ForeLand, is now officially PortLand based and beginning to restart brewing operations. The 2020 founded contemporary American/English lager, IPA, and cask-focused brewery has wrapped up a big move from McMinnville into the former Upright Brewing basement production brewery at 240 N. Broadway with a new head brewer and a grand opening on October 10th, 2026.

“We are happy to announce we've found a Head Brewer in Peter McDowell who will be moving back to Oregon from Vermont!” says ForeLand owner David Sanguinetti. “Peter has brewed at Anderson Valley and pFriem and owned The New Museum in Point Arena with his partner, Rose, where they brewed exclusively into open fermenters. He's most recently been the Head Brewer at Zero Gravity's Pine Street location where he's been leading a team brewing 12,000 barrels a year. We're so excited to have him join and help lead this next era of ForeLand!”

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“Honestly, it's quite surreal,” says McDowell. “Not just to be back home, but to be in the space that inspired me to be a brewer. Gerritt, Bobby, & Alex, f*#kin hats off!”

ForeLand’s most recent brewer was Glen Hay Falconer scholarship recipient Jamie LeResche, but she opted to move on when the brewery closed in McMinnville and follow her dream of moving to Astoria.

“We totally support her decision and can't wait to see her up there, especially since she's working with our buds at Obelisk!,” says Sanguinetti.

The past few years have been difficult for ForeLand to say the least. The brewery opened a cozy and intimate Portland satellite taproom “The Study” in the early days of the pandemic shutdown, when they couldn’t even sit to full capacity with distancing requirements. The Study developed a cult following, but without a kitchen, and the nearby mini food truck pod closing, business wasn’t consistent enough. The Portland location closed in December 2024 ahead of what was sure to be a brutal Dry January. The Study was sub-leased briefly by a coffee shop, but when they too vacated the building ForeLand came back to fulfill the remaining time on their lease by building a real bar and adding televisions and build more of a pubby atmosphere. ForeLand’s Portland location permanently closed last June when they found a new wine bar to take over the remaining time on their lease.

Around the same time David Sanguinetti was informed the building in McMinnville that he has leased for ForeLand (and before that Allegory Brewing) was to be sold. His options were to buy it, or hope a new owner would be amenable to keeping ForeLand around. As he suspected, a new owner immediately indicated a big rise in rent was coming and Sanguinetti decided to exit stage left. But it turns out he wasn’t quite done with the craft beer industry and began negotiations to take over Upright Brewing’s existing space and lease at 240 N. Broadway.

“We signed the lease in early April and have been working on getting all of our permits in-line,” Sanguinetti told us in August. ForeLand has been opening the old Upright taproom as a ForeLand pop-up for Portland Trailblazers Games, Portland Fire WNBA, and major concerts at the Moda Center since July.

Portland’s Worst Sports Bar

Now that the move to Portland is complete, ForeLand has begun the hard work of making the LeftBank Project building their own.

The large yellow and black print of Charles Mingus that held a place of honor above the taps at Upright Brewing has moved to a new home with KMHD Jazz. ForeLand wants to bring in some elements of their taproom in McMinnville like a backlit wall of plants into the light box where the print once sat. More natural touches of wood and ForeLand brand colors of cool pale blue water, sandy greys, and earthy tans will slowly make their way into the space and help distinguish it from Upright Brewing, and their day-time coffee partner, Salsman Coffee Roasters, which shares the space.

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“The biggest difference in the space is that we're going all in on promoting ourselves as the place to be for pre- (and sometimes post-) games for the Blazers, Winterhawks, and Fire,” says Sanguinetti on the most prominent change that is slowly becoming realized at the taproom. “We're adding merch all the time. We're not a sportsbar, but a big part of the business revolves around those sporting events. We're calling ourselves "Portland's Worst Sports Bar" with pride!”

The "worst sport bar" is tongue-in-cheek, an extension of Sanguinetti’s sense of humor and less about actually becoming a sports bar. It’s an acknowledgement of a different crowd that will discover ForeLand in the events and heavy vehicular traffic Hollywood neighborhood on the East side of the Broadway bridge.

“I can't help but acknowledge that we are built around a sporting venue, even if our brand has nothing to do with it. I also have been calling the taproom a Sunglass Hut that serves beer but "worst sports bar" is just funnier than "coolest Sunglass Hut." Also, I love Porltand sports! I've been a Blazer fan all my life and the Winterhawks and Fire games I went to this year were so fun!” says Sanguinetti, who is actively looking for and collecting vintage sports memorabilia from Portland lore.

What’s Brewing

On the brewery side of the operation, in the basement of the LeftBank Project, new head brewer Peter McDowell will have an important role in recipe development and input on the beer portfolio.

“His joining [McDowell] is an important part of our growth,” says Sanguinetti. “He has such a diverse background and has picked up so much experience, technique and inspiration from his previous brewing jobs and brewery ownership that will really help us evolve. I'm excited to see what ideas he brings to the table!”

Change in ForeLand’s beer lineup and even the profile of flagship core beers and seasonals are inevitable on a new brewhouse (the McMinnville system was sold off) especially because of Upright’s open fermentation vessels. The 10 barrel basement brewhouse also comes equipped with closed fermenters, but half of the primary production barrel-age comes from two open top fermenters in a closed and sanitary room to keep from contamination. This will inform yeast selection and fermentation management, and could lead to some even more flavorful and unique lagers (think Upright Brewing’s Spellbound Pilsner.)

ForeLand will still focus on West Coast hoppy beers, Continental Lagers, and Traditional Pub Ales, but don't be surprised to see some Hazy NE-style IPA make their way into the rotation, along with more adjunct lagers, more cask beer and even a saison or two.

“The most exciting thing for me personally in being a Portland based brewery now is that we have so much more opportunity to host and be part of even more collaborations,” says Sanguinetti.

This Thursday, September 16th will be Peter McDowell and first brew day on Upright Brewing’s old 10 barrel system, which will also mark the restart of ForeLand’s beer production in more then 2 month since they began decommissioning their McMinnville brewhouse.

The first beer will be a classic English-style Best Bitter, brewed in anticipation of Away Days Brewing’s upcoming Cask Passport. The next brews will be another British classic - Dark Mild, followed by Low Sun Texas-style lager, and then core ForeLand mainstay Shape Creation IPA.

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The Basement Speakeasy

The old school fans of Upright Brewing remember the basement. Back in the day before the pandemic Upright Brewing’s tasting room was in the basement next to the brewery with no separation between production and bar. It was dark, rustic, and industrial, both quaint, bare bones and a little groovy at the same time. The brewery really had to be discovered, once you got in to the building lobby you had to find the elevator or the winding back stairs to get to the basement, then make your way down a dark and windowless concrete hall full of locked doors. Depending on who you ask It felt like either a dungeon or a hidden gem. It remains a cult favorite experience that many people still fondly pine for.

“This new chapter of Foreland & the basement is going to be pretty special. I sincerely can't wait to share it with you all!” says new head brewer Peter McDowell.

ForeLand is recreating some of the cozy library vibes of The Study on Belmont into the basement with some of the elements of Upright such as barrels and custom wood-working and taps still present. Booth seating and the counter bar from The Study are being installed in the basement for special events and maybe even a membership club.

“We're still brainstorming but are thinking beer and food pairings, live music, special releases, tours, and we may introduce a "Mug Club" of some sort where one of the perks is parties down there. Regardless, we can't wait to have people back down there in that special place!” says Sanguinetti. “We also have to adjust to the new location, as we're reaching a whole new variety of customers daily. This is very exciting, but also challenging when meeting their expectations (we are also increasing the number of guest taps and can pour offerings).”

