22 McMenamins brewers present 22 beers in competition at the historic “Battle of the Belt”

PORTLAND, Ore.—On Saturday, February 25, 2012, the notorious “Battle of the Belt” rages for the nineteenth time at Hillsdale Brewery & Public House (1505 SW Sunset Blvd.). McMenamins’ Hillsdale Brewfest is a day-long event featuring 22 original brews such as Mad Hatter Imperial IPA, 4K Lager, Mexicali Rose Wheat and The Girl Next Door Belgian Blond, along with food specials, revelry, merriment and – most important – a competition for the coveted Belt. The Hillsdale Brewfest is free to attend, begins at 11 a.m. and is open to guests of all ages; those 21 and over may taste the ales.

Twenty-two of the finest ales from McMenamins’ breweries are sent into battle, their brewers vying for bragging rights, the notorious championship belt and a berth in the annual Oregon Brewers Festival. Patrons order “trays” of beer, arranged from lightest to darkest – each of the two trays offers eleven 4-ounce samples. It is our guests’ duty to decide who deserves the coveted title. With seventeen ales from Oregon and five from Washington, these beers cover the spectrum of brew styles – from steam beer to American brown ale, imperial stout to black IPA and beyond. Each taster casts one ballot that lists his or her top three choices.

The victorious brewer at this year’s Battle of the Belt will represent McMenamins at the 25th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival in downtown Portland on July 26–29, 2012. For more information, visit www.oregonbrewfest.com.

And now… [drumroll, please]… the 19^th Annual Hillsdale Brewfest entrants are….

Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Brewery (Hillsboro, OR) * Steam Beer
Steam Punk

West Linn Brewery (West Linn, OR) * Special Bitter
Green Eyeshades Special Bitter

McMenamins on Monroe (Corvallis, OR) * Wheat
Mexicali Rose Wheat

Mill Creek Brewery (Mill Creek, WA) * Pale Ale
Hop Loops

McMenamins on the Columbia Brewery (Vancouver, WA) * Amber
Four Winds Amber Ale

McMenamins Queen Anne Brewery (Seattle, WA) * Belgian IPA
Intemperate Disposition IPA

Old Church Brewery (Wilsonville, OR) * Imperial IPA
Mad Hatter Imperial IPA

Old St. Francis Brewery (Bend, OR) * American Brown Ale
Parson Brown

Oak Hills Brewery (Portland, OR) * Black Wheat
Darth Weizen

Lighthouse Brewery (Lincoln City, OR) * Imperial Stout
Black Pearl Imperial Stout

High Street Brewery (Eugene, OR) * Porter
Mon Cherry Porter

Concordia Brewery (Portland, OR) * Northwest-Style Pilsner
4K Lager

East Vancouver Brewery (Vancouver, WA) * Wheat Ale
Southern Sun Wheat

Six Arms Brewery (Seattle, WA) * Belgian Blond
Girl Next Door Belgian Blond

Highland Brewery (Gresham, OR) * American Pale Ale
Portlandia Pale Ale

Edgefield Brewery (Troutdale, OR) * ESB
The Reformation

Thompson Brewery (Salem, OR) * Northwest Amber
Treme Northwest Amber

John Barleycorns Brewery (Tigard, OR) * IPA
Freewill IPA

Crystal Brewery (Portland, OR) * Doppelbock
Obamanator Doppelbock

Roseburg Station Brewery (Roseburg, OR) * Multigrain Stout
Umber Waves of Grain

Fulton Brewery (Portland, OR) * Black IPA
Black ‘Ops

Hillsdale Brewery (Portland, OR) * Porter
Mojo’s Mocha Porter

******

About the Hillsdale Brewery & Public House

Opened in 1986, after state legislation was passed that allowed brewers to sell their product onsite, the Hillsdale was among the first to try fruit beers, unfiltered wheat ales and other concoctions that have become hallmarks of the Pacific Northwest craft brewing industry. It is McMenamins’ third location (following the Barley Mill and Greenway pubs). Additional history is available at mcmenamins.com.

About McMenamins Hotels, Pubs & Breweries

The name “McMenamin” is well known throughout the Pacific Northwest, signifying a great place to enjoy handcrafted ales, wine and spirits and Northwest pub fare with family and friends. The dream began more than 20 years ago and continues to grow in the hearts of brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin. With 57 properties (and counting), the siblings are considered to be among the pioneers of the Pacific Northwest microbrew and historic hotels industries. See mcmenamins.com for photos, history, events and more.