Here is the news in beer from around Oregon for this thirsty Thursday, September 14. 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.

Deschutes Brewery (Bend) has a special GABF Pro-Am beer release today at their Bend Pub, Hazmat Munich Dunkel. It was brewed with a member of the Central Oregon Homebrewers Organization and from 5 to 7pm Deschutes is celebrating the release at their Tap Room in downtown Bend. For more info (and a shameless plug) check out my article in today’s Bend newspaper about the beer (and homebrewers working with pros in general).

Fresh hop season doesn’t just apply to beer—there are cidermakers utilizing the freshly-picked flowers as well, and today Portland Cider Company is kicking off and hosting their Fresh Hop Mini Cider Fest at their Hawthorne (Portland) Cider House! “It’s Fresh Hop season!!! One of our favorite harvests of the year… we love the smell of those hops. Fresh hop beers are incredible, but so are the ciders! We’ve put together a small mini fest to celebrate some of the amazing Fresh Hop ciders made this year.” This mini-fest runs through Sunday the 17th and will feature ciders from Portland Cider, Reverend Nat’s, Finnriver, Hi Five, Cider Riot!, and New West Cider. One to check out!

Corvallis Beer Week continues this Thursday with the following lineup of events:

• Sneak Peak, Tours & Open House with Burnheimer Meat Co. at Nectar Creek Tasting Room in Philomath – 4 to 6pm
• Ninkasi Party on the Patio w/DJ Turntable Enabler at Downward Dog Campus – 4 to 8pm
• Yoga at 2 Towns Ciderhouse, $5 donation – 5:30 to 6:30pm
• Doubles Cribbage Tournament at Downward Dog Downtown, signups at 5pm – 6 to 9pm
• Bingo Night with Ecliptic Brewing at 5th Street Growlers – 7 to 10pm

McMenamins Edgefield (Troutdale) has their Meet the Makers beer tasting today at their Distillery Bar, featuring four appropriately seasonally themed beers I’d love to try: Ben’s Fresh Hop Ale, Eclipsed Sunrise Herbal Extra Pale, Duskbringer Pumpkin Ale, and Edgefield Oktoberfest. Fresh hop, eclipse-brewed, pumpkin, and oktoberfest… that’s basically the autumn quadfecta right there. It takes place from 5 to 8pm.

Kells Brewery (Portland): Today is their IPA Golden Ticket Release Party taking place from 6 to 9pm: “Northwest Portland’s Kells Brewery is putting its beer in cans for the first time, starting out with Kells IPA in 12oz cans and 6-packs. The brewery will release cans at 6pm! Kells is marking the occasion with a “Golden Ticket” release party, which will take place at the brewery on Sept. 14 from 6pm to 8pm. Six-packs will be available for sale at special pricing, and three of the packs sold will contain a Golden Ticket, redeemable for dinner for two (up to $50) and a private brewery tour.”

Wild Ride Brewing (Redmond) has their first fresh hop beer of the season releasing today—3  Sisters Wet Hopped Red Ale! They sourced the hops from the local Cascade Hop Farm, who will be on hand at 7pm for the beer: “Join us At Wild Ride Brewing for the 2017 release of 3 Sisters Wet Hopped Red Ale featuring more than 400lbs of Bine to Pint fresh Centennial and Cascade hops from Cascade Hop Farm!”

The 2017 Mt. Angel Oktoberfest starts today! This year marks the 52nd annual celebration for the festival, which runs through Sunday the 17th. It takes place in the little Bavarian-themed town of Mt. Angel just north of Silverton, and is four days of German festivities, food, and drink (beer of course!); pretty much the whole town celebrates. Prost!

Belmont Station (Portland) tonight has a collaboration party for Cascade Brewing‘s and Bruery Terreux’s collaboration beer, One Way or Another, from 5 to 8pm: “Cascade and Bruery Terreux team members will be here to help us release both bottled versions, which will be available in the bottle shop to take home. We also will pour both versions in the biercafe so you can try them side-by-side while chatting with the brew crews!”

Portland’s Wayfinder Beer has a limited release Oktoberfest on tap that they put on yesterday: “[Yesterday] we are proudly tapping our Freiheit! A delicious Oktoberfest Wiesn. Deeply golden and extremely smooth. The most drinkable beer in the world. 5.7 ABV 28 IBUs. This beer is going to go fast so don’t sit on your hands when you could be groping a life sustaining Fest Bier!”

Back Pedal Brewing (Portland) has fresh hop beers as well—one on tap now, one coming: “This week we have two fresh hop beers coming out with hops from Crosby Farms. [Yesterday] we are thrilled to release Fresh Hop Tropic Thunder IPA with Oregon Amarillos. In a couple days, look for Prismatic Harvest, a Saison with a touch of blood orange and dry hopped with fresh Oregon Cascades.”

Widmer Brothers Brewing (Portland) has their Thursday Tap Day at the pub, featuring Hefe Twisted Citrus: “This week at Widmer Brothers, we’re celebrating the release of Hefe Twisted Citrus (5.1% ABV, 35 IBU), a bright and juicy version of the Original American Hefeweizen. Packed with blood orange, a mix of grapefruit, orange and tangerine peel, and a citrusy hop blend, Hefe Twisted Citrus bursts with fresh squeezed flavor. Stop by the pub for a pint, or join us in the Beer Garden on Saturday from noon-10 p.m. for our Hefe Twisted Citrus Launch Party! We’ll be serving up pints of Twisted Citrus Hefe along with Twisted Citrus Slushies and Twisted Citrus Raders. The event is all ages until 9pm, so bring the whole family for music, games, and prizes!”

Kobold Brewing (Bend) has a new beer tapping at their Vault Taphouse today: Mango Session IPA. “This Thursday at The Vault Taphouse in Redmond! Come down and check out Kobold’s latest – Mango Session IPA. Experience citrus, pine and floral aromas and taste, with just a touch of Mango. Pair it with a Westside Taco Co BRISKET OR CARNITAS TACO and BOOM! Your Thursday just got awesome.”