Saturday, October 10th is the official Grand Opening of ForeLand Beer’s new Portland home. For the opening, they are hoping to get a food pop-up, tap a firkin, open the basement for brewery tours and beers, and pour the first beers from the new system.

ForeLand Beer

240 N. Broadway Portland, OR

Spider City Brewing equipment & building for sale

Spider City Brewing at 1177 SE 9th St has been around since 2018 and is known as one of the few female owned and brewed brands in Oregon. It was recently announced that Spider City Brewing was closing out inventory, and preparing for a relocation to a TBD space.

A sale listing for the 10,500 sq. ft. industrial building where Spider City Brewing is located along with Classic Window Coverings and Kelicon Inc. indicates their lease ends on September 30th with only Kelicon having the option to renew. The owners have listed the entire building for sale and indicated it may even come with the infrastructure for Brewing. When reached for comment, Spider City owner Melanie Betti says the brewery is not going out of business, but is selling off some of their brewing equipment and will relocate.

The property, listed for $2,950,000, offers convenient access to Highway 97 and is suited for industrial, warehouse, manufacturing, or flex users. Features include 800-amp 3-phase power, flexible single or multi-tenant configuration, LED lighting, and modern telecommunications infrastructure. Existing brewery/food production approved use with infrastructure for water/sewer.

“We are moving to a new location. And yes we do have some equipment for sale. If people are interested have them reach out to us directly info@spidercitybrewing.com,” says Betti.

Boneyard Beer Pub is closing

Boneyard Beer was founded in Bend in 2010, quickly becoming one of Oregon’s most popular breweries. The original motorcycle garage where Boneyard was founded had a small neighborhood tasting room, so in 2018 Boneyard opened a larger full service bar and restaurant at 1955 NE Division St, Bend, OR 97701 called the Boneyard Pub.

Then in 2021 early pandemic times, Boneyard Beer was sold to Deschutes Brewery, which quickly turned it into an even bigger powerhouse brand with 12oz cans and 6-packs widely distributed while keeping the culture and many aspects people loved such as the original small brewery and tasting room.

The Boneyard Pub on NE Division Street’s final day is October 11, 2026. “We’re stepping away from the restaurant business and getting back to our roots. But Boneyard Beer isn’t going anywhere” said the brewery in a statement. The original Boneyard taproom at 37 NW Lake Place in Bend, will continue operations, and overall the production based out of Deschutes is up.

“Running a restaurant these days has had its challenges,” Boneyard Beer founder Tony Lawrence said in a press release. “I am incredibly humbled and grateful to my team and the community for making Boneyard what it is today. The nature of how Boneyard was built was a sum of odd parts, literally parts from 13 different breweries and the same can be said about how we built our pub and tasting room. We are who we are because of our incredible team and the local community here in Bend and beyond. We’re going back to where it all started, at our Lake Place tasting room and brewery.”

Crux Fermentation Project former Brewing Space For Lease

Crux Fermentation Project put their property and building up for sale in 2024 and eventually found a buyer while still holding a guaranteed lease for their brewpub. With the formation of the Oregon Beverage Collective (OBC) in February 2026, Crux Fermentation was acquired by the Rhine family of Cascade Lakes Brewing. The Crux production brewery in north Bend has now become the primary brewery for both Crux, Cascade Lakes, Goodlife and Silver Moon, putting Crux at the center of the new collective. The original copper plated Crux brewhouse that was the centperiece of their 50 SW Division St brewpub was no longer needed, and about half of the building where they used to brew and package beer has been walled off from the rest of the taproom.

Paul Evers, one of the original Crux founders, is now a commercial real estate broker and looking for someone to lease a 3,265 SF space at the heart of the Crux campus.

“The tasting room and the lawn aren't going anywhere — brewing simply moved to the bigger facility in northeast Bend,” says Evers, who notes that it’s now zoned mixed Urban. “The lawn got rebuilt this spring — shade structures, fire pits, more seating, more food carts, more parking. The crowds every week feel like the early days all over again.”

The section on the north side of the Crux building that is for lease has big windows and a 10-foot roll-up door and is a bit of an industrial blank canvas conveniently located to the busy taproom, beer garden, and food trucks.

“We think it's made for an active-lifestyle brand — an adventure outfitter, outdoor or athletic apparel, wellness. Someone whose people are already out on that lawn,” adds Evers.

Silver Moon Brewing location for sale

Silver Moon Brewing, which has changed ownership a few times, merged with Cascade Lakes, Goodlife and Crux in the Oregon Beverage Collective (OBC) is seemingly using the same strategy as the latter to sell off their property and lease it back. Silver Moon’s 4,370 SF primary location with taproom, patio, and food trucks at 20 NW Greenwood was recently listed for sale at $3,750,000 ($858.12/SF).

The Silver Moon Brewing property is a rare four-parcel assemblage in the heart of downtown Bend, anchored by the brewery as a 25-year legacy tenant under a NNN lease. Spanning two buildings, it combines stable in-place income with the character, location, and optionality rarely available in Bend’s Central Business District says the listing.

“As select functions are consolidated, a portion of Silver Moon’s downtown facility could be made available for another tenant or owner-user. The result is a flexible investment opportunity for an owner-user seeking a high-visibility Bend presence with built-in income, a passive NNN investor, a 1031 exchange buyer, or a combination of these strategies under one roof,” says the Loopnet listing.

Also related, Ager Tank & Equipment began advertising the sale of some of the original Silver Moon brewing tanks from their brewery in Redmond which was taken over by Avid Cider.

There are (3) Matching Used SK Tanks / Prospero 60 BBL (1,860 gallon) jacketed and insulated brite tanks available for $8,750 each. Built in 2015/2016 and previously used for carbonation and packaging, these tanks are reportedly in excellent condition but now located at Ager’s warehouse in Portland, Oregon.

The Ale Apothecary relocates to Redmond

Bend, Oregon’s pioneering wild and foraged farmhouse brewery The Ale Apothecary was sold to the owners of Wolf Tree Brewery in 2024 when founder Paul Arney decided to take a step away from the beer business. For the past year the beers haven’t changed much, as longtime head brewer Connor Currie stayed on as the guiding hand. But the long-term plan to move Brewing into the same location as The Ale Apothecary tasting room at 30 SW Century Dr #140, Bend, OR 97702 and expand into more clean offerings like lagers, never panned out.

The Ale Apothecary’s lease in Bend at the Century Center ran out in May and a renewal was not an option. They have now moved in to the former Kobold Brewing brewery space at 675 NE Hemlock Ave. Suite 111, Redmond Oregon 97756.

“We plan to keep the original brew system and the brewing methods Paul and I developed over the years, incorporating minor tweaks based on what I have learned,” says Ale Apothecary brewer Connor Currie. “We just converted a couple of puncheons into new mash tuns and have the open fermenters prepped to ferment.”

The new Ale Apothecary beers coming out of Redmond will have a shift in flavor profile reflecting changes in the environment. Their former maltster Mecca Grade is closed so they have switched to Linc Malt. The water profile in Redmond is harder. And Currie has been working on steering the beers toward greater drinkability with lower acidity. Yet the house wild yeast culture will remain the same, as well as their sourcing of unique ingredients like foraged native plants such as spruce, fir, and manzanita flowers will remain the same.

At their new location in Redmond the space is tight and not ideal for a taproom, so for now they will focus on restarting their beer club and throwing outside beer releases, tasting parties, and pairing dinners.

Bridge 99 Brewing For Sale

As first reported in our article on Oregon Breweries For Sale or Lease, the Bend brewery on the north side of town near Van Henion Brewing and Terranaut Beer is for sale as a turnkey operation. Bridge 99 has been in operation since 2013.

