TGIF! Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Friday the 14th and the weekend. As usual I’ll be periodically updating this post with the latest news as I find it, so check back often for updates. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

Corvallis Beer Week concludes this weekend, so if you haven’t yet had a chance to get down there and check things out, this weekend would be a good time for it! Among other events is tonight’s “Barrel” event showcasing barrel-aged beers from quite a number of prominent breweries (not just Corvallis ones) taking place at the Odd Fellows Hall from 6:30 to 10pm tonight. Tickets to this event are $25 and it looks like there might still be some left. Don’t miss out!

Burnside Brewing (Portland) has a fresh hop beer on tap now with an interesting twist: “Our fresh hop beer “Sterling Pub Draught” is now on tap at the pub. This may be the only fresh hop beer pouring on nitro! It is an English-style pub draught beer brewed with 130lbs of fresh Sterling hops.” Nitro with fresh hops? Something I’d like to try!

Fort George Brewery (Astoria) has their Co-Hoperative Fresh Hop Ale being tapped today at their Public House starting at 5pm, and they’ve posted the schedule for the roll-out of their other fresh hop beers on their blog: Fresh Hop Sunrise Oatmeal Pale Ale on Monday the 17th, Fresh Hop Vortex IPA on Wednesday the 19th, and Hopstoria on Friday the 21st. And then: “There will be a special Fort George Fresh Hop Tap Takeover at the Bridgetown Beer House on September 25th at 6:00pm.”

This weekend, Saraveza and The Hop & Vine are teaming up to put on a special event called “Fire & Brimstone“, a celebration of both chili and smoked beers which sounds amazing. Both locations will have specialty beers on tap for both days this weekend, and both “will offer special food pairings, the lion’s share of which will take place at Saraveza. Their “Smokin’ Bamberg Onion” plate is a hearty meal, complete w/ dessert and will pair perfectly with a pour of Bamberg, Germany’s own Schlenkerla Oak Smoke Dopplebock or any of the other 4 smoke/chili beers they will have on tap. The Hop & Vine’s pairing will bring the magic of the chili to the plate via offerings of a coconut & garden chile-steamed plate of clams, prawns and scallops as well as a pair of harissa-rubbed lamb ribs and a smoked chile ice cream.” If you’re partaking in the fun, $20 will get you in plus 10 tasting tokens at either location (tastes are a token each), and as a nice feature: “Free pedicab transportation will be provided by PDX Pedicabs to participants between the locations throughout the fest hours.”  Definitely don’t drive! They both have amazing taplists for the weekend so this is definitely an event to check out.

Burnside Brewing has their latest bottled offering rolling off the line: Sweet Heat, their Apricot Chili Wheat beer that I’m a big fan of. It will be showing up on the shelves in 22-ounce bombers and if you can get your hands on this beer then I’d highly recommend it—particularly if you like spicy beers! It’s 4.9% abv and while well-balanced with the chilies, does have a spicy kick!