Getting back into the swing of things with news for Tuesday, November 29th. We’re smack in the middle of the holiday season and news and events are appropriately themed (gotta love it!). I’ll be updating news throughout the day so if you have something to share contact me and I’ll get it on here.

The Holiday Ale Festival kicks off in Portland tomorrow, lasting from the 30th through Sunday, December 4th: the big winter counterpart to summer’s Oregon Brewers Festival. It takes place in Pioneer Courthouse Square in the heart of downtown Portland, and will cost you $25 for the initial tasting package of the souvenir mug and 8 tickets, with additional tickets available for $1 each. With an amazing “standard” beer list and an even more amazing limited release list, this is the place to be.

Lompoc Brewing (Portland) has their Holiday Beer Extravaganza tonight at their Sidebar—nine of their 10 holiday beers will be on tap from 4 to 10pm. (The tenth is their Chanukah beer which will be released on the 14th.) The nine that are being released are Blitzen, Brewdolph, Cherry Christmas, C-sons Greetings, Bourbon Barrel Aged C-sons Greetings, Holiday Cheer, Jolly Bock, Old Tavern Rat, and Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Tavern Rat.

The Wet Dog Cafe / Astoria Brewing (Astoria): They are hosting a Brewers Dinner on December 8th (a week from Thursday) featuring a five-course dinner paired with their beers (of course). The dinner is from 6 to 9pm and costs $50 per person (or $85 per couple). You can make reservations directly (it’s a limited-space event so don’t wait) by calling them at 503-325-6975.

Bend Brewing (Bend): Tonight is Locals Night at the brewpub, featuring cheap pints ($2.75) from 4pm to closing, and half-priced appetizers from 4 to 6pm and 9pm to closing. Currently on tap is Sexi Mexi, a collaboration beer between Brewmaster Tonya Cornett and the Homebrew Chef Sean Paxton—a beer based on Mexican chocolate and spices and chili peppers as well—not one you’ll want to miss!

Burnside Brewing (Portland) is holding their first in-house beer dinner in a couple of weeks, on Monday the 12th of December: their “Bones, Brews and Brown Spirits Dinner” featuring creative food and beer pairings while also throwing spirits into the mix. Looks like quite a menu they’ve posted, well worth the $75 it’ll cost to attend.

The Love of Beer—the documentary about women in the brewing industry predominantly featuring Tonya Cornett of Bend Brewing and other Oregon beer women—will be having its Eugene premier tomorrow night at Oakshire Brewing. The doors will open at 6:30 and the movie will start at 7:30 followed by a Q&A session with filmmaker Alison Grayson. Tickets are $7 and available at Oakshire and 16 Tons in Eugene. Incidentally, 16 Tons is tonight hosting a “Women’s Only Beer Tasting” with Grayson and several female brewers, from 6 to 9pm.

Cascade Brewing (Portland): Tonight is their Tap It Tuesday starting at 6pm, featuring “Live: Return of the Ginger”: “This NW-style sour ale is a honey rye ale that was barrel aged for 13 months with various types of ginger and lime. Ginger, lime and rye malts greet you in the nose. A cool quenching lime note is followed by a slightly sweet ginger spice and heat that sparkles on the palate. A crisp bite of ginger and a lingering honey herbal note lead to a sweet lime and slight peppery finish. 8.1% ABV, $6 glass.”

Brewery news from other blogs: Ezra at The New School has news about Baker City’s Bull Ridge Brewpub (open with guest taps, but not yet brewing) and Eugene’s upcoming Falling Sky Brewing (which I hadn’t heard of yet).

And the local (to me) Bend Oregon Beer blog has news about Worthy Brewing, including more details from brewmaster Chad Kennedy regarding brewery and beer plans. Exciting stuff, but still a ways off yet.