Now in its fifth year, Oregon Agricultural Trust's Cheers to the Land campaign continues to bring Oregon's craft beverage makers together for the shared mission of protecting the farmland that makes it all possible. The 2026 campaign launches October 10 with a beer festival and a pop-up farmers market at John’s Marketplace in SE Portland. This year the campaign boasts 16 breweries and cideries, four events across the state, a new pizza partnership with Ranch Pizza, and a significant new addition — the Farmland Protection badge, a label marker for food and beverage makers who are committed to farmland protection.

More from a press release:

Cheers to the Land invites Oregon breweries and cideries to brew beverages with Oregon-grown ingredients, supporting local farmers and farmland protection efforts across the state. Oregon is losing farmland at an alarming rate. Between 2017 and 2022 alone, the state lost 4% of its agricultural land to development and fragmentation. Cheers to the Land exists to raise awareness of that threat and the work Oregon Agricultural Trust is doing to stop it.

This year's campaign is sponsored by Yakima Chief Hops, Coleman Hops, Oregon Fruit Co., Westwood Farms, Indie Hops, Salmon-Safe, Admiral Maltings, and Ranch Pizza.

“Great Oregon beer and cider starts long before it reaches the tap. It starts in the soil, on the farm, with the farmers who grow the ingredients that make this state's craft beverage industry what it is,” said Oregon Agricultural Trust Executive Director, Nellie McAdams. “Cheers to the Land is about honoring that connection and protecting it. This fall we're excited about our events, and the launch of our Farmland Protection badge. Let’s raise a glass with some of Oregon's best breweries and cideries, and eat a pizza or two along the way!”

OAT has permanently protected more than 33,700 acres of farm and ranch land across Oregon and has 49 active projects in the pipeline that would protect another 140,000 acres. 

Farmland Protection Badge

Making its debut this fall, the Farmland Protection badge appears on each brewery's own branded packaging. Brewers sporting the badge for their Cheers to the Land offerings are Hopworks Brewery, Xicha Brewing and Little Hop Brewing, Gigantic Brewing, Bauman's Cider, and Falling Sky Brewing. Look for them at bottle shops and grocery stores across Oregon beginning October 10, with the full lineup available at all John's Marketplace locations. When customers see the badge, they know the beer or cider prominently features Oregon-grown ingredients and that the brewer stands behind OAT's mission to permanently protect Oregon farmland from development.

Ranch Pizza

Ranch Pizza joins the 2026 campaign as a partner with a special Oregon-sourced pizza featuring red-wine braised beef from Carman Ranch, a regenerative cattle ranch, braised in Underwood Oregon Pinot Noir, topped with local mushrooms. The Cheers to the Land pizza will be available at Ranch Pizza’s SE 11th location beginning October 11. A portion of proceeds from each CTL pizza will be donated to OAT, and Ranch Pizza locations will pour Cheers to the Land beers throughout the month.

Cheers to the Land Events:

Portland Kickoff and Pop-Up Farmers Market | Sat. October 10, 3pm-6pm

John's Marketplace, 3560 SE Powell Blvd., Portland

The campaign kicks off at John's Marketplace with a beer fest pouring 15 Cheers to the Land releases, a pop-up farmers market featuring Oregon growers, and a chance to meet the brewers. Beer fest tickets are $25 and include a commemorative glass and 8 sampling tickets. Beer fest admission is 21+. Tickets and information available here. 

The pop-up farmers market is free and open to the public — no ticket required. Expect fresh vegetables, preserves, pumpkins, and Oregon food specials from the John's Marketplace Grill Trailer.

Corvallis | Sun. October 11, 6pm

Common Fields, 545 SW 3rd St., Corvallis

A selection of Cheers to the Land beers on tap at Common Fields in downtown Corvallis.

Lincoln City | Fri. October 16, 4pm-9pm 

Rusty Truck Brewing, 4649 SW Hwy 101, Lincoln City

Cheers to the Land beers on tap at Rusty Truck Brewing alongside a special trivia night on the Oregon Coast.

Eugene | Sat. October 17, 2pm-6pm

Claim 52 Brewing, 232 Lincoln St., Eugene

A mini beer festival with XX Cheers to the Land breweries and live music. Tickets are $20 and available here.

2026 Beer and Cider List:

1. Baerlic Brewing | Collaboration with Ranch Pizza, meant to be paired with Ranch’s pizza special. IPA with malt from Goschie Farms in Silverton and hops from Coleman Agriculture.

2. Bauman's Cider | Off-dry blackberry plum cider made with plums, blackberries, and apples from the Willamette Valley. Tart, fruity, and floral. Available in cans.

3. Breakside Brewery | Seasonal Pale Ale brewed with two types of culinary lavender: Melissa, which is mellow and peppery, and Royal Velvet, which is honey-like, both paired against citrusy Citra hops.

4. Claim 52 Brewing | Fresh Hop Hazy IPA brewed with Admiral Malting's Willamette Promise malt from Goschie and Westwood Farms, malted spelt, flaked oats, and dry-hopped with Comet NUVO from Crosby Hops.

5. Deschutes Brewery | Fresh Hop West Coast IPA brewed with Willamette Promise barley from Westwood/Goschie Farms, malted by Admiral Maltings. Fresh hops Westwood Farms for notes of citrus, pine, ripe melon, and subtle tropical fruit.

6. Falling Sky Brewing | Cascadian Dark Ale brewed with all Oregon hops, nearly 100% Oregon malt, and more than 20 pounds of Oregon Coast spruce tips harvested by hand. Available in cans. 

7. Ferment Brewing | West Coast IPA brewed with Willamette Promise malt from Goschie Farms and Westwood Farms, and Strata and El Dorado hops from Indie Hops

8. Freebridge Brewing | West Coast IPA with Salmon-Safe Amarillo hops from the Crosby Farms estate. Inspired by our annual trek down to Crosby Hops from The Dalles for our fresh hops.

9. Gigantic Brewing | Bitter Ale brewed with Willamette Promise barley from Goschie Farms and Westwood Farms, Crystal hops from Lakeside Ranches and Willamette hops from Coleman Agriculture. Available in cans.

10. Hopworks Brewery | Honey Porter brewed with GloryBee Honey from Eugene. Notes of chocolate, coffee, caramel, and honey with a light herbal bitterness for balance. Available in cans.

11. Old Standby Brewing & Silver Falls Brewing (Collaboration) | West Coast IPA brewed with 75% Willamette Promise malt from Admiral Maltings, hopped with Strata from Indie Hops, Mosaic from Westwood Farms, and Dolcita from Yakima Chief Hops.

12. Rusty Truck Brewing | Raspberry Elderflower Wheat Ale brewed with Oregon white wheat, Belma and Cascade hops, Oregon raspberry puree from Oregon Fruit Co., and locally harvested elderflowers.

13. The Wheel Brewery | IPA featuring the new Oregon barley variety ‘Lontra’ grown by Camas Country, a local Hunton family farm right outside Eugene. Pairing it with hops from our favorite Willamette Valley farms for an all Oregon grown IPA!

14. Threshold Brewing | TBA

15. Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery | Sweet Hazelnut Stout with Chinook hops and Oregon-grown Hazelnuts from Ken & Junes in St. Paul, Oregon. 

16. Xicha Brewing & Little Hop Brewing (Collaboration) | Cucumber Lime Mexican Lager brewed with locally sourced cucumbers. Available in cans.

