Happy Thursday! The Holiday Ale Fest continues in Portland today, and I’ll be there tomorrow and Saturday with books to sell! Here’s the news for December 3; 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.

Steens Mountain Brewing (Burns) will be in Bend tonight at the Platypus Pub for a beer tasting and meet the brewer, from 6 to 8pm. Owner and brewer Rick Roy will be on hand pouring samples of McCoy Creek Scottish Ale and Grande-mere’s Saison, and he will have some other bottles on hand as well. I’m happy to see Steens Mountain come out, and I’m planning on stopping in for the tasting!

The Commons Brewery (Portland) is celebrating their fourth anniversary today, all day long: “We hope you can join us to celebrate our birthday in our Tasting Room on SE Belmont. Throughout the day we’ll debut some new limited release beers as well as have beers on tap from our cellar. There will be cheese pairing specials and maybe even some special bottles too!” One of the special bottle releases is their Plum Bretta in new (for them) small format bottles; previously their releases were all in 750ml bottles, the Plum Bretta is in 330ml bottles. Make sure to visit today and wish them a happy anniversary!

Belmont Station (Portland) is hosting St. Louis’ Perennial Artisan Ales for the bottle release of their Abraxas Imperial Stout today from 5 to 7pm: “We are thrilled to have the exclusive release of the much anticipated Perennial Abraxas. This Imperial Stout is brewed with ancho chili peppers, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and cinnamon sticks. It may be enjoyed right away or allowed to age in the bottle. Vertical tastings are encouraged. We will, of course, have bottles to sell, and we also will be pouring 2014 & 2015 Abraxas, plus their cocktail-inspired beer, Jack Rose, in the tap room so you can sip on a glass while you shop.”

The Bier Stein (Eugene) is hosting a cider tasting with C&G Wines today from 5 to 7:30pm: “Come taste a handful of different cider brands from Oregon, Washington, and France. Our rep Amanda will be tasting out free samples of Baird & Dewar’s Farmhouse and Constitution (Salem), Dragon’s Head Wild Fermented (Vashon Island, WA), and La Chouette French cider. We will have Dragon’s Head’s delicious Manchurian (a crabapple cider) on tap! This is a great chance to branch out your cider experience; there are so many kinds to taste, why not try before you buy?”

The Green Dragon (Portland): Today’s meet the brewer is featuring Hood River’s Logsdon Farm Brewery and Shilpi Halemane: “Logsdon Farm Brewery was founded on the belief that farmhouse ales ought to be brewed on a farm. This Belgian-inspired brewery is located on a bucolic 10 acre estate complete with a big red barn where the brewing takes place. Join us Thursday night for a trip back in time with beers that were born in a barn.” Starts at 5pm.

McMenamins Old Church (Wilsonville) has a special beer tasting in their Hop Solo series today starting at 5pm, featuring Santa’s Sack Holiday Ale: “Have you been a good girl or boy this year? If so, then Santa’s got something special in his sack for you. This is our ever popular Kris Kringle Ale, infused with rum soaked oak chips, orange peel, freshly grated ginger, and a dash of cinnamon. Let the taste of the holidays fill you with warmth and good cheer in this complex and inviting winter warmer. Grab a pint while you can because just like Santa, this beer only comes once a year!”

Salem Ale Works (Salem) has the release of their Sleeping Marmot Winter Ale taking place today from 4 to 9pm: “Stop by and enjoy the first tapping of this seasonal favorite. A malty winter warmer with great depth of body, nutty and caramel flavors accompanied by a slight warming mouthfeel from the higher abv. Sweet, smooth and creamy; enjoy the range of flavors expressed as this winter ale warms.”

Three Mugs Brewing (Hillsboro): Today starting at 3pm they have a beer release for their Too Much Tongue IPA, as well as something special: “We’re presenting a new, delicious IPA that includes a bit of the northwest with Simcoe hops, and a bit of down under with Nelson Sauvin hops…yum. We’re also putting on a tasty, huge Belgian Dark Strong from Brouwerij Huyghe, Delirium Noël.”

BridgePort Brewing (Portland): Their 7th annual Ebenezer Pub Crawl is taking place today starting at 5pm at John’s Marketplace: “It’s the best time of the year and that means we’re finally able to celebrate with Ebenezer Ale! Back for the 16th year, this malty, holiday-spiced Ale is the perfect plus one to any party. Not much of a planner? Don’t you worry; we’ve organized your holiday party for you and all your friends. Join us for the 7th annual Ebenezer Pub Crawl through Multnomah Village! For all you Old Knucklehead fans, we’re excited to announce that we’ll be kicking off the festivities by tapping a 2011 barrel-aged keg of this classic brew.” They have five stops scheduled along the way to plan accordingly!