Here is the news and events from around Oregon for this Hump Day, Wednesday, March 29. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back for updates. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

McMenamins has a couple of tastings today:

• McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse in Hillsboro has their Roadhouse Refreshments high gravity beer tasting from 6 to 9pm, featuring four high gravity beers from different McMenamins breweries: Lord of Misrule 2016 from Edgefield Brewery, Ballena 1697 from Monroe Brewery, Hearts and Bones Double IPA from Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Brewery, and Voorhees Vortex from High Street Brewery. I believe you can get each of these individually or by taster tray.
• McMenamins Broadway Pub in Portland has “The Tasting Technique” beer tasting from 5 to 8pm, featuring Dawn Meets Dusk from Highland Pub brewer Ryan Lund: “Terminator’s had a busy thirty-one years. So, here’s to another thirty-one! Coffee beans were placed directly inside one special keg of Terminator Stout, and cold-steeped for a smooth flavor extraction. This addition complements the coffee flavors that come from Terminator’s Roasted Malts with, well, literal coffee flavors. Enjoy the best of both worlds.”

Great Notion Brewing (Portland) has their latest crowler release available today, JB Double IPA. “Your favorite double IPA, JB is back on tap and in Crowlers to go! 2 per person, limited to only 225. Bursting with mosaic hops and bullying around it’s younger brother, Junior, JB is the DIPA you don’t want to miss.”

Rogue‘s Eastside Pub (formerly the Green Dragon in Portland) has their latest Green Dragon Brew Crew release today, featuring Chili Pepper Kölsch: “Brewed with guest brewer and Rogue extraordinaire Levi Troebe, this unique offering to our Wednesday guests is a refreshingly fiery departure from typical rainy-day beers. Aromas of roasted chili are backed by the sublime intangible essence that is Kölsch. A delightfully light, “hybrid” German ale that is fermented at temperatures typically suited to lager yeast. A touch of malt sweetness belies the assertive burn that you feel building. A light addition of mango provides a tease of comfort and is smooth on the palate. Enjoy!” It’s tapped at 5pm.

Forest Grove’s Ridgewalker Brewing is hosting Ordnance Brewing for a tap takeover tonight from 5 to 9pm: “Rdigewalker Brewing is hosting Ordnance this Wednesday with a great tap lineup. Will will be there with Blackfisk Imp Stout, Little House Brown, Bloops Blueberry Wheat, RX Pale Ale, and FMJ IPA. Hope to see you there!”

Deschutes Brewery (Bend) has announced their 2017 Street Pub tour—and this year, Portland is on the list! It will be rolling into town on September 23, so mark your calendars now! “The 400-foot-long Street Pub will pour a huge selection of Deschutes Brewery beers, including its famed Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Fresh Squeezed IPA as well as its highly coveted Reserve Series beers such as The Abyss. True to the brewery’s full pub experience, food will be a major part of the equation. Deschutes’ corporate executive chef (Jeff Usinowicz) will team up with local chefs in each city to create some fantastic food pairings. Live local bands will round out a memorable experience in each city.”

Ninkasi Brewing (Eugene) has announced a new CEO: Cheryl Collins. Nikos Ridge will transition to President. From the press release: “Current chief operations officer, Cheryl Collins, began her career with Ninkasi in 2012 and has held senior roles at the brewery including VP of organizational development and chief people officer. With over a decade of organizational leadership experience, Collins has been recognized for her exceptional contributions to organizational development: she received the Recruiter of the Year Award from the University of Oregon, the Manager of the Year Award from the Willamette Chapter Credit Union Association, and two national awards from the Credit Union National Association for development and execution of training programs. She has been featured in industry publications as a thought leader for small business best practices and last year appeared as the keynote speaker at the Oregon Manufacturers’ Summit. During her time at Ninkasi Collins spearheaded employee recruitment, training and onboarding programs, implemented Continuous Improvement strategies and best practices across brewery operations, fostered teambuilding activities to nurture organizational culture, implemented safety protocols and initiatives, facilitated leadership development, contributed to employer branding, and helped oversee the leadership and implementation of company strategies.” Congratulations all around!

Bend’s Boneyard Beer announced their latest beer release, a collaboration Imperial IPA with Minnesota’s Steel Toe Brewing. From the press release: “Boneyard Beer collaborates with Steel Toe Brewing to release Sticker Fight Double IPA, Oregon-style. Back in 2014 a war was waged in Denver, Colorado over burritos and Mexican lagers between two hop-forward breweries: one from Minnesota, the other from Oregon. The Sticker Fight had begun. The legend was epic and the trail of stickers storied. To commemorate the madness, Randin King (brewer at Boneyard and formerly of Steel Toe) developed a tropical fruity Double IPA for the thirsty folks of Minnesota. The concoction was supremely satisfying and utterly demanded by fans. Three years later, Boneyard and Steel Toe joined forces, put their adhesive weapons down, and brewed an Oregon-inspired version for the West Coast. The body is crisp, with just enough sweetness to counter the onslaught of aromatic and flavorful hops. Sticker Fight Double IPA is 8.5% ABV and 80 IBUs and will only be available on draft for a limited time starting April 3, 2017.”