday: “The brewer, known for its sour beers, has maintained a warehouse off Southwest Denney Road for about a year but is expanding it to handle all of its sour/tart beer operations from fermentation to bottling. Its barrelhouse on Southeast Belmont in Portland will remain but largely for retail not brewing, said Ron Gansberg, brew manager. And, of course, Raccoon Lodge in Raleigh Hills will continue as a pub and brewery as it has since 1998. The site near Denney Road allows Gansberg and owner Art Larrance to expand from the 7,000 square foot former produce warehouse on Belmont to a 23,000 square foot warehouse with a 19,000 square foot cooler.” The space is formally in Beaverton; the Raccoon Lodge itself it technically in Portland though it’s effectively on the border between the cities.

Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland): Also in the Oregonian yesterday, John Foyston reports on HUB’s earning a B Corporation certification: “Hopworks is the first B Corporation brewery in the Pacific Northwest and the seventh in the world, and it joins 46 other certified B Corporations in Oregon. By becoming certified, Hopworks formally and legally agrees to consider their impact not only financially but also on their workers, suppliers, community, consumers, and the environment, collectively referred to as the triple bottom line.” (Read up on B corps here.) This is right in line with how Hopworks was built and operates, good on them.

McMenamins Murray & Allen (Beaverton) has a limited-edition beer tasting today starting at 3:30pm, featuring Black Rock Coconut Porter from the Oak Hills Brewery: “A mellow Porter infused with home toasted coconut shavings. Chocolate and Roast malts give the Black Rock its smooth traditional porter flavor. A generous offering of fresh, toasted coconut gives ample aroma and a hint of flavor on the back of the pallet. Moderately hopped, the malt and coconut will be the stars of this stage.” Sounds tasty and drinkable at 4.9% abv.

De Garde Brewing (Tillamook): They have a new beer available in bottles and at their taproom: Tableau Rouge. “A wild red ale fermented and aged extensively in oak foeder. Bold Brettanomyces character with a brisk acidity. Subtle notes of tart red fruit marry with delicate oak tannins to make this characterful to savor, but approachable enough to have several. 5% abv”