Happy Tax Day—if you’ve managed to get your taxes done and sent off, enjoy a beer, and if not, enjoy a beer anyway, taxes are stressful! In the meantime, check out the beer news from around Oregon today; I’ll be updating this periodically throughout the day so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get it updated.

The Brewers Association released their top 50 craft breweries list today, based on 2011 beer sales volume, and I’m pleased to note a number of Oregon breweries on the list:

• Deschutes Brewery at #5
• Full Sail Brewing at #20
• Rogue Ales at #25
• Ninkasi Brewing at #32

In addition Widmer Brothers and BridgePort Brewing indirectly made this list, being part of the Craft Brew Alliance and The Gambrinus Company, respectively. That’s good news for Oregon beer, and shows off the tremendous growth in craft beer—particularly with Ninkasi, the youngest of this group whose growth has skyrocketed these past few years (and is continuing to climb).

Breakside Brewery (Portland): They’ve got a Tax Day special for you: “Happy Tax Day! Come into the pub today with the password “Tax my ass” and see what it gets you. It’ll be worth your while.” (via Facebook)

GoodLife Brewing (Bend): Check it out, a teaser for what could be the (official?) label image for Comatose Imperial IPA, the newest beer coming from GoodLife (joining their current lineup of five or six beers). Looking forward to that one…

Cascade Brewing (Portland): Tonight’s Tap It Tuesday (starting at 6pm) sounds like it’s going to be a special one: “We’ll be tapping the only keg in existence of Supracot. This live NW style sour wheat ale is a special single barrel project from the blenders that was barrel aged for six months before aging on 200 pounds of fresh apricots for an additional nine months – 200 pounds of fruit far exceeds our goal of two pounds per gallon by more than 1.5 pounds! Aromas of dusty apricot skins and blossoms are present at the start. Huge, rich, tart apricots cover your palate and lead to a dry fruit finish with a cotton candy note. Close your eyes, it’s like drinking a fresh apricot. This is tarter than the Apricot Blend; this is Blender strength! 8.5% ABV, $7.00 glass, $2.50 taster.”

Widmer Brothers (Portland) is hosting a “Cloyster Stout” Tasting/release this Saturday the 21st at their Gasthaus: “To celebrate the release of Cloyster Stout, our entry in this years Portland’s Cheers to Belgian Beers festival, we are hosting a special oyster stout and oyster tasting on Saturday, April 21st from 1-3:00pm. Stop by the Gasthaus on Saturday to sample Cloyster Stout and fresh oysters from Pacific Seafood. Cloyster Stout is the work of our night shift brewing crew and is a hybrid of a Belgian Dark Strong Ale and a Dry Irish Stout. We used whole oysters and oyster liquor during brewing to give this beer a subtle briny mineral character and a dry, refreshing finish.”  In addition to free admission, if you show your Cheers to Belgian Beers proof of entry you’ll get a free taste of the stout plus an oyster as well. Definitely sounds like an interesting beer—I’d love to see a keg make it’s way to Bend (hint, hint).