Happy Friday! This last day of May/first weekend of June is looking to be a beautiful one, weather-wise, perfect for patio drinking and outdoor events! Here’s the roundup of news and events for the weekend in the Oregon beer scene; as always, I’ll be updating this post throughout the day on Friday with the latest so check back often.

Friday, May 31

The Sunriver Brewfest begins Friday, taking place at Sunriver Resort through Saturday: “Sunriver Brewfest will welcome two dozen breweries, pouring more than 50 offerings including over 20 pub exclusives and highly loved craft beers, ciders, and wine. Taste all of your favorite beers, and discover a new one (or two) while supporting La Pine Sunriver Habitat for Humanity. This pet-friendly and family-friendly event will also offer activities for kids and young adults. Admission is FREE. A purchase of a souvenir mug is required for tasting. Souvenir mugs are $20 and come with 5 tokens. Additional tokens are available for purchase in packs of five for $5. Each 4 oz tasting is one token, full beers are 4 tokens.”

Bailey’s Taproom (Portland) is teaming up with Grains of Wrath Brewing to offer fundraising Pints for Quest Friday starting at 4pm: “Our friends at Grains of Wrath have generously provided us with a keg of their newest IPA – Dystopia, and 100% of proceeds will go to Quest Center for Integrative Health! Quest Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating in Portland since 1989. They offer health care services and programs to low income/marginalized communities in an inclusive, supportive environment. We look forward to seeing everyone there!”

Avid Cider (Bend) celebrates its sixth anniversary with the return of the AVID Carnival this weekend! “The Carnival is coming to Bend, and you are invited! Fun for all as we bring back the Ferris Wheel, Vertigo Swings, Zipper, and a new ride this year- the Rockstar! Live music runs both days (FRIDAY- The Green Room and Precious Byrd) (SATURDAY- Rubbah Tree, B-Side Brass Band, SugarBeats, and DJ Wicked). In addition, we’ll have a “Freak Show” stage with a dynamic thrill show hosted by Matt Molotov and Dixie Delish. Prepare to be dazzled by knife throwing, sword swallowing and more! Alongside food kart row, AVID will present its full array of ciders including a re-release of our awarded “Fruit Cider of the Year,” Dragonfruit. Happy 6th Birthday to AVID Cider! Thank you to all our AVID Fans and Bend Community. This ones for YOU!”

The BeerMongers (Portland) is holding a Portland vs. LA beer tasting and scarf exchange event Friday starting at 4pm: “Join us as we welcome our friends from Los Angeles to town for the Portland Timbers home opening weekend. Tonight we will have 5 LA beers on tap plus 5 Portland beers. We encourage you to pick your favorite beer. We are also hosting our first scarf exchange…rules are simple bring a Timbers scarf and find an LA fan to trade with…everyone who participates will earn a special Mongers gift! We love going to away games and want to help encourage friendships with other fan groups.”

Rogue Ales (Newport) is holding a special beer release at its Eastside Pub in Portland starting at 5pm: “Start your weekend off right — join us for some sunshine on our patio as we tap up Triumph Dog. This strong pale ale, brewed in collaboration with brewing legends Dave Fleming & John Maier. The beer features a brand new hop developed by OSU called Triumph. Dave & John will be there to share more about the beer. Cheers!”

Saturday, June 1

The Bier Stein (Eugene) is hosting its 4th Annual Invitational Beer Fest on Saturday: “This year’s Invitational will feature beer and cider from 36 of the best producers in Oregon. Whether amateur or aficionado, guests can dive into the rich craft community by exploring more than 60 craft beers and ciders. As always, seasonal, one-off, cellared, barrel-aged, and “altered” beers will be the focus of the fest. A brewer or representative from each brewery will be pouring beer from noon until 3pm.The Bier Stein’s kitchen and bar will be in operation as usual, and there will be additional food available in the parking lot via the Bier Stein Food Tent. This year we are adding a dunk tank to the event to benefit Cascades Raptor Center! A donation to this amazing non-profit gives you 3 chances to dunk your favorite (or least favorite) local “celebeerties”! Admission is $25 the day of the event (no advance tix) and includes a souvenir tulip glass plus 5 taster tickets. Additional taster tickets will be available for $1/each. Pours will be 4oz. and range from 1-4 tickets per pour.” This is one not to miss!

