Happy first day of Fall! Here is the news in Oregon beer for this Autumn Equinox (and Hump Day). As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often for updates. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Rock Bottom Brewery (Portland): Apropos to it being Oktoberfest and the GABF taking place this week, Rock Bottom has their Rocktoberfest tapping tonight from 5:30 to 6:30pm: “This GABF award winning beer is sure to please the masses. A traditional German style Lager, this malty beer can’t be beat.”

The Green Dragon (Portland) has their weekly Green Dragon Brew Crew release tonight, featuring Guys’ Night IPA: “This week’s guest brewer is a guy dedicated to education. Bill Lehman won a chance to brew with the Green Dragon Brew Crew during a fundraiser for the The Beverly Cleary School Foundation in Northeast Portland, Oregon. Lehman, along with his fellow brewers Paul Bock, Dan Wheeler, and Jason Thompson created Guys’ Night IPA, a boisterous golden-orange ale bursting with hop aroma and flavor that features Columbus, Chinook, and Citra hops.” It starts at 5pm.

Bend’s Platypus Pub tonight is hosting a beer tasting with Firestone Walker Brewing from 6 to 8pm: “Join us Wednesday night as Keenan Delehanty from Firestone Walker will be with us for a tasting. We will have a couple of Firestone’s rare beers on tap: Velvet Merkin and Sour Opal. Wookey Jack will also be on tap and sampled out.”

Backside Brewing (Roseburg) is celebrating their Oktoberfest this Saturday, the 26th, starting at 4pm: “We are all very excited to be hosting the 3rd Annual Oktoberfest. Come support a great cause and have some great bee and awesome food! FOOD by DAVE will be here as well! Proceeds go to the Taylor Hatfield Memorial Fund, this is a great opportunity to help support children with disabilities in Douglas County. We will also be releasing a brand new beer Saturday as well!” There is a $5 cover charge.

Swing Tree Brewing (Ashland) has a new beer available: “We welcome fall with the release of our DOUBLE IPA. The alpha-beta Omega. Our obligatory IPA with fresh hops brewed to create this beauty. We are limiting guests to two per. We do not expect it to last long so come and get it.” (In this case I don’t believe “fresh hop” above means wet hops, though I could be wrong!)

Fresh Hop Watch:

• BridgePort Brewing (Portland): The annual Hop Harvest fresh hop ale is available now; this year’s version is “a classic IPA style beer and infused… with more than 250lbs of fresh Crystal hops per brew.” Hops are from Sodbuster Farms.
• Sky High Brewing (Corvallis) has two new beers being released on the 24th, including their Fresh Hop Ale: “The boys went up to Crosby Hop Farm and hauled back 60lbs of fresh sterling hops. Returning to SkyHigh in the afternoon, they were determined to keep it as fresh as possible and finished the brew day just before 10pm.”
• Double Mountain Brewery (Hood River): Their fresh hopped Killer Green is on tap and available in bottles at their Taproom now, and will be on the market later this week. Keep an eye out! This one, along with Killer Red, is a great beer.
• Thunder Island Brewing (Cascade Locks): They have a fresh hop pale on tap (their first?): “Now pouring: Novus Lupulus Cascadia Fresh Hop Pale Ale. On tap through the hop rocket with fresh cascade hops! 7.1% ABV 65+ IBUs.”
• Gigantic Brewing (Portland) tapped a fresh hop yesterday: “We are tapping our second fresh hop today: Sodbusted 3, The Rise of Simcoe. Drink this if you want to live.”
• Cascade Lakes Brewing (Redmond) freshened up their regular IPA: “Hop Smack + fresh hops = Wet Smack!”

Raccoon Lodge (Portland): They have a new beer out today: “A is for IPA…Autumn IPA, that is! Celebrate the changing of the seasons w/this auburn-colored pint of piney-citrusy hop goodness. This should start pouring today at the Rac Lodge, and soon at the Barrel House.”

Pelican Brewery (Pacific City) has a new beer of their own out—Imperial Pilsner. “This beer uses a combination of Santiam and Glacier Hops to create a bold aroma and flavor. Superior drinkability with a bold hop finish and substantial warming effect from the 7.0% ABV.”

Culmination Brewing (Portland) has a new Gose, and a release party this week for it: “Passion Gose Way is our newest beer and we will be tapping it Friday September 25th from 6 PM – 10 PM Passion Gose Way is a rose covered mildly tart Gose with flavors of hibiscus, coriander, and sea salt.”

Buoy Beer (Astoria) has a new Imperial IPA on tap today as well: “New on tap today: Inspired by our neighbors Fort George Brewery, Raiders of the Lost Fort, an Imperial IPA, comes in at 8.7% ABV/102 IBU.”