Happy Hump Day! Here’s the Oregon beer news for Wednesday, June 5. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often for updates. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Bend’s newest brewery, Rat Hole Brewing, has been on fire of late: in addition to acquiring several local accounts for their bottled offerings, they are now also on tap in Snoqualmie, Washington at Finaghty’s Irish Pub & Restaurant, and (the big news) just announced yesterday that they have officially signed a deal to open a brewpub! It will be located in the space formerly occupied by the Old Mill Brew Wërks pub (384 SW Upper Terrace Drive in the Old Mill District of Bend), and they are tentatively looking at July 1 as the opening date. That’s a big step but a good one, it will definitely put them more on the map with a brewpub outlet.

The Green Dragon (Portland) has a Green Dragon Brew Crew Release tonight for Feisty Little Blonde starting at 5pm: “An American craft take on the German Kölsch style. This blonde has a light, clean body based on American 2-row, Cara-Pils, Crystal and Caramel malts and is gently bittered with two of the Big-C’s of the Pacific Northwest: Centennial and Cascade.”

Fire Cirkl (White City), which started out I believe exclusively making mead, is making inroads into the craft beer world lately as well. They posted today about a new beer coming out: “There’s a new gal coming to town. She will be on store shelves in August. Meet One-Eyed Ginger. She is a Saison style Belgian Ale, but we brew her with ginger instead of hops.” It’s 7.5% abv and without hops is technically a gruit.

Hood River’s Logsdon Farmhouse Ale and Parkdale’s Solera Brewery are teaming up in Portland tomorrow night at “The Upper Lip” (which I think is the upstairs of Bailey’s Taproom) for a special limited tasting flight of specialty beers—including the new release of Logsdon’s Charles Porter’s new beer, Aberrant. Because it’s limited, there are two tasting sessions, $18 each, and you’ll have to sign up ahead of time (via the page) to ensure you get in. The beers in the flight are Logsdon Far West Fleming, Logsdon Cerasus, Logsdon Aberrant, Solera The Fez, and Solera French Tickler. If you’re interested in trying some of the interesting beers coming out of the Hood River valley area, now’s your chance!