Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Monday kicking off the final week in April. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news as I find it, so check back often. If you have news to share, please let me know and I can get that updated as well.

News broke at the end of last week that Bend’s Deschutes Brewery is possibly eyeing Asheville, NC, for an east coast expansion. “Representatives from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon, the sixth-largest craft brewer in the country, visited Asheville in December and plan a second trip in late May, according to company president Michael LaLonde, who spoke highly of the mountain region. “We’re looking at a number of locations in a number of states,” LaLonde said. “We’re looking in North Carolina, we’ve looked in Virginia, we’ve looked in Tennessee, as well as South Carolina.” The brewery also looked at sites in the Greenville and Charleston, South Carolina, areas, LaLonde said. The company was impressed with Greenville.” It’s no secret Deschutes has been eyeing the East for a while now, as that makes sense. Nice to see some movement on that project, and they want to have an East Coast operation up and running by 2019. I’m quite sure I will have much more to write about on this, stay tuned.

This upcoming Sunday, May 3, is FredFest! This fun, premier event celebrates the birthday of the Dean of American Beer Writers, Fred Eckhardt, taking place at Portland’s Hair of the Dog Brewing from 1 to 5pm Sunday. “When we first started FredFest, Fred asked that no gifts be given and that all the proceeds toward a charitable organization. This year’s charity is the Oregon Zoo Foundation. We are building a fund in remembrance of Michael Olsen, a Hair of the Dog employee who was shot and killed on the streets of Portland last year. One-hundred percent of FredFest ticket sales go to our charity and Hair of the Dog covers all expenses for the event, so attendees are encouraged to pay more than the suggested ticket price.” Tickets are $65 and can only be purchased in advance on Hair of the Dog’s website. So; what would Fred drink?

Bazi Bierbrasserie (Portland) is celebrating the Dutch holiday King’s Day today, with featured Dutch beers from 6 to 9pm: “On Monday, wear ORANGE – the color of royalty – and come experience a special Dutch tasting tray including beers from two famous breweries: La Trappe and Urthel. The Dutch sampler trays will be available for $12. Each flight consists of 4 – 5 oz pours. Complimentary “King’s Day” t-shirts will be available with every Dutch sampler tray purchase while supplies last. Expect orange beads, crown’s fit for a Queen or King, bottle openers, plus other swag.”

Laurelwood Brewing (Portland) is beginning distribution internationally, to Canada, according to a press release issued today. From the release: “The city’s original certified organic brewery, Laurelwood Brewing Co., is teaming up with Beerthirst to distribute its award-winning beers throughout Canada in mid-May 2015. The new expansion will bring Laurelwood’s name to specialty beer and liquor stores in Alberta and British Columbia to start, and eventually to other Canadian provinces. Beerthirst, an Independent Agent of quality craft beer, bases their business on tasting beers from around the world and bringing the best ones back home to Canada.”

The Green Dragon (Portland) teamed up with Portland’s quirky Unipiper to brew a collaboration beer that will be released on May 5: “Brian Kidd, better known by the people of Portland as The Unipiper, has joined forces with Buckman Botanical Brewery’s Danny Connors to produce a beer almost as unique as The Unipiper himself: The UnipIPA. Brewed using bagpipe-roasted Habanero Peppers, this fiery IPA is the brain child of the Darth Vader mask toting, kilt wearing, unicycling, flame throwing, bagpipe playing Unipiper we all know and love.” The release event runs from 5 to 8pm next week. You know you wanna.