Here’s the Oregon beer news for this last day of the week and the month (and nearly the year!), the rundown of news in beer from around Oregon for Friday and the weekend. As usual, I’ll be updating this post periodically throughout the day so check back often for the latest news. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

The Holiday Ale Festival in Portland continues today and finishes up this weekend, with their traditional Sunday Beer Brunch from 11am to 1pm on  Sunday the 2nd in the “Sky Bar” tent. This is a European-style brunch and an exclusive brunch-only beer menu, and looks amazing! One of these years I will make the pilgrimage to Portland for this Fest.

Standing Stone Brewing (Ashland) is tapping this year’s vintage of their Standing Stone Barley Wine today at their brewpub, and are introducing specialty glassware for it to boot—special 13-ounce logo’d snifter glasses. They’ve released this Barley Wine for the past several years (the first in 2010 I believe, though the beer itself was brewed in 2008 and aged in barrels before released in ’10), and describe it as: “Aged on medium toasted American oak, this year’s reddish brown barley wine has the warm aromas of wood, sweet caramel and vanilla. With a full body and warming sensation, you’ll experience flavors of dried fruit and toffee. 9.5% abv, 55 IBU” One of my favorite styles, I’d love to try some of this.

Winter beer is everywhere: Roscoe’s in Portland is holding their 3rd Annual Holiday Beer Summit today, starting at 3pm. “We will be featuring 17 outstanding holiday beers on tap. We will be featuring some of the big winter beer styles that you love along with flavors that embody the holiday season.” They’ve got a great beer list at the link so if you’re in Portland and want to take a break from the crowds of the Holiday Ale Fest, stop by and check this out.

The Bridgetown Beerhouse is hosting both Hood River’s Logsdon Farmhouse Ales and California’s Bison Organic Brewing for a special meet the brewer eventtonight from 5 to 7pm to highlight the two breweries’ collaboration beer (that debuted at the Holiday Ale Fest), Cocoa Bretta. “Cocoa Bretta is a hybrid blend of Bison’s award-winning Chocolate Stout and Logsdon’s award-winning Seizoen Bretta. Join brewmasters Dan (Bison) and David (Logsdon) at Bridgetown Beerhouse this Friday for the rare opportunity to taste the Cocoa Bretta collaboration beer side by side with the Bison’s Chocolate Stout and Logsdon’s Seizon Bretta. Bison’s popular seasonal, Gingerbread Ale, will also be on tap!” This is sure to be a fun tasting event, and another good one to hit if you’re suffering HAF palate fatigue.

Solera Brewery (Parkdale) has a release party tomorrow (Saturday the 1st) for a special collaboration brew that has definitely piqued my interest: “Saturday, December 1st we’ll be tapping a collaboration between Solera & Brian Perky of Muntons Malt. Her Majesty’s Ship Bounty. A Dark English Mild Ale brewed w/ Muntons Mild Malt. 4% ABV, 18 IBU. We’ll be tapping a small cask on the bar @ 5PM as well as the 1935 classic “Mutiny On The Bounty” on the film projector.”

Falling Sky Brewing (Eugene) has a Brewers Harvest Dinner this Sunday the 2nd, at 7:30pm. Featuring five courses and six Falling Sky beers, there are still some tickets left, all for only $39 (a great deal!). Stop by the brewery if you want to get in on this.