More information about Cheers to the Land, the Farmland Protection badge, and events: https://www.cheerstotheland.com

About Oregon Agricultural Trust

Oregon Agricultural Trust (OAT) is a statewide, nonprofit land trust designed to address the interrelated challenges of ag land loss, farm and ranch succession, and access to land for the next generation. OAT partners with farmers and ranchers to protect agricultural lands for the benefit of Oregon's economy, communities, and landscapes.

Hop Valley Brewing Co. has announced the September 17th grand opening of their new Eugene, Oregon pub in the 5th Street Public Market Alley mall at 550 Pearl St Suite 150. This marks a return to town for the 17-year-old brand following the closure of their brewery and taproom in the Whiteaker neighborhood in 2025.

Hop Valley Brewing was acquired by Miller-Coors in 2016, and was subsequently sold to Canadian based Tilray Beverage in 2024. Tilray announced they would shut down the production facility in Eugene in July 2025 and then closed the taproom too.

“We’re thrilled to be opening a new Hop Valley pub in such a central Eugene location,” said Megan McKenna, Senior Brand Manager, Hop Valley Brewing. “We want it to feel like a true local hangout – a place to grab great beer and food, catch up with friends, watch the game, and be part of community events right here in the Alley. With Hop Valley’s longstanding partnership with the Ducks, bringing this to life in the heart of Eugene feels like a perfect fit.”

The new Hop Valley taproom is in the former Heritage Distilling space in one of the city’s busiest pedestrian shopping areas in the 5th Street Public Market Alley outside The Gordon Hotel.

September 17th Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting of Hop Valley's New Eugene Pub

Hop Valley is celebrating the grand opening of Hop Valley Brewing Co.'s new pub at Eugene's 5th Street Public Market on September 17, beginning at 12 p.m., ahead of the University of Oregon's Rally in the Alley. This marks the brewery's return to downtown Eugene just in time for football season. The grand opening will feature a live DJ, U of O-themed giveaways, including commemorative glassware for the first 100 pints of Dang Green IPA sold, and appearances from The Duck and the U of O Cheer Team.

The new pub is a sports-forward brewpub and gathering spot, serving Hop Valley's award-winning beers, including Dang Green IPA, the official craft beer of University of Oregon Athletics, alongside a full food menu and plenty of screens for Ducks games. The celebration will culminate with Rally in the Alley, the beloved pregame U of O pep rally tradition held in Market Alley.

EVENT DETAILS

What: Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting of Hop Valley's New Eugene Pub
When: Thursday, September 17, 12 p.m. (Ribbon Cutting at 12 p.m.)
Where: 5th Street Public Market, 550 Pearl St., Suite 150, Eugene, OR 97401

Extras:

• Live DJ

• U of O-themed giveaways

• Complimentary U of O commemorative glassware for the first 100 Dang Green IPA pints sold

• Guest appearances from The Duck and the U of O Cheer Team

Founded in Springfield in 2009, Hop Valley has been part of the Eugene-Springfield community for more than 15 years. The 5th Street pub joins Hop Valley’s Springfield location and gives the brewery a downtown Eugene home-base for Ducks fans, craft beer lovers, and community events year-round.

Portland Beer Week presents the 11th annual Fresh Hop Pop-Up Beer Festival returning for an 18-day season at Prost! Marketplace on N. Mississippi Ave. from September 17 - October 4th open from 8am - 10pm daily. This unique concept for an extended “pop-up” is not the typical beer festival model, because there are zero admission fees, no drink tickets, no wristbands, and no special cups required. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy 10 daily rotating fresh hop beers from the outdoor Bloodbuzz bar, under a covered and heated beer garden deck, surrounded by 10 food trucks. 

Fresh Hop beers are only made once a year when the annual late summer and fall hop harvest takes place in the northern hemisphere. Instead of using the normal kiln dried and processed hop pellets that are produced for year-round beers, this is a special opportunity for breweries to use whole cone fresh picked hops straight off the bine in a matter of hours. Because most of the country is nowhere near hop farms like the ones in Oregon and Washington, fresh hop beers are almost exclusively available in the pacific northwest and come and go faster than our summer weather. 

In addition to the daily rotating fresh hop beers on draft, the pop-up will host special tap takeovers from premiere fresh hop breweries, regional highlights of growing regions and beer meccas, and showcases of specific hop farms and farmers. Expect something new on tap every day, and numerous reasons to return for unique experiences.

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SPECIAL FRESH HOP POP-UP EVENTS:

THURSDAY 9/17/26

GOSCHIE DAY

Kickoff the Portland Fresh Hop Pop-Up Beer Fest with the inaugural Goschie Day celebrating Oregon hop farmer Gayle Goschie. September 17th marks Oregon Beer Awards Hall of Famer Gayle Goschie’s birthday, we will be featuring all Goschie Farms grown fresh hop beers in honor of the queen.

FRIDAY 9/18/26

BREAKSIDE DIRECTOR’S CUT

Extra special and rare first runnings of Breakside’s fresh hop beers with extreme and intense fresh hoppiness above anything else you will have this or any other year.

MONDAY 9/21/26

YAKIMA FRESH HOP NIGHT

From the Palm Springs of Washington, aka the hop capital of America, aka Yakima, come the freshest beers and coolest hops. Featuring Single Hill Brewing, Bale Breaker Brewing, and Varietal Beer.

WEDNESDAY 9/23/26

BEND FRESH HOP SHOWCASE

Bend, Oregon has some of the best breweries in the world, we asked them to give us all their fresh hops: Boneyard Beer, Sunriver Brewing, Bend Brewing, & Deschutes Brewery.

FRIDAY 9/25/26

BLOCK 15 BREWING FRESH HOP SHOWCASE

Corvallis, Oregon’s Block 15 Brewing is in the house pouring all 3 of this year’s fresh hop release: FH Static Shatter IPA, Animal Cookies FH Hazy IPA, & Fresh Hop Sticky Hands double IPA.

SATURDAY 9/26/26

SEATTLE FRESH HOP SHOWCASE

From the emerald city, fresh hop beers from Reuben’s Brews, Stoup Brewing & more TBA

MONDAY 9/28/26

pFRIEM FAMILY BREWERS & GORGE BREWERIES

pFriem Family Brewers will be at the fresh hop beer garden with all 4 of their fresh hop beers, plus freshies from Ferment Brewing and Double Mountain Brewing.

WEDNESDAY 9/30/26

FRESH FROM ASTORIA WITH FORT GEORGE BREWING

How many fresh hop beers from Fort George Brewing can we fit on our taps? 5,6,…8???

FRIDAY 10/2/26

FRESH METAL-TOBERFEST

Hardcore metal breweries fresh hop beers featuring Brujos Brewing, Wayfinder Beer, Oak Union Brewing, & Alchemy Cider.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY 10/3-10/4/26

FRESHTOBERFEST

Coinciding with Prost! Oktoberfest celebration the fresh hop pop-up will feature all German-style beers with fresh hops such as: FH Pils, Oktoberfest, Kolsch, and Hefeweizen.

LOCATION:

Prost! Marketplace is the cart pod that surrounds Prost! on the corner of N. Mississippi & Skidmore. Considered one of the best places in Portland to eat and drink outdoors, Prost! Marketplace was recently featured on Netflix’s “Somebody Feed Phil” and The Oregonian dubbed it the “city’s best food cart pod,” and Willamette Week called it "the superteam of Portland food cart pods".

MORE INFO:

The Fresh Hop Pop-Up Beer Festival was first held in the parking lot of Burnside Brewing Co. (RIP) in 2015 to showcase the finest harvest beers of the season in one place, in 2019 it relocated to Prost!. Instead of searching the city and local breweries, bars, and bottle shops the pop-up fest curates a selection of 10 draft beers and continues to change them out to the latest offerings as they come out of the brewery tanks. Perhaps best of all, the event is free, outdoors, all-ages, and runs all-day. 