Stickmen Brewing (Lake Oswego) is holding its 4th Annual Kettle Sour Fest on Saturday: “Join us and With Love Oregon as we showcase 15-20 local kettle soured beers and sour ciders on our lake front patio in Lake Oswego, OR. Our non-profit partner this year is With Love Oregon. Their mission is to help foster families change the lives of children ages 0-6 by providing resources that nurture dignity, hope and community. Seventy percent of the Kettle Sour Fest proceeds will go to With Love to help support their great cause! Fest entry includes a custom tasting glass and a 8 drink tickets. Extra drink tickets $1/each.” Tickets are $20 online, or $25 at the door.

Portland Cider Company is hosting a Luau on Saturday! “Kick-off summer at our annual Portland Cider Luau 🌺✨🌴🍍 Drink out of a whole Pineapple and sample FIVE different Pineapple Ciders at our pineapple bar, including our summer seasonal PINEAPPLE ROSÈ.”

Portland’s Ruse Brewing is hosting the release party for 3-Way IPA, the collaboration beer from Fort George Brewery along with Cloudburst Brewing. “After over half a year of beta batches it is finally here! Come party with us Saturday June 1st and celebrate this year’s 3-way IPA. We’ve got tons of fun stuff planned.” Saturday starting at noon.

The new 3rd Street Beverage in Bend is celebrating its grand opening on Saturday: “Announcing 3rd Street Beverage official Grand Opening celebration! 20% off of everything in the store (excluding spirits), tastings, food truck by our neighbors at New York City Sub Shop, music by The Sleepless Truckers, giveaways and a whole lot of fun!”

McMenamins 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop (Portland) is hosting a pFriem bottle and can showcase with Hood River’s pFriem Family Brewers from 2 to 4pm: “pFriem will be pouring samples of several of their fantastic beers. Come on in, have a taste, a pint, and take some home for later.”

Public Coast Brewing (Cannon Beach) celebrates its 3rd birthday all day Saturday: “The day starts with a 5K Fun Run put on by the Oregon Brewery Running Series. Tickets available now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/public-coast-brewing-5k-fun-run-tickets-53621028941” There will be live music all day long and the beer will be flowing. Congrats!

Block 15 Brewing (Corvallis) has three new beers dropping on Saturday: summer seasonal Fresh Flow IPA in cans; Cassidy Wild Ale with Flowers in bottles that “was matured in Sauternes wine barrels with brettanomyces and then conditioned on spring flowers just before packaging”; and Wellspring Belgian-Style Brett Pale, a late spring seasonal in bottles. All three will be available in Block 15’s Taproom.

ColdFire Brewing (Eugene) has a big barrel-aged beer release on Saturday: “We are pleased to announce the release of 6 new beers from our barrel and foeder aging program. Join us Saturday June 1st at noon (11am for Publican members only) as we release the following new beers: The Bourbon Council 2019, Rhyme or Reason, The Branch, The Barrel and The Vine, Foeder on Blackberry, Foeder on Peche, and The Sparrow and The Crow.”

Sunday, June 2

Eugene’s Alesong Brewing is celebrating its third anniversary as well this Sunday: “If you know anything about Alesong, hopefully it’s that we specialize in barrel-aging all our beers, and with that we don’t typically make an IPA. What you might not know, is that once a year we have a special occasion that calls for us to make an exception. Our birthday! This year will mark our third anniversary, and with that our third IPA. This year, we’re collaborating with Sunriver Brewing to make a triple dry-hopped IPA! The beer will be available in 16oz four packs starting June 2nd at our anniversary event at the tasting room (May 31 for Blender’s Circle Members! The day will be a fun and casual celebration with live music from 3-6, free ice cream from 2-5, and the release of their annual collaboration IPA in cans! We’ll also have wood-fired pizza being provided by Marché who will be serving food at the tasting room throughout the summer.”

General News

Bend’s Monkless Belgian Ales announced today that the brewery signed a lease on a restaurant space! The upcoming pub/restaurant space, dubbed Monkless Brasserie, should be open by late summer. The location is the one formerly occupied by Craft Kitchen & Brewery and Old Mill Brew Werks before that near the Old Mill District, overlooking the Deschutes River.