Happy Friday! Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Friday the 18th as well as the weekend. As usual I’ll be updating this post periodically throughout the day, so if you have news to share, please contact me so I can get it posted; and check back on this page often to see the latest updates.

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): Tonight at the Bend Pub is the second of their Collage beer dinners, from 6 to 9pm. This is a six-course meal paired not only with the collaboration Collage beer (co-brewed with Hair of the Dog), but also the four constituent beers that were blended to product Collage: The Dissident, The Stoic, Fred, and Adam. Cost is $85 per ticket (with partial proceeds benefiting NeighborImpact of Central Oregon), and last I checked there were still 19 tickets left—though the ticketing closed at noon. Perhaps if you call Deschutes at (541) 382-9242 you can get one of those remaining tickets.

APEX Beer Bar (Portland) is having a party for their 2nd anniversary this weekend, starting tonight and lasting through tomorrow! New School has more details here, and it sounds like it’s going to be quite a party; tonight from 5 to 9 there will be a number of sour and unusual beers, and tomorrow: “It’s our second anniversary celebration, all day and into the night from 11:30AM to 2:30 AM.  I won’t tell you what I’m going to put on the tap, but if you remember last year’s anniversary, you know that it’s a lineup that’s not to be missed. I’ll be tapping between 30 and 50 rare beers that I’ve been working for the past two years to get for this event. In addition, it’ll be the worldwide debut of a beer I’m very excited about. Last year I asked my friend Peter Kruger, brewmaster at Bear Republic, if he’d be interested in making me a beer to commemorate our second anniversary. He graciously agreed to do so and I gave him  a few suggestions about what I liked best in my favorite double IPAs. He went to work on a recipe and the result is what he called the hoppiest beer they’ve ever made, Double Apex, a 10.1% Double IPA. An imperial version of their delicious Apex IPA. I can’t wait to taste it!”

Today is the start of this weekend’s Brewer’s Memorial  Ale Fest being held by Rogue over in Newport. Today from 4 to 10pm, tomorrow from noon to 10 and Sunday from noon to 4, hit up this dog-friendly fest (held to celebrate the life of Brewmaster John Maier’s dog Brewer, who passed away in 2006) to sample beers from 50+ breweries as well as enjoy live music, dog-featured activities, and more. It’s taking place at Rogue’s brewery (in the South Beach part of Newport).  Ages 21+ only, and $10 entry with proceeds benefiting various Oregon Coast charities.

Heater Allen Brewing (McMinnville) is celebrating its 5th Anniversary tomorrow with an open house from noon to 5—and you can also celebrate McMinnville’s “Alien Daze” UFO Festival this weekend! Heater Allen is one of the only Oregon breweries exclusively brewing lagers and they’re still going strong. Congrats!