FRESH HOP POP-UP BEER FEST

September 17 - October 4th 2026 at Prost! Marketplace on the corner of N. Mississippi Ave. and Skidmore: 4233 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97217. The pop-up bar Bloodbuzz will be open and pouring beers from 8am - 10pm every day.

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Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has teamed up with three other craft brewers recognized in Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine’s 2025 Best in Beer Readers’ Choice Awards, to brew an extra special West Coast IPA aptly named Readers’ Choice. Brewers from Russian River Brewing Co. (Windsor, Calif.), Green Cheek Beer Co. (Orange, Calif.) and Pinthouse Brewing (Austin, Tx.) gathered at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.(Chico, Calif.) earlier this summer to collaborate on a small batch, specialty beer packed with double dry-hopped notes of tropical fruit, citrus and pine to commemorate the Readers’ Choice honor. All four breweries were ranked number one in their respective brewery size categories in the Your Favorite Breweries section of the overall 2025 awards, announced in November of last year. 

“I got chills being in the brewhouse with some of the best brewers in craft beer as we were developing Readers’ Choice,” said Terence Sullivan, Industry Ambassador & Small Batch Production Specialist at Sierra Nevada. “Ken Grossman even showed up to brew and personally provide an in-depth brewery tour. The whole day was magical, reminding me of why I fell in love with this craft in the first place. The final beer is not only delicious, it is exceptional. A true symbol of what makes craft beer great – passion, attention to detail, and friendship within the brewing community.”

Dry-hopping started with classic Cascade hops, a signature of Sierra Nevada, followed later by a secondary hopping with hops that represent each of the other breweries—Mosaic, Simcoe, and a New Zealand Hop experimental variety brought to the collaboration by Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River. Proceeds from every can support the California Craft Brewers Association, the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild, and the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. 

About The Beer

Style: West Coast IPA

ABV: 7.0%

IBU: 70

Tasting Notes: Aromatic hop notes of tropical fruit, citrus and pine precede big hop flavors and full-bodied mouthfeel of this traditional, premium West Coast IPA. It has a dry finish on the palate and leaves long-lasting, beautiful lacing in the glass for a well-rounded sensorial drinking experience. 

Availability: 

• 4-packs of 16-ounce cans (MSRP $19.99) – Sierra Nevada gift shops, at beer retailers in select markets in CA & NC, and online

• Draft in select markets in CA, NC, and TX

How to Purchase Readers’ Choice West Coast IPA collaboration beer

Craft beer lovers eager to snag this limited-quantity beer can find it on draft in select markets in CA, TX, and NC, in the brick-and-mortar gift shop locations at both Sierra Nevada breweries, as well as on Sierra Nevada’s online store to ship direct to consumers in select states. Release timeline is as follows:

• 9/3 Chico, Calif. – Sierra Nevada gift shop 

• 9/4 Chico, Calif. – Select beer retailers in Chico

• 9/9 Mills River, N.C. – Sierra Nevada gift shop 

• 9/9 Online – direct-to-consumer online sales shipping to select states CA, DC, KY, NC, ND, NE, NH, OH, PA, VA, & VT

Portland, Oregon is host to dozens and dozens of food festivals annually, but among the most unique and impactful is Urban Gleaners Summer Supper on Sunday, September 13th - tickets are on sale now.

Summer Supper will feature over a dozen of Portland's most revered chefs, serving dishes made from almost entirely gleaned ingredients, all while raising money to tackle food insecurity in Oregon.

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This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Urban Gleaners. For two decades, this non-profit organization has provided the vital, ongoing service of eliminating hunger and food waste in the Portland metro, all while celebrating the amazing food community that defines this city. Urban Gleaners rescues nearly 1.2 million pounds of food from the landfill every year, and distributes nourishing meals to over 8,000 food-insecure families in the Portland metro every week, with no questions asked.

Some of Portland’s brightest stars have participated in the past Summer Suppers, like chefs Bonnie Morales, Tyler Malek, Lalo Camarena, and Urban Gleaners board member Gregory Gourdet. Many are excited to return this year.

“Zero-waste cooking is in my roots,” shared Fatou Ouattara, chef and owner of Akadi PDX, “Growing up in Côte d’Ivoire, with family from Mali and Burkina Faso, nothing good ever went to waste. That’s exactly why we love working with Urban Gleaners: rescuing good food and turning it toward fighting hunger in our community. The event is such a joy from start to finish, and we can’t wait to come back and do it again.”

Summer Supper 2026 Chef Partners: 

• Tyler Malek – Salt & Straw

• Emily Cafazzo & Ryan Domingo – Sugarpine Drive-In

• Jason Howd – Urban Gleaners

• Jewan Manuel – Plant Based Papi

• Lalo Camarena – The Malarkey

• Fatou Ouattara – Akadi

• Bonnie Morales – Kachka

• Alexa Numkena-Anderson – Javelina

• Mel McMillan – Sammich

• Althea Grey Potter – Bar Nouveau

• Liz Serrone – Gabbiano's

• Dan & Elise Gold – Sebastiano’s

• Ryan Roadhouse – Nodoguro

• Darby Aldaco – Pizza Thief

• Mika Paredes – L'Echelle

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Summer Supper 2026 Bevvies:

Straightaway Cocktails (Nora Furst, Director of Innovation)

Stone Fence: McIntosh Cider, Pinot Noir Brandy, Apple Brandy, Nocino, Sugar, Aromatic Bitters

Fall in Oregon means orchards heavy with apples and pears! Farms from the Hood River Valley to Willamette Valley are signalling the region's turn from long summer days to crisp autumn afternoons. The Stone Fence is one of America's oldest known cocktails, tracing back to the colonial era. We built our rendition with McIntosh apple cider from Bauman's Cidery. From there, we fortified it with a 4½-year Pinot Noir brandy from Stone Barn Brandyworks and a 1-year apple brandy from Tuff Talk. Housemade Nocino and our own aromatic bitters add warm, nutty depth. Fruit-forward and richly spiced - fall in a glass, straight from Oregon's orchards and rescued by Urban Gleaners.

Dirty Lil' Martini: Pizza Gin, Mama Lil’s Pepper Brine and Oil, Dry Vermouth, Salt

Late summer in the Pacific Northwest means farmers market baskets overflowing with peppers, tomatoes, and corn. That abundance often means the "imperfect" fruit and veg goes to waste, but thanks to Urban Gleaners we're able to rescue and transform this produce. This year, we decided to bottle up a bit of that late-summer bounty before it gives way to fall. This cocktail began as a happy accident: a juniper extract made with the wrong base spirit. Rather than toss it, we ran with it, building a bespoke gin for a dirty martini featuring brine and oil from Yakima Valley's condiment legend, Mama Lil's Peppers. Since their peppers are a beloved pizza topping, we built the gin around oregano, tomato leaf, chili flake, rosemary, and sundried tomato—a gin bold enough to stand up to the brine. Once our pal Andy at Tuff Talk distilled the extracts clean, we blended them with a whisper of our housemade dry vermouth. Light heat, rich texture, best served straight from the freezer. Cin Cin!

Bauman's Cider Co. (Christine Walter, Founder + Head Cidermaker):

Fig cider

We are co-fermenting freshly pressed apples and figs that Urban Gleaners provided for us. We've never before fermented figs, alone or with apples, nor have we tasted a fig and apple co-ferment, which always gives one pause...Why has it never been done before?! Maybe we'll find out--or maybe we'll have stumbled on our new favorite thing!

