Happy Monday—today is the first day of American Craft Beer Week, the nationwide celebration organized by the Brewers Association. Keep an eye out for ACBW specials from your favorites breweries. Here’s the news in Oregon beer as well for this May 16; as usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news as I find it, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

Hillsboro’s Vertigo Brewing is celebrating ACBW all this week: “Everyday we are going to have a $10.00 growler fill special. Each day we will have a different beer on special. To launch we are starting with our Friar Gone Wild Imperial IPA. That’s right 64 oz of our 9.5% ABV beer for only ten bucks.” View that full post to see the week’s lineup of specials.

Crux Fermentation Project (Bend): Tonight’s weekly BEER’ducation Series tasting pits their Park & Play IPA up against Sugar Daddy Strong Pale. Park & Play is billed as a “lower alcohol IPA” with Mosaic, Citra, and Centennial hops, whereas Sugar Daddy is stronger by a percentage point tipping towards the sweet side of the palate (with Citra hops). If you’re interesting in checking them out, be there between 4 and 9pm tonight.

Central Oregon Beer Week begins this Friday, May 20, and runs through Sunday the 29th of Memorial Day weekend. There are a number of events lined up of course, plus daily specials and tastings at many breweries and locations across the area, and I’ll try to keep up each day here with a list of the specials and events going on. Prepare your livers!

And there are some fests coming up this week as well. First up, Rogue‘s annual Brewer’s Memorial Ale Fest taking place on Friday and Saturday—actually their 10th annual event! “Brewers Memorial Ale Festival is an annual event created in memory of Rogue Brewmaster John Maier’s faithful companion Brewer, who passed away on May 20, 2006. Brewer grew up in the brewery and eventually rose to the rank of CEO of Rogue Ales. Dates & Times: Friday, May 20 4pm-10pm. Saturday, May 21 12pm-10pm. This dog-friendly brew festival is held inside the Rogue Ales Brewer’s on the Bay in Newport, Oregon.”

In Portland on Wednesday, McMenamins Kennedy School is hosting the Oregon Brewshed Brewfest from 5:30 to 9:30pm. From the Facebook event page: “See the forest for the beer… The Oregon Brewshed® Brewfest is a celebration of fantastic Oregon craft beer and the wild watersheds that make it possible, featuring the breweries and other businesses committed to watershed protection through their partnership in the Oregon Brewshed Alliance. Hosted by Brewshed® Partner McMenamins Pubs, Breweries & Historic Hotels at the Kennedy School, up to 20 local Oregon breweries will be pouring a special beer of their choosing for craft beer lovers to try. Your ticket gets you 10 tastes, a special tasting glass, a Brewshed® Brewfest Passport, one raffle ticket and entry. Additional tastes and raffle tickets will be available for $1 each. McMenamins pub fare will be available for purchase.” Hit up that page for the $20 advance tickets (otherwise they are $25).

And then on Saturday the 21st, Lake Oswego’s Stickmen Brewing is hosting their first-ever Kettle Sour Fest from 11 to 9: “This inaugural event will feature an array of Kettle Soured beers from some amazing breweries. The proceeds from the event benefit the Friends of Doernbecher. Event will be held on the lakeside patio at Stickmen Brewing Company: 40 N. State Street, Lake Oswego. Admission is free. There is a $20 charge for a glass and 10 drink tickets, which are required to taste. Additional tastes are $1. VIP packages available for $40 gets you one hour early access, 5 extra drink tickets, and a Kettle Sour t-shirt.”

2 Towns Ciderhouse (Corvallis): Late last week they announced the release of their summer seasonal Imperial Hop & Stalk cider, made with rhubarb and Citra hops. From the press release: “Hop & Stalk features an outrageous amount of Citra hops, locally grown Crimson Red rhubarb, and fresh-pressed Northwest apples. With 8% ABV and fragrant floral passionfruit notes this cider stands up to bold Indian curry, fiery Mexican dishes, and even complements a subtle home-churned vanilla ice cream. Hop & Stalk will be available to distributors from May through August in 500 ml bottles and ⅙ BBL and ½ BBL kegs throughout Oregon, Washington, California, Alaska, Idaho, Hawaii, the Chicago area, and parts of Nevada and Minnesota.” Rhubarb and hops, it’s an interesting combination but 2 Towns has definitely been doing some interesting things with cider lately. Keep an eye out for it.

Laurelwood Brewing (Portland) announced last week the latest beer to become available in cans: their seasonal Golden Ale. From the press release: “Laurelwood Golden Ale six-pack cans will debut in May and run through September. Golden Ale is the Portland brewery’s second canned offering. Laurelwood Brewing Co. began canning in August 2015, with their year-round Red Elephant IRA. Though the Golden Ale cans are new, the recipe is one of the most established in Laurelwood Brewing Co.’s 15 year history and the beer is a staple on the brewery’s draft list. Golden Ale won Gold and Silver at the 2002 and 2013 World Beer Cup respectively, as well as several Great American Beer Festival medals.”

10 Barrel Brewing (Bend): A press release issued today announces their two new beers for summer that have been launched: Cucumber Crush in cans, and the new summer seasonal, Piña. From the release: “Cucumber Crush appeals to distinguished craft palates just as much as to virgins of the sour craze, and is a light, crisp, and refreshing beer made to crush anywhere, anytime. Cucumber Crush has also won multiple awards, including the Bronze for German-Style Sour Ale in 2015 and the Gold for Field Beer in 2014 at the Great American Beer Festival. Piña is definitely not for hopheads – it has a true summer taste with passion fruit and pineapple, adding a tropical kick to your summer beer-drinking experience. Piña is a light, easy-drinking summer ale that is refreshing on a hot summer’s day. You don’t have to drink it with a tiny umbrella or out of a coconut, but we won’t judge you if you do. Piña comes in at 4.7% ABV and will be available through September in 12oz. bottled six-packs, 22oz. bottles and on tap at our Bend, Portland and Boise pubs and throughout Oregon, California, Colorado, Idaho and Washington.”