Welcome to Monday and a new week, with about two weeks left until Christmas! Here’s the Oregon beer news for the 10th of December; as usual I’ll be periodically updating this post with the latest news as I find it throughout the the day, so check back often to stay up to date. And if you  have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Breakside Brewery (Portland) has a big week: this Saturday the 15th they are holding their Winter Formal—yes, just like high school! “Celebrate the winter holidays by re-living your high school days at Breakside Brewery’s Winter Formal on Saturday December 15th at the Melody Ballroom. This adults only flashback features 10+ craft beers and a dance floor presided over by the likes of DJ Anjali & The Incredible Kid and Boy Eats Drum Machine plus contests and prizes Remember that High School dance your couldn’t get a date to go to? Or maybe the one you had the time of your life at with your first girlfriend or future wife? Breakside Brewery gives you the chance to relive or re-imagine that time with the mind-blowing addition of delicious craft beer.” At the Formal, they are also releasing six(!) special (and very limited) barrel-aged bottled beers, in 750ml bottles for $14 per bottle. New School blog has the details and they sound amazing. “Tickets are $12 or $20 with 2 drink tickets. Bring a donation for Toys for Tots and receive a free drink ticket (must be a new unwrapped toy).” You can purchase tickets online here.

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): Their Hop Henge Experimental IPA is being released (already!) tomorrow, Tuesday the 11th at both the Bend Pub and Portland Pub. This is their ground-breaking Imperial IPA (one of the first such beers that I tried way back when). “Get your first taste of Hop Henge Experimental IPA at our pubs in Bend and Portland on December 11th beginning at 11am. Also, be sure to grab your photo in front of our own “Hophenge/Stonehenge” structure stacked high with 12-pack boxes and join us for samples, a special menu and a toast at 5pm.”

Broken Top Bottle Shop (Bend) has a tap takeover with Point Blank Distributing tonight, from 6 to 10pm. “Featured Beers on Draft: Boneyard Barrel Aged Shug Night, Aged Pale Sour, Epic Big Bad Baptist Stout, Pfriem X-Mas. Plus bottles available: Cantillion Fou Foune and Grand Cru.” That should be a good tasting, hit it up if you’re in Bend!

Plew’s Brews (Portland) is holding their second-annual St. John’s Winter Beer Festival this weekend from Friday the 14th through Sunday the 16th, a bit of a mini-fest like what Amnesia did this past weekend. Brewpublic has all the details including the beer list at the link. “Commemorative glasses are $5 and Tickets are $1. We’ll have food from the kitchen and Tim the Sausage Guy outside.”

Occidental Brewing (Portland) is holding their own fest this weekend, their 1st Annual Humbug Lager Fest, all day Saturday the 15th (noon to 10pm). “Time to celebrate the season, Occidental style. The Humbug Lager Fest will feature a variety of, you guessed it, lagers, from Occidental and 7 other Oregon Breweries – Upright, Commons, Heater Allen, Block 15, Laurelwood, Rock Bottom and Old Town. The beers will range from light to dark, Pilsner to Schwarzbier. There will be food for sale from Occidental’s resident sausage purveyor, Urban German. Also, we’ll be giving the PA system control over to attending Brewer DJs.”