Commensal Fermentation (Michael Mathis, Co-Founder) 

Homarus

We brewed a fruited wheat beer with nectarines and peaches gleaned by the volunteers at Urban Gleaners! We named the beer 'Homarus.' It comes in at 7% ABV and will carry a stone-fruit aroma with some fruit flavor from the refermentation of the added fruit.

As well as N/A drinks from:

• Post Familiar

• Dappled Tonic

What: Summer Supper from Urban Gleaners

When: Sunday, September 13th from 5pm to 8pm

Where: The Redd on Salmon

Ticket Info

GA : $100, includes 1 drink token, Summer Supper reusable cup

VIP : $150, includes 30 min early entry, 2 drink tokens, custom event tote bag with goodies, Summer Supper reusable cup

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/testsummersupper2026/event/summersupper2026/

More on Summer Supper 2026:

Join us for Urban Gleaners' Third Annual Summer Supper, a one-of-a-kind walk-around tasting experience that celebrates Portland’s vibrant food scene, highlights the power of upcycled ingredients, and supports our mission to fight food waste and food insecurity in our community.

This unforgettable evening features 15 of Portland’s most acclaimed chefs, each crafting inspired small plates using gleaned and upcycled ingredients, transforming what’s often discarded into something extraordinary. Complementing the culinary creations will be a curated selection of local beer, wine, craft cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages from some of the region’s favorite vendors.

Urban Gleaners will be celebrating their 20 year anniversary, so guests can expect celebratory activities, and cake! Explore interactive booths hosted by Urban Gleaners’ nonprofit and local farm partners, and take part in fun, educational activities centered around food systems and sustainability.

This is an all-ages, family-friendly event.

About Urban Gleaners:

Since 2006, Urban Gleaners has been committed to eliminating the barriers to accessing nourishing food, and creating a resilient food system that recognizes nourishment as a fundamental right in a just society. The organization collects fresh, delicious food that would otherwise go to waste, and redistributes it to families experiencing food insecurity through their 42 Free Food Markets across Portland.

With 40% of food ending up in landfills and 1 in 4 children in Oregon lacking access to healthy meals, the need is clear. Just in the last two years, attendance at Urban Gleaners’ Free Food Markets has increased by an average of 44%. As the cost of groceries, housing, transportation, and everyday essentials continues to rise, more families are turning to reliable sources of free, nutritious food to help make ends meet. Supporting Urban Gleaners allows them to rescue and redistribute high-quality food every single day, operate consistent community-centered programs, and ensure neighbors can access food with dignity, choice, and cultural relevance.

Vice Beer opened on the east side of Vancouver, Washington in 2022, and was the launching pad for El Viejon Taquería of which they are both partners in each others business. Vice, known early on for hazy, fruit beers, and smoothies, as well as their 80s and 90s pop culture aesthetic, has more recently embraced lagers and West Coast IPA in their wide lineup of styles and flavors.

Vice Beer was having a big 2026 even before this latest news. The brewery recently completed a new permanent year-round patio built around a brand new expanded El Viejon food truck and kitchen. In the east Vancouver taproom, Vice now serves morning coffee including pour over, mimosas, bloody Marys, etc. with a special breakfast menu from El Viejon, and brunch on weekends. In the brewhouse, new head brewer Phil Pesheck has added serious award-winning pedigree to their beers as the production output has expanded to meet demand. And on the business side, Vice recently partnered with Atari on special retro gaming inspired beers.

The upcoming new Vice Beer location at 2315 Main St, Vancouver, WA 98660 will be their third, and the second in Central downtown Vancouver following the tiny satellite pub ‘A Little Vice.’ To say that Vice Beer is busy is an understatement.

“We’ve always thought of maybe adding a 3rd space someday but we didn’t expect this one at this time. We weren’t actively looking,” says co-owner and taprooms manager Bria Perozzo. “We’ve done several Trap Door collabs over the years (including one before we opened called “Stay Classy”)  and really enjoyed working with Jake [Ed. note: Jake Watt is Trap Door’s head brewer]. My favorite beer was the “Flying Eldo Drop” and seeing Michael and Jake both dress up as Macho Man Randy Savage. We also have friends among the tap room staff and we were patrons of Trap Door long before we ever owned a brewery.”

Vice Beer’s other co-owner, Michael Perozzo, has worked with Trap Door Brewing for roughly 10 years via his media company Zzeppelin. But, the Perozzos were caught off guard when Trap Door owners asked for a meeting on August 2nd and presented the idea about taking over their lease.

“I went in thinking it was just a pleasant make-nice sort of thing given that we’d had a long working relationship,” says Michael Perozzo, noting that they hadn’t worked with Trap Door since June. “That’s when the question was brought to me: Would Vice be interested in the Uptown Trap Door location. To be honest, it was something I’d had in the back of my mind as a “wouldn’t it be cool if one day…” sort of idea. But I took that offer seriously.”

Fast forward less than 2 months later and Vice Beer will be taking the keys from Trap Door Brewing on October 1st. The pub will close on September 30th, and Vice hopes to do a quick refresh and rebrand to hopefully reopen on October 7th. The Trap Door pub already has its own, darker, more sports bar oriented aesthetic, and the Perozzos see it as an opportunity to give it a Vice makeover but differentiate it from their other taprooms.

“All of Vice Beer is branded around the 80s and 90s,” says Michael Perozzo. “Our original brewery location leans more into the home entertainment era - video games, movies and TV. Our A Little Vice location leans into music and the arts. So our 3rd location will have a dash of sports. The venue already has 3 TV’s and is home to the Timbers Army Northern Alliance away day watch parties. It won’t be a sports bar. But some of the TVs might be playing the 1994 NBA All-Star game or The Miracle on Ice… or maybe Adam Sandler’s cult classic - Waterboy. We’ll have 5-6 standing arcade cabinets and some other surprises for people to enjoy.”

Trap Door’s popular covered Beer Porch patio and food trucks E-San Thai and Taco City will remain at the location as the primary on-site food options on adjacent property that is separately owned and managed. But, Vice Beer’s popular partners at El Viejon are also exploring a new Burgers & Sandos by El Viejon concept for the space as well.

The upcoming new Vice location (nicknamed for now - Uptown Vice) is only 16 blocks from the ‘A Little Vice’ taproom, but as of now they have no plans to consolidate.

“Our current plan is to keep Little Vice rolling,” says Bria Perozzo. “We’ve been there for 3 years including several months of major construction. We’re building a great neighborhood following at Little Vice. We’ll keep 2 Dolla Tuesday going and we love all of our LV regulars!”

It is a time of great change for Trap Door Brewing as well.

Trap Door Brewing owner Bryan Shull announced he was running for Clark County Council District 1 in April and has taken on more of an outspoken stance on public issues. And, a recent campaign rally hosted at that same Trap Door Brewing location attracted much controversy.

“Operating in the hospitality space has been ever more difficult in WA state, and in the City of Vancouver in particular,” says Shull about Trap Door Brewing’s uptown Vancouver closure.

In 2022 Trap Door expanded to Washougal, Washington, taking over the brewery and taproom from Logsdon Farmhouse Ales at 1834 Main St, Washougal, WA, in the same space and brewhouse that was built out for the 2017-closed Amnesia Brewing.

Bryan Shull and partner Jim West also have the highly anticipated 42,000 square feet Prairie View Station food trucks and beer hall in Brush Prairie scheduled for 2027.

“The manufacturing space and attached restaurant in Washougal remains at regular operation, and plans for the Brush Prairie food cart park are moving along nicely,” says Trap Door owner Bryan Shull. “Vice Beer will bring a renewed, fun energy to Uptown on Main St and I wish them well.“

Trap Door Brewing will remain open regular hours at 2315 Main St, Vancouver, WA 98660 until September 30th, except for closing on Mondays the 21st and 28th. Look for updates and an October opening announcement from Vice Beer.

Astoria, Oregon’s Fort George Brewing is putting nearly 11,000 pounds of Fresh Hops from their favorite local farms into 10 unique beers released this season in 2026.

The releases this year include a Fresh Hop Hazy collaboration with Ruse, Quality of Consciousness, featuring Fresh Mosaic Hops, the return of a legendary Ghost Town collab, this year’s Simcoe Architect, featuring Fresh Simcoe Hops; a limited Fresh Hop version of best selling year round favorite Cavatica Stout, and a rich, smooth barrel aged barleywine bottle, Thunder Blanket, packed full of Fresh Chinook Hops. This is the only time to taste Fresh beer at the Fort. 

All Fresh Hop beers release at the Pub within 24 hours of packaging. But if you can’t make it to the pub in Astoria every time, check out the Fresh Out of Astoria fresh hop Fort George tap takeover at the Portland Fresh Hop Pop-Up Beer Fest on September 30th.

RELEASING IN SEPTEMBER and (maybe*) OCTOBER:

Fresh Hop Cavatica w/Fresh Cascade Hops from Mauka Living Farms - Draft Only

Cavatica is a bold, curiously hoppy stout with a strong flavor and a smooth but bitter complexity. It’s endlessly drinkable. There are more hops in Cavatica than in your average stout. And now there are more Fresh Hops in Cavatica than in your average Cavatica Stout.

Fresh Hop Mirrored Realities w/Fresh Strata Hops from Coleman Farms - 16oz Cans and Draft

In this Fresh Hop Reality - a mirror image of itself - you’ll find 500 pounds of Fresh Strata Hops. Straight from the farm, to the hopback, to the hot side of this unparalleled West Coast IPA faster than you can draw all homeomorphically irreducible trees of size n=10.

Thunder Blanket - Fresh Hop Barrel Aged Barleywine w/Fresh Chinook Hops from Coleman Farms - 500ml Bottles and Draft

A rich, smooth barleywine with an electrifying quantity of Fresh Chinook Hops.

Quality of Consciousness - Fresh Hop Hazy IPA w/Fresh Mosaic Hops from Coleman Farms - 16oz Cans and Draft

Fort George and Ruse Brewing present a curious and considered Fresh Hop Hazy IPA with Fresh Simcoe Hops from Coleman Farms. 

Simcoe Architect - Fresh Hop West Coast IPA w/Fresh Simcoe Hops from Coleman Farms - 16oz Cans and Draft

Fort George and Ghost Town Brewing - together making Fresh Hops a tiny bit more metal. 

Fresh Hop Glass Daggers - Fresh Hop West Coast Pale Ale w/Fresh Chinook Hops from Coleman Farms - Draft Only

Fort George and Kings and Daughters present - all the delicate grace of the finest Pilsner malts with a mighty quantity of lush, aromatic Nelson Sauvin hops and 100 pounds of Fresh Chinook hops from Coleman Farms. Fierce, flavorful and FRESH. 

Fresh IPA - Fresh Hop West Coast IPA  w/ Fresh Columbus Hops from Sauve & Sons Farms (Yakima) - 16oz Cans and Draft

The Original Fresh IPA. From the bine, to the can, to your taste buds in just a matter of days, Fresh IPA is best consumed FRESH. 

CoHoperative Ale -  Fresh Hop Ale with Locally Grown, Hand Harvested and Community Sourced hops - Draft Only

Made with hops from Astoria and beyond - picked and processed by us and our friends in the courtyard at Fort George. We’re not quite sure what’s in it, but we know it will be good. 

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch - Fresh Hop West Coast IPA w/Fresh Mosaic Hops from Coleman Farms - 16oz Cans and Draft

Fort George and Meanwhile Brewing Co. - out in Willamette Valley, the hop farmers at Coleman Agriculture are harvesting and processing thousands of pounds of fresh hops destined for our delicious beer.  

Fresh Hop Fields of Green - Fresh Hop Hazy IPA w/Vista Hops from McKay Farms - 16oz Cans and Draft

We picked up a truck load of Fresh Vista Hops from McKay Farms in Independence, Oregon - that’s just a few hours from here. We can almost see the hops from our backyard. 

*Depending on Hop Harvest and brewing dates. You can’t rush good beer. 

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Press release: River Barrel is expanding its craft portfolio and strengthening its hands-on approach to distribution across Western Washington.

The Pacific Northwest has long been one of the country's great craft beer regions, built by breweries, neighborhood bottle shops, bars, restaurants, and retailers willing to take chances on good beer and the people behind it. As the distribution side of the industry continues to consolidate, River Barrel Distributing is heading in a different direction.

Left Hand Brewing, Anderson Valley Brewing, Occidental Brewing, and Steeplejack Brewing are transitioning from Odom to River Barrel Distributing, marking one of the largest portfolio additions in River Barrel's history.

The move adds four established breweries to a River Barrel portfolio that has already grown considerably over the past year. "When we look at where the industry is headed, we know we aren't trying to become the biggest distributor in Washington," said Joe Cohen, owner of River Barrel Distributing. "We want to become the distributor known for thoughtful representation, exceptional service, and long-term partnerships."

A Bigger Commitment to Craft

Brand movement is nothing new in beer distribution. Breweries change partners, portfolios change hands, and distributors adjust their focus. River Barrel and Odom worked together on the latest transition with the goal of putting the four breweries in a position to succeed over the long term.

For River Barrel, the fit is straightforward. The company has built its business around craft beer and maintains a strong presence in the independent bottle shops, bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and specialty accounts where these brands have long been relevant.

"Left Hand Brewing has been a part of the Washington craft beer scene since 2007, best known for our Milk Stout Nitro and Peanut Butter Milk Stout, along with our unique seasonal offerings. This past spring, we expanded our portfolio in the state with Dry Dock Brewing, celebrated for its iconic Apricot Blonde. As the #1 craft stout and the #1 apricot beer in the country, we're excited to continue bringing our beers to the best craft beer spots in Washington with our new partnership with River Barrel Distributing. Our two companies share similar values — independence, quality, and a commitment to educating and taking care of our customers. We couldn't be more excited to partner with River Barrel," said Chris Lennert, COO at Left Hand.

Left Hand and Anderson Valley bring decades of brewing history and established followings in Washington. Occidental and Steeplejack add two highly regarded Oregon breweries with a natural fit in River Barrel's Pacific Northwest-focused portfolio.

They also join a growing list of recent additions. Over the past year, River Barrel has brought on Bierly Brewing, Jellyfish Brewing, Slightly Furry, and Schönramer, while continuing to build its specialty import, cider, and non-alcoholic business.

The common thread isn't simply adding more brands. It's finding producers that fit the way River Barrel sells beer.

"Our goal has never been to carry the most brands," Cohen said. "It's to represent the right brands. We want every supplier in our portfolio to receive meaningful attention and every retailer to know they're working with a team that genuinely believes in the products we sell."

Staying Close to the Market

River Barrel operates from Kent and serves retailers throughout Western Washington. Its sales team works directly with neighborhood bottle shops, restaurants and bars, grocery retailers, and specialty beverage accounts across the region. That local presence matters. It gives the company direct feedback from buyers, helps the team identify opportunities quickly, and allows sales reps to spend time actually selling and educating accounts on the brands they represent.

River Barrel has also invested in making the nuts and bolts of distribution easier for customers. Its Fresh Sheet provides current inventory and pricing, while online ordering gives retailers more ways to place orders and keep up with new releases.

For River Barrel, those things are all connected: know the products, know the customers, deliver consistently, and make it easy to do business.

What's Next

Beer distribution isn't going to stop changing. There will be more consolidation, more portfolio movement, and more breweries deciding what they need from a distributor. River Barrel sees room in that changing market for a locally owned distributor that remains focused on craft.

"The future of craft distribution for us isn't built by having the largest portfolio," Cohen said. "It's built by earning trust, staying close to our market, and building partnerships that last. If we continue doing that, growth becomes the result, not the objective."

About River Barrel Distributing

River Barrel Distributing is an independent craft beverage distributor based in Kent, Washington, serving retailers throughout Western Washington. The company specializes in craft beer, premium imports, cider, and non-alcoholic beverages, with knowledgeable sales support, responsive customer service, and dependable weekly delivery.

After joining forces earlier this year, 2 Towns Ciderhouse and Seattle Cider Company, have announced the dual release of two distinct takes on pumpkin cider : 2 Towns Hollow Jack and Seattle Cider Pumpkin Spice.

Both seasonal ciders clock in at 6.9% alcohol by volume and begin with fresh-pressed Northwest apples, but from there, they take different paths through the pumpkin patch.

2 Towns Resurrects Hollow Jack

Hollow Jack is jolted back to life for Fall, and this year, the beloved cider is returning to where it all began. Reinvented each year, the award-winning Hollow Jack has evolved through many incarnations over the years including a divisive cold brew coffee iteration in 2025. For 2026, the cider comes full circle with a return to its classic profile, featuring golden delicious pumpkin and a custom blend of pumpkin pie spices.

Seattle Cider Summons the Spice: 

Seattle Cider Company's Pumpkin Spice takes a similar approach with a slightly different vibe. The semi-sweet cider begins with fresh-pressed Washington apples fermented with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves, with a touch of local pumpkin puree. The result puts fresh apple and classic fall spice at the forefront.

“Fall gives us a great playground for cider,” said Dave Takush, head cidermaker of 2 Towns Ciderhouse. “With Hollow Jack, we really lean into the pumpkin, caramelizing it to build richness and depth alongside those classic fall spices. Pumpkin Spice takes a similar approach, except we keep the apple character at the center and layer in pumpkin and warming spices around it.

Together, the two releases showcase the range of cider making across the two brands and give cider drinkers two ways to raise their spirits this fall.

Hollow Jack and Pumpkin Spice will begin arriving on shelves in September at participating retailers, at the 2 Towns Ciderhouse Taproom and online. Both are limited seasonal releases available while supplies last.

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About 2 Towns Ciderhouse

Founded in 2010 in Corvallis, Oregon, 2 Towns Ciderhouse is an independently owned, Northwest-based beverage company dedicated to crafting high-quality cider and innovative beverages using whole, thoughtfully sourced ingredients. What began in a 900-square-foot garage has grown into one of the nation’s largest craft beverage companies, with more than 100 employees, three production facilities totaling over 100,000 square feet, and distribution across 16 states. 2 Towns is the #1 craft cider and beer brand in the Pacific Northwest and #2 cider brand nationwide and continues to evolve the beverage space as a premium total beverage company. For more information on 2 Towns Ciderhouse, visit www.2townsciderhouse.com.

About Seattle Cider Company®

A leader in craft cider since 2013, Seattle Cider Co. ferments innovative, award-winning ciders in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Cider offers an incredible line up of year-round and seasonal offerings, VIVID Light cider, and Odyssey — a high ABV epic adventure. Seattle Cider Co. has something for every cider drinker.

Seattle Cider products are available throughout Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nevada, Missouri, Massachusetts, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Montana. Seattle Cider ships direct to customers throughout Washington and 38 states. For more information, visit seattlecidercompany.com, or follow Seattle Cider Company on Facebook, and Instagram (@seattlecidercom).

Fresh Hop season is underway and Portland, Oregon’s Von Ebert Brewing is releasing fresh hop versions of their two signature styles of IPA.

“We’re lucky to be in the Northwest making beer where nearly all of America’s hops are grown. This geographic advantage allows us to celebrate fresh hops in a way other breweries can’t. We’re also able to partner with local hop growers right in our backyard,” said Sam Pecoraro, brewmaster of Von Ebert Brewing. “At Von Ebert Brewing, we’re proud to have evolved our traditional beer offerings with fresh hop varieties from our partners at Coleman Agriculture and Perrault Farms.”

Von Ebert Brewing will first release Fresh Hop Volatile Substance NW IPA highlighting Simcoe hops from Coleman Agriculture. Volatile Substance NW IPA is known for its flavors of smashed berry, sticky pine resin and sweet citrus. In mid-September Von Ebert Brewing will also release Fresh Hop Sector 7 Hazy IPA highlighting Krush hops from Perrault Farms. Sector 7 Hazy IPA has notes of ripe pineapple, ruby red grapefruit and sweet green melon. These fresh hop beers will be available at Von Ebert Brewing locations as well as with Northwest bars, bottleshops and grocery stores in both 16-ounce cans and draft until supplies last.

Beer drinking visitors at all three Von Ebert Brewing locations can also purchase 20-ounce mugs of gold medal winning Clubhaus Lager for $3 all day, every day. And at the N. Mississippi location (825 N. Cook Street), traditional Volatile Substance NW IPA is available for just $5 between noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Von Ebert Brewing also now offers non-alcohol hop sparkling waters, hard seltzers, hard punches and hard teas for those who don’t drink beer.

The new brewing facility off N. Mississippi allows Von Ebert Brewing production and distribution to go from 4,000 barrels per year to as much as 20,000 barrels per year and it’s more than halfway there adding new offerings. Von Ebert Brewing now sells more of its products in 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans and expanded its distribution throughout Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California and Japan.

Von Ebert Brewing was founded in 2018 by Tom M. Cook and Tom S. Cook in Portland, Oregon. Von Ebert Brewing is named after the family matriarch lovingly refer to as “Grandma Ebert.”

The recent devastation in Nepal after caused by a massive glacier collapse has me thinking not only of many governments refusal to address global warming on a meaningful level, but also of Oregon’s craft beer connections to the Himalayas. Reading the news and scrolling endless social media clips showing the horrific disaster that stretches from Tibet to Nepal had me recalling a dinner with Nepalese immigrants Nurbu and Pema Sherpa of High Camp Taphouse in Sisters, Oregon, and all the surprising connections between Oregon craft beer.

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Part restaurant, part beer bar, High Camp is a showcase of Himalayan culture and cuisine, fused with central Oregon’s love of craft beer and the outdoors. But more than just a sustenance and hospitality experience, Nurbu and Pema have also embraced the craft beer worlds dedication to giving back and rising when people are confronted with significant challenges from injustice to natural disaster. They are not the only Nepalese restaurant in Oregon with craft beer connections; Sherpa Kitchen in Portland opened at Base Camp Brewing and is now located at Zoiglhaus Brewing who makes annually makes a beer in their honor; in Bend, one of the most popular food trucks at On Tap is Himalayan Bites. These aren’t coincidences.

Before coming to Central Oregon, partners Nurbu and Pema Sherpa traveled and studied in the U.S., but knew little about craft beer. After opening food truck Himalayan Bites in Bend in 2016, they began to fall in love with the craft beer community.

In 2022 Nurbu and Pema went brick-and-mortar, taking over the former space of Hop & Brew in Sisters to open the High Camp Taphouse. Pema also runs dental clinics in remote areas of the Himilayans while not serving guests at the taphouse while Nurbu runs the kitchen making authentic dishes of Chinese and Tibetan influence. With a selection of