Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Wednesday, the 4th of April. As usual, I will be periodically updating this post throughout the day so check back often for the freshest news. And if you have some news you’d like to share, please contact me and I will get it posted.

Barley Brown’s Brewpub (Baker City) has big changes which I outlined earlier this morning—a new brewer, an expansion, and more. Definitely worth the read (if I do say so myself!) and it should make BB fans happy.

Upright Brewing (Portland) is having a Brewer’s Dinner in conjunction with Castagna Restaurant tonight at 6:30pm: “Join Castagna restaurant and Upright Brewing for a special Brewer’s Dinner. On Wednesday, April 4th we’ll host Alex Ganum of Upright Brewing to showcase the ease of pairing beer with modern cuisine. Chef Justin Woodward has prepared 4 courses, plus snacks, each course paired with an Upright beer. Alex will bring his limited release seasonal beers and a special treat for dessert. Seats are limited so call the dining room for reservations at (503) 231-7373.” Cost is $75 and it looks like a tasty, fresh menu.

The Commons Brewery (Portland): Today is the Bottle Release party for Commons’ first seasonal bottled beer, Biere de Garde, at the Cheese Bar in Portland starting at 6pm. “Our Biere de Garde was inspired by the farmhouse beers brewed in Northern France and our friend Steve Jones, Proprietor and Cheesemonger at Cheese Bar in Portland, Oregon. When Steve was lamenting about the dearth of food friendly Biere de Gardes in our area we took that as a cue to develop a beer that would fill the gap.” The Biere de Garde will be on draft and available in 750ml bottles for purchase—both at the Cheese Bar at a discount tonight, and then in the Commons tasting room starting this weekend for the regular price (though the price wasn’t specified). Biere de Garde and cheese, a great combo!

The Green Dragon (Portland) has a Green Dragon Brew Crew release today that is the perfect beer for a chilly spring day: Alternator Doppelbock. “This proper dopplebock is brewed with Bohemian pilsner malt and supplemented with Munich, Vienna, and Carafa II malts. A triple decoction results in a beautiful amber color with layers of malt flavor. German Hallertauer hops provide complexity and just enough hop character to work with this malt forward beer.” 8.3% abv and triple decocted! You don’t see that very often here.

The Bier Stein (Eugene): Today their “Starkbierzeit” strong beer event started—2 days of strong ales to usher in spring, with lots of great beer on tap from the likes of The Bruery, Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, Deschutes, Stone, Block 15, Flat Tail, Firestone Walker and Full Sail. Taps are open today and tomorrow at 11am with plenty of strong beers, and you can enjoy a glass or build a flight. A perfect way to warm up on these chilly spring days!