Here is the news in beer from around Oregon for December 10. I hope your Thursday is going well—one more day in the week! As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

The Bier Stein (Eugene) tonight is hosting a “Holiday Hullabaloo” with importer Merchant du Vin from 5 to 8pm: “It’s time again to showcase the wonderful selection of classic imports from Merchant du Vin! We will be hosting rep Tom Bowers and showcasing a variety of MdV beers: On Tap: Ayinger Maibock AND Celebrator Doppelbock! Glassware specials: Buy a Sam Smith’s Winter Welcome, get a Sam Smith’s pint glass. Buy a Lindeman’s Gift Pack (4 bottles), get a Lindeman’s flute glass. Free samples: Sam Smith’s Winter Welcome, Rochefort 10, Westmalle Dubbel, select Lindeman’s. We hope you’ll join us for some beers, and bring home some of these highly regarded beers to share with your family over a hearty meal.”

The Commons Brewery (Portland) is hosting a book party and tasting today from 5 to 7pm: “Portland inspires great food and great beer. Local authors Christian DeBenedetti and Andrea Slonecker combine the best of both in their newly released cookbook, BEER BITES: TASTY RECIPES AND PERFECT PAIRINGS FOR BREW LOVERS (Chronicle Books). Join the authors, along with their friends from The Commons Brewery and Steve Jones of Cheese Annex, for a beer and food pairing party on Thursday, December 10th from 5-7pm at The Commons’ tasting room on S.E. Belmont Street. For $12, the brewery will offer a tasting flight of four beers perfectly paired with four recipes from Beer Bites. DeBenedetti and Slonecker will be on hand to chat with guests about their adventures in beer and food pairing, and to sign and sell copies of the book just in time for the holidays.”

Leikam Brewing (Portland) will be at The Civic Taproom tonight from 6 to 9pm for a Hanukkah tap takeover event: “Join Leikam Brewing as we tap our first ever Hanukkah beer, The Maccabeer!” L’chaim!

Saraveza (Portland): Tonight they are hosting a meet the brewer with Heretic Brewing: “Come out and meet the man behind the tasty concoctions from Heretic! We’ve got a couple special things from them being sent our way for the event, including Jamil Zainasheff! On draft we’ll have: Evil Cousin IIPA, Primo Diablo Habanero IPA, Russian Imperial Stout, and AHA Saison with brett. So come out and meet a nice guy who makes delicious beverages for a living!”

Belmont Station (Portland) is welcoming Ecliptic Brewing for a tasting and meet the brewer from 5 to 7pm today: “The man, the legend, the brewer, John Harris will be in the house, and his trusty (and equally awesome) sidekick, Erin Kemplin, will be here with samples of all of Ecliptic’s bottled beers. We will have at least one special beer on draft, too!”

Beergarden (Eugene) has their Winter Brew Festival continuing today, where they say, “Our tap list is going to be insane!” from today through Sunday. Go to the Facebook page and take a look at the list of beers they will be tapping—in particular I’d have my eye on the Pelican Mother of All Storms, just saying…

The BeerMongers (Portland) will have’s Bend’s The Ale Apothecary in the house tonight for a bottle tasting, starting at 6pm. You can get 4 ounce pours for $2, and bottles for sale will include Ralph, La Tache, and Sahalie.

The Green Dragon (Portland): Tonight’s meet the brewer event is featuring Brian Perkey of Thunder Island Brewing, starting at 5pm: “Thunder Island beers are inspired by adventure, and it’s easy to see why. The brewery in Cascade Locks, Oregon sits along the stunning Columbia River Gorge, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Lewis and Clark Cycling Trail. Brewer Brian Perkey comes to the Green Dragon Thursday evening with four of their handcrafted, small-batch beers. Drop in and join us for the adventure.”

McMenamins Edgefield (Troutdale) has a limited-edition beer tasting today starting at 5pm, featuring their Edgefield Extra 2014 Barley Wine: “The Extra’s roots go back nearly to the very beginning of the brewery’s founding in 1991. In its original form, the Extra was a 7-8% ABV strong ale that was famous for wreaking havoc at the 1992 company picnic and in tap houses around McMenamins. It’s been more than twenty years since that fateful day, but now it has returned as Edgefield’s Barley Wine and strongest offering at nearly 11%. This Extra is a traditional English Barley Wine that is huge on Maris Otter malt character and brimming with graham cracker and toffee flavors. This special link between the past and present has been one of our brewers’ favorite technical challenges to make and is a beer that promises to age extremely well. The Extra will surface occasionally as the base for some of our barrel-aged offerings, and will be re-released from time to time as it matures. We at Edgefield hope you enjoy it for years to come. Cheers!”

Crux Fermentation Project (Bend): They have teamed up with Portland’s Imperial Bottle Shop to present “Jingle Barrels” today from 5 to 8pm: “It’s cold outside, so come warm up with a special taplist from Crux Fermentation Project, featuring their barrel-aged [BANISHED] series. We’re also baking up some homemade Christmas cookies to pair with the beers. This lineup is looking tasty! Get a four beer sampler tray for $10 or a full beer/cookie pairing for $13. We’ll also be offering individual pours, and some ‘palate cleansers.'” Sounds tasty all right!