L’chaim! Today is the first day of Hanukkah, which begins at sundown. To commemorate the holiday, I would suggest 8 Malty Nights from Lompoc Brewing. In the meantime, here’s the news in Oregon beer for Tuesday, December 12. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post 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 updated also.

Cascade Brewing (Portland) announced the release of Midnight Bramble, their latest bottled offering which came out on Friday the 8th. From the press release: “Cascade Brewing has released its newest project, Midnight Bramble. The Northwest sour ale is now available in 750ml bottles and on draft through Cascade Brewing’s worldwide distribution channels, as well as at its two Portland pubs: the Cascade Brewing Barrel House  and The Lodge at Cascade Brewing. Midnight Bramble is a blend of wheat and blond ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to 18 months with black and red raspberries, fresh ginger and thyme. This unique project offers carefully layered flavors of ripe bramble fruit with a refreshing ginger lift and soft notes of lavender and pine. It is 6.6% ABV.”

And today, Cascade is releasing Diesel 2017: “[Today] we’re releasing Diesel 2017 on draft at the Cascade Brewing Barrel House and the Lodge at Cascade Brewing. This Imperial Stout was aged for up to seven months in Heaven Hill bourbon and Pinot barrels with vanilla beans, resulting in a decadent cornucopia of flavors and aromas – including dark chocolate, vanillin and licorice – with bourbon soaked dark fruit and tobacco undertones. The Barrel House will also have Diesel 2011 and Diesel 2016 on draft!”

And don’t forget Cascade’s Tap It Tuesday at their Barrel House at 6pm—tonight is featuring Honeycot: “Our most recent rendition of a limited fan favorite: Honeycot, a blend of blond ales aged for 16 months on fresh apricots with a late addition of honey from Bee Local. Honeycot features flavors of apricot preserves, honeysuckle flowers and raw honeycomb with a light honey sweetness and brilliant lactic acidity.”

Hood River’s pFriem Family Brewers will be at Tin Bucket in Portland today for a Lambic-inspired night starting at 5pm: “We will be showcasing all of pFriem’s Lambic-Inspired beers on this night. That’s right 7 delicious sour beers and a Hoppy Pilsner to cleanse your palate. You don’t want to miss this night. Will have limited bottles available to go. Draft List: Abrikoos, Bosbessen, Druif, Pruim, Peche, Frambozen, Oude Kriek, and Hoppy Pilsner.”

Portland’s N.W.I.P.A. is hosting Modern Times Brewing (out of San Diego, and soon to be taking over The Commons’ brewing space) for the can release party for Fortunate Sun from 6 to 9pm tonight: “Miss out on the Great Notion and Modern Times collaboration earlier this year? Well Modern Times brewed up some more and they are bringing it to town this Tuesday in four packs and kegs just for you. We’ll be featuring Fortunate Sun on draft along with the dank & tropical City Of The Sun and Haunted Stars, an imperial rye porter. See you soon!”

Ninkasi Brewing announced today the addition of two new beers in cans and draft starting in January, joining Pacific Rain Pale Ale, Prismatic Juicy IPA and Yours Truly Easy-Drinking Ale. From the press release: “In the latest evolution from Ninkasi Brewing, craft beer lovers will have three fresh reasons to cheer with the release of two new beers joining Pacific Rain Northwest Pale in a series of lighter, flavorful brews for evolving tastes. Prismatic Juicy IPA, Yours Truly Easy-Drinking Ale, and Pacific Rain will reach beer taps and market shelves this January throughout Ninkasi’s distribution footprint. Prismatic, Yours Truly, and Pacific Rain are all lower in alcohol and IBUs than many of Ninkasi’s core brands. In addition, all three beers represent another milestone in the evolution of Ninkasi: each will hit store shelves in gorgeous new cans, perfect for beer drinkers on the move.”

