Here is the news in Oregon beer for Thursday, July 20. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

McMenamins Kennedy School (Portland): Their Extra Credit beer tasting takes places today from 5 to 7pm, featuring Eazy Brii-zy Key Lime Kölsch: “We infused a few kegs of our delicious Eazy Brii-zy Kölsch with the essence of key limes! The result is a crisp, easy-drinking beer with a margarita like finish. This beer is incredibly limited, so grab a pint while you can.” Perfect for a hot day!

Portland’s Bazi Bierbrasserie is hosting an Oregon Belgian-inspired Beer Night tonight from 5 to 9pm: “July is also Oregon Craft Beer Month (Oregon Brewers Guild), and we’re combining our passion for imports and local breweries during National Belgian Beer Week with a special tasting tray featuring 5 (five) Oregon Belgian-inspired brews. Five beers, 5 oz pours for $12.” The beers on offer are Belgian Underground Sabotage IPA, The Commons collaboration with upcoming Allegory Brewing (a saison), Logsdon Peche N Brett, pFriem Oud Bruin, and Upright and Bazi Collaboration Quad.

Bend’s Platypus Pub is welcoming Claim 52 Brewing of Eugene for a beer tasting tonight from 5 to 7pm: “John from Claim 52 Brewing will be here to samples some of their excellent beers. WE will have their Kolsch and Westside IPA on tap and for samples.”

The Bier Stein (Eugene) is celebrating St. Arnoldus Day tonight from 6 to 8pm with some Belgian specialties: “Boy do we love St. Arnold, the patron saint of beer! Lore says that centuries ago, he cured the village plague by encouraging the people to drink beer for its healing qualities– thankfully our water supply is much cleaner than theirs. Even so, this is a good chance to taste some classic beers from Belgium and the Netherlands, and appreciate the flavors that inspire craft brewers today. Here’s what we’ll have on tap: La Trappe Puur (Belgian Single), La Trappe Mandarin Witbier, St. Feullien Grisette (table saison), Omer Vander Ghinste (Flanders Oud Bruin), and Tripel Karmeliet (Tripel with barley, wheat, and oats). Enjoy some free samples, too!”

Crux Fermentation Project (Bend): Their Better Off Red returns for a release today! “Get your bottle (or 2) and a taste of Better Off Red, our barrel-aged Flanders-style ale, before we send it out to the rest of the world.”

Belmont Station (Portland): Puckerfest 11 continues today, featuring An Evening with Upright, The Commons & Ruse: “Oh, what a night! Enjoy sipping sours with Shaun Kalis from Ruse, Alex Ganum and brew staff of Upright as well as the good folks from The Commons: Upright:
*Special Herbs (2017 Release) Gin & Wine cask aged ale infused w/ botanincals
*Fantasia (2016) – Wood-aged beer w/ Baird Family Orchard peaches
*Oregon Native (2017) – Collaboration w/ Patton Valley Vineyard, using Pinot Noir grapes
*Ives – Lambic Inspired Ale (debuted in April for our 20th anniversary celebration)
**Along with these Upright draft offerings we will have a limited amount of the new batch of Special Herbs in bottles to go.**
The Commons:
*Brett Urban Farmhouse – Flagship saison aged in oak barrels for 6 months with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis.
*Biere Royale – Sour ale w/ Black Currants
*Khthonios – Sour stout aged in pinot noir and aquavit barrels (The last of its kind)
Ruse:
*Briar Run – Black Raspberry Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale”

Bailey’s Taproom (Portland) is hosting the release party for Shady Grove, a collaboration brew (snakebite?) between Fort George Brewery and Finnriver Cider, today from 5 to 8pm: “We’re throwing a release party for the new Fort George/Finnriver collaboration, Shady Grove! We’ll be debuting this on draft along with some more goodies from each establishment. Shady Grove is the first collaboration in the Sweet Virginia Series. FINNRIVER CIDERY provided the sour cherry cider and Fort George brewed the sour saison. Both were aged in French oak barrels until the final blending took place. The result is a tart and effervescent cider + beer, reminiscent of a Flanders style. This single batch release will be available in limited amounts around the Pacific Northwest.”

Base Camp Brewing (Portland) has a new release hitting the taps at 7pm tonight: OTT Juniper Cherry Wheat. “Help us celebrate the release of our latest Location Series brew, and support the good work of the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance! The OTT crew has stayed busy since the official opening of this south-to-north mountain bike route across Oregon; 20% of all profits from the sale of our Location Series bottles will go toward supporting their work in community building and stewardship all along the trail corridor. Join us on Thursday evening to learn more about the OTT, our beer inspired by the Trail, and the (always wonderful) intersection between Oregon beer and Oregon bikes.”

Laurelwood Brewing (Portland) is hosting a fundraiser for the National Brain Tumor Society in collaboration with Brewpublic today from 3 to 9pm: “We are helping Angelo from Brewpublic and the National Brain Tumor Society raise money to fight the good fight! $1 of every pint sold from 3 pm to 9 pm on July 20th will go to the cause. Come out to support our great friend Angelo and raise a pint to support the National Brain Tumor Society!”

Portland’s Baerlic Brewing has a collaboration beer release today tapping at 4pm, Baer Trap Cryo IPA: “Join us as we release a beer collaboration with our dear friends Trap Door Brewing—Baer Trap Cryo IPA! ABOUT THE BEER: We utilized an insane new hop technology called Cryo Hops. The way its produced is all proprietary and secret, but we’re guessing that its made by by taking insane amounts of the choicest Mosaic, Cascade and Simcoe hops money can buy and release them into the vacuum of outer space only to collect the magical goodness that seeped from the deepest innards of the hop cones as they were crushed in the blackness of nothing. Then packaging it all up and sending it our way! That’s our guess, anyways! Either way, this thing is bursting with dank, berry and citrus flavors with a beautiful, and almost creamy, mouthfeel. Come and get it before we drink it all!”

Migration Brewing (Portland): Starting at 5pm tonight they are hosting another edition of Celebrating The Craft: “It’s craft beer month and we are excited to once again invite some of the best breweries in the state of Oregon to join us on our patio for a pint of some rare and unique beers from each brewery. We will be donating a percentage of all beers sold to the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation to support scholarships for new and up and coming brewers. So please join us and and all these amazing breweries in raising a glass to the craft.”