Here’s the news for this final day of March, Thursday the 31st (where did the month go?). As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Full Sail Brewing (Hood River): They are releasing a new “Session Mashup” 12-pack of their Session beer series beers, which will rotate seasonally. From their press release: “Just about everybody who likes beer likes Session, and now everybody will have more to love with the release of Session Mashup, a new variety 12-pack with a rotating, handpicked selection of the best each season has to offer. The inaugural Session Mashup, available now, features four award-winning Session beers: crisp clean Session, citrusy golden Session Wheat, easy drinking Session IPA and smooth and sweet Session Cream.”

McMenamins Highland Pub (Gresham) has their “The Proper Taste” beer tasting today from 5 to 8pm, featuring Summer’s Ready Espresso Porter: “Ready or not, summer is coming! Here’s a little kick start to get the people going. If you’re a coffee drinker, this one is for you. It has the final look of winter with a brown hue, and a slightly off color head. You’ll be met by the smell of roasted malts and roasted coffee beans, preceding a rather light bodied Espresso Porter with big flavor. This just might be the jump you need to prepare for a relaxing, but busy, summer season.”

The Green Dragon (Portland) is hosting Corvallis’ Flat Tail Brewing for their meet the brewer event this week, welcoming head brewer Dave Marliave starting at 5pm: “Things get wild Thursday at the Green Dragon as Dave Marliave of Flat Tail Brewing joins us for Meet The Brewer. Dave is bringing not just one, but two, of his DAM Wild series of beers. These are sour blondes fermented with specialty yeasts and brewed with a variety of locally sourced ingredients.” This  should be a popular night, with interesting beers!

Heater Allen Brewing (McMinnville) tonight is presenting a Beer Talk on “Malt” at The Bitter Monk in McMinnville starting at 7pm: “In the new world of beer, malt often gets overshadowed in its importance by hops and yeast but it is an integral and driving part of the flavor of beer. Join us Thursday, March 31st, at 7PM as Rick and Lisa from Heater Allen join us to talk a little about the role and importance of quality malt in brewing and to show us first hand how different malts from different areas can affect a beer. Better yet, taste it as we will have two editions of their new Helles Lager on tap brewed with different malt sources! The talk is free and we’ll be giving tasters of the beer. Just buy a pint of which one you like best!” (More of their two side-by-side Helles releases they started yesterday at Saraveza.)

The Growler Guys (Bend): Their eastside location is hosting Stone Brewing for a tasting event today from 5 to 7pm: “Stone Brewing is coming to the Growler Guys and this is one event you do not want to miss! Stone is bringing lots of giveaways to share with all of our awesome customers and don’t forget about our free samples of Growler Guys pizza! We will be pouring new beers from Stone that we have yet to have on tap, so make sure you come by and grab some samples!”

Bend’s Silver Moon Brewing created a special-label beer in conjunction with Bend’s Deschutes Historical Museum, dubbed Skyliners IPA in honor of the Museum’s new exhibit, Winter Comes: Oregon’s Nordic Ski History. There will be a launch party on April 5; from the press release: “Silver Moon will donate $1 per pint of Skyliners IPA on tap to the museum through the month of April. In addition, a special Skyliners’ IPA Bottle Launch party will be at Silver Moon Brew Pub, 24 NW Greenwood Avenue in Bend, Tuesday, April 5 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. to introduce the 22 oz. Skyliners IPA (Hop Nob). DHM is asking for a $10 donation per bottle or $110 per case. The launch party will also feature vintage ski photos and rare footage of ski jumping off Pilot Butte in 1965. The Skyliners IPA and label is a tribute to the men and women of Bend’s first ski/mountaineering club. Founded in 1927, Skyliners introduced outdoor recreation to Central Oregon. Winter Comes: Oregon’s Nordic Ski History details the strong influence of the Scandinavian culture that pushed Central Oregon to the forefront of Nordic skiing in the early 1920s.” And (shameless plug!) for more on Bend’s beer history, including a mention of skiing and the Skyliners, you can always check out my book on the subject!

Deluxe Brewing (Albany) is holding a Pre-Prohibition tap takeover today at Full Monty’s Bistro and Taphouse in Keizer: “Join us for some roaring 20’s fun with our friends from Deluxe Brewery. We will be offering many new and refreshing beers on tap, a classic 20’s cocktail list, moonshine and a speciality Scarface themed dinner menu created by our very own Chef Anthony! Come play some games and take a spin on the rouelette wheel to win prizes, gift certificates and the always beloved swag! Feel free to dress the part!” That sounds like a lot of fun, and definitely plays right up to Deluxe’s lager strengths. Starts at 6pm.

Portland’s Pints Brewing will be at Howl ‘n Growl Filling Station tonight from 6 to 8pm for a meet the brewer event: “Come on down for an evening of Pints Urban Taproom beers at Howl ‘n Growl Filling Stations. Three beers – Seismic IPA, Schwarzbier and Berlinner Weisse – will be on tap and Pints’ brewmaster Alan Taylor will be on hand to chat.”

Ordnance Brewing (Boardman) will be at Uptown Market in Portland tonight for a tap takeover starting at 5pm: “Portland Westside friends get on over to Uptown Market PDX (6620 SW Scholls Ferry Rd, Portland, OR 97223) tonight for our tap takeover and to meet our local man on the street Will Minderhout. He’s a wealth of craft beer information and knows Ordnance inside and out. Will is taking the following beers in to take over Uptown Market.”

Mia & Pia’s Pizzeria and Brewhouse (Klamath Falls) has a spring seasonal beer out: “MMMMMM…here for spring… Irrigator Dopplebock. This delicious beer is a dark, sweet, double strength German Lager! Recipe originally developed by the monks in Munich, Germany in the late 1700’s…history in a glass! Cheers!” (This might be the first time I’ve included Mia & Pia’s in a news post; or at least, it’s rare!)

Cascade Brewing (Portland): They announced today that Tim Larrance, son of founder Art Larrance, is joining the Cascade team as vice president of sales and marketing. From the press release: “Larrance will be responsible for all sales and marketing functions, including managing and directing the company’s growing wholesaler network across the United States as well as helping continue to build the Cascade Brewing brand across the globe. Larrance has more than 23 years in the beverage industry, holding area and regional management and director positions with Labatt USA, Inbev and William Grant & Sons. He has been in and around the brewing industry since his teenage years when he watched his father, Art Larrance, build Portland Brewing in the early 1980s; he began his own career there in 1992.”