Vanguard Brewing (Wilsonville) has a new beer on tap today: “Tapphoria IPA, a house beer made by Vanguard Brewing and available exclusively at Tapphoria in Tigard and Vanguard Brewing’s Wilsonville taproom. Hopped with Citra, Centennial and Mosaic hops, this beer yields an earthy, grassy floral hop nose, crisp and bitter IPA flavor throughout, and finishes dry yet clean.”

Standing Stone Brewing (Ashland) has their Pints for a Purpose fundraiser tonight starting at 5pm: “On Tuesday, December 12 we will celebrate and benefit the Ashland Food Project. The Ashland Food Project is known by the jaunty green bags that we see outside the homes of our friends and neighbors six times a year. The green bag program was started in 2009 as a way to help Ashland residents donate to the Ashland Emergency Food Bank. Standing Stone Brewing Company is pleased to partner with Ashland Food Project this year. Whether you are already involved with the Ashland Food Project, or are interested in volunteering or just wanting to learn more, come down to Standing Stone from 5-10pm and meet representatives from Ashland Food Project. Bring your friends and raise a pint to help support their work in our community.” $2 from every pint of beer sold, and $1 from every glass of house root beer, will be donated to Ashland Food Project, so get down there and help out tonight with a pint or three!

Chetco Brewing (Brookings) has the release party for their Chocolate-covered Bussmanns holiday ale tonight from 5 to 9pm: “Our annual cranberry Holiday ale is back! The newest Holiday beer, “Chocolate covered Bussmanns” will be released today! It is our perpetual joy to showcase the delightful Bussmann family and their delicious cranberries once again. This year we have mixed those plump, tart, darling berries with organic cacao nibs that have been soaked in medium expensive rum! (ABV 6.7% IBU 18)”

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): Their Bend Tasting Room is once again celebrating 12 Days of Christmas: “Starting today, we will be sampling and selling a different barrel-aged beer each day from years past. Visit us during our new hours between 12-7pm, and take home a bottle to celebrate the holidays with friends and family. Please see the schedule below for release details. Happy Holidays from the tours team, and cheers!
12/12 – Jubel 2015
12/13 – Black Butte XXVI
12/14 – Black Butte XXV
12/15 – Black Butte XXIV
12/16 – Black Butte XXIII
12/17 – Pinot Suave
12/18 – Black Butte XXI
12/19 – The Dissident 2015
12/20 – The Dissident 2014
12/21 – Sour Quad
12/22 – Not the Stoic
12/23 – Black Butte3”

Tuesdays are also Community Pints days at the Deschutes pubs, where $1 from every pint sold goes to benefit a local charitable non-profit organization. At the Portland pub this month, they are benefiting “Solve—a local nonprofit dedicated to bringing Oregonians together to help improve our environment and build a legacy of stewardship.” I have not seen who the Bend pub is benefiting this month, but get down to the pubs today—you know what to do.

Belmont Station is hosting a can tasting with Seattle’s Georgetown Brewing tonight from 5 to 8pm: “Come in for a tasting of Georgetown’s canned beers — Lucille IPA, Roger’s Pilsner and Bodhizafa IPA.”

Great Notion Brewing (Portland) has a fundraiser supporting Beach Elementary School tonight starting at 5pm: “Come drink some Great Notion Beer at Old Gold! All proceeds from our kegs will be donated to Beach Elementary School’s Sun School Program.”

Oregon City Brewing has their Charity Pint Night today featuring Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart: “Our Charity Pint Night is Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart! $1 of every OCB pint, soda, taster tray, crowler and growler fill will go to help give those less fortunate in the Clackamas County area personal stockings filled with necessities they desperately need this time of year. Come raise a pint for a great cause! Cheers, Pioneers!” Starts at 5pm.

Widmer Brother Brewing is raising funds and food for the Oregon Food Bank today starting at 3pm: “This event was so successful earlier this month, we’re doing it again on Tuesday, December 12th! All day long, bring in a can of food to the pub in exchange for a $1 pint of Brrr. All collected cans, plus $1 from each pint of Brrr sold on Tuesday, 12/12 will donated to the Oregon Food Bank to help provide meals for Oregon families in need.”