Here’s the Oregon beer news for Thursday, April 5. I’ll be periodically updating this news post throughout the day, so if you have some news to share, please contact me and I can get it updated.

BridgePort Brewing (Portland): Today is the release party for this year’s Stumptown Tart, starting at 5pm at Jimmy Mak’s Jazz Club in Portland’s Pearl District. Stumptown Tart is a Belgian-style ale brewed this year with three different berries (rather than a single fruit in years past): strawberries, raspberries, and marionberries, all Oregon-grown. There will be live music and free samples on hand at the release party tonight, so be sure to stop by!

The Spring Wine & Beer Fest starts tomorrow in Portland! Both tomorrow and Saturday from noon to 11pm at the Oregon Convention Center, you can check out the Fest now in its 18th year. “Festival-goers will enjoy samples of more than 80 craft beers, 30 regional wineries and many local artisan spirits, plus delectable tastes of specialty cheese and handcrafted chocolate, all while mingling with brewers, winemakers and other craftspeople. In addition, the festival will also offer a global shopping marketplace, cooking demonstrations and educational seminars on the Chef’s Stage, and live music featuring Northwest bands.” They have a variety of pricing and packages available, and there’s free admission to the first 1000 on each day.

Coalition Brewing (Portland) has their first bottle release party tonight from 7 to 10pm: “Come join us at EastBurn as we release three of our styles in 22oz bottles! Live music by the Pagan Jug Band, bottle give aways, and beer and food pairings!” The three newly-bottled beers are Two Dogs IPA, King Kitty Red Ale, and Rooster’s Cream Ale.

The Green Dragon (Portland) has a Meet the Brewer tonight with Lincoln City’s Rusty Truck Brewing (one I haven’t yet had the chance to try): “Join us for a pint and meet the brewer- this week featuring Rusty Truck Brewing with head brewer Ron Hulka. Beers tapped at 5pm and Meet the Brewer begins at 6pm. Ron will be bringing with him 4 of his best and most exciting ales: Stuphiny Imperial Red Ale, Rogue Wrecker IPA, Low Rider Lager, Moonlight Red Blackberry Ale.”

Southern Oregon Brewing (Medford) is landing in Salem tonight at ƒ/stop Fitzgerald’s Public House from 5 to 7pm: “We will be featuring several SOB beers on tap INCLUDING the new Seasonal “Holy Water” that is taking the world by storm.”

McMenamins Fulton Pub & Brewery (Portland) has a limited-edition beer tasting tonight, starting at 5pm, featuring “Hot Head”—a chili-infused Hammerhead: “This creation started off innocently enough. After all, it was an even-tempered and well-balanced keg of Hammerhead. What happened next is enough to make even the most mild-mannered beer angry. This Hammerhead keg was stuffed with a furious amount of Mexican Tree Chilis (Chile de Arbol) as Van Halen’s “Running With The Devil” came on the radio. The assertive spiciness and lingering heat make this once-balanced offering every bit the raging Hot Head.” If you like spicy chili beers, this sounds like one you should try. And being limited, that means once the beer’s gone, it’s gone.

The Bier Stein (Eugene) has their Starkbierzeit continuing today, celebrating strong ales to welcome in the spring: oodles of strong beer from Deschutes, Sierra Nevada, Stone, Dogfish Head, The Bruery, Full Sail, Firestone Walker, and more all on tap. You can buy individual glasses or build your own flights, which could lead to all sorts of fun and geeky tasting.