Here is the news in Oregon beer for Thursday, the 18th of June. I am off to Silverton today for the Oregon Garden Brewfest and Brewer’s Tasting Dinner, so I won’t be updating throughout the day. If you still have news to share, please contact me and I can report on that when I get the chance.

Bend’s 4th annual Fermentation Celebration takes place today! This is a fun event hosted by the Old Mill District, a outdoor shopping and events center, and is a “beer walk” where nearly all of Bend’s breweries and cideries will be set up at stations throughout pouring samples of beer and cider. It takes place from 4 to 10pm, and costs $20 which “includes a fluted tasting glass and 9 drink tickets.” I’ve enjoyed this event for a number of years, sadly will miss it today since I’ll be out of town. One neat feature is the Central Oregon Homebrewers Club is represented as well, and will be pouring (free) samples of homebrews—including one of my own! Don’t miss out!

Today is the start of Oregon Cider Week, which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago—a 10 day long “week” celebrating cider with quite a few events taking place around the state. To help kick it off today, McMenamins Kennedy School in Portland today is holding a special Cider Dinner starting at 7pm pairing six courses with (you guessed it!) ciders: “In honor of Oregon Cider Week, join us in the Kennedy School Library for a cider-themed dinner. Executive Chef Chris Lawrence has created a sumptuous menu, which will be paired with Edgefield ciders-apple, cherry and pomegranate-as well as Bordelet Sydre from France.” Cost is $75 and you can purchase tickets online here.

Portland Beer Week continues on with many events taking place:

• GoodLife Brewing Tap Takeover
• Bunk’s Beer Week Beer Braised Brisket Sandwich
• pFriem Beer & Dessert Pairing Flight
• Palate Palooza
• Crux Tap Takeover at Lardo (Hawthorne)
• Breakside & Oso Market + Bar Pairing Menu
• Pucker-up Fest
• Breakside Brewery Tap Takeover
• All Day Happy Hour on Cherry Lipsmacker
• Belgian Night at Sidebar
• Buoy Beer Company Happy Hour
• Brewers and their Bands
• Breweries in the Gorge Staycation
• pFriem Tap Takeover
• Food Carts and Beer at Pod 28!
• Firestone Walker Beer Belly Dinner
• Brewery dinner featuring “The Commons”

Likewise, Medford Beer Week continues with a bunch of events:

• Big Wheel Racer Competition @ Opposition Brewing: 6pm – 9pm
• Drink Local! @ Wild River Pizza: All Day
• Sausage and Ale Pairing with Taylor’s Sausages @ Portal Brewing: 2pm
• Beer Theater @ Walkabout Brewing: 3pm – 8pm
• Pint Night with Southern Oregon Brewing @ The Wharf: 4pm – 6pm
• Rolling Rock Thursday @ The Trophy Club: 4pm – 6pm
• Acoustic Night @ Southern Oregon Brewing: 4pm – 9pm
• Gervais Salon’s Mens Night with Portal Brewing @ Gervais Salon: 4pm – Close
• Hop Valley Brewer’s Dinner with Hop Valley Brewing @ Howiee’s on Front: 6pm – 8pm
• Ground Control and Star Wars with Ninkasi Brewing @ Beerworks: 6pm – 9pm
• An Evening of Live Music @ BricktownE Brewing: 7pm
• “The Stellar Speller” Drunk Spelling @ Portal Brewing: 7:30pm
• Stein Club Initiation @ The Schoolhaus Brewhaus: 6:30pm – 9pm

McMenamins Kennedy School also has a limited-edition beer tasting today starting at 5pm, featuring Livin’s Easy Summer Lager: ““Livin’s Easy” is everything you can hope for in a Summer Lager. Light, crisp & refreshing. This golden beauty was made with organic malts and carefully selected hops. We fermented this beer with California Lager yeast, and cold cellared it for a summer release. Drink it with some sunshine!”

McMenamins White Eagle Saloon (Portland) has their monthly “meet your makers” event, a beer tasting from the Edgefield brewery and chance to meet the brewers, today featuring Antwerp Slurp Belgian IPA: “This is another small batch, experimental brew from the Edgefield. We isolated a small amount of our Zapatron IPA and fermented it with a Belgian Leuven yeast strain. Esters of bubblegum, fruit, and spice from the yeast mingle with the lemon notes from the Meridian hops. Only four kegs of this bad boy were produced so drink it now while it lasts.” Starts at 5pm and lasts until the beer is gone.

Santiam Brewing (Salem) is doing a meet the brewer event at Growl Movement growler fill station i Keizer today: “Local legends Santiam Brewing Co. will be in the house slinging swag while we pour your favorite craft beers of theirs! Come enjoy a Santiam Taster Tray for just $5 as well as our outside seating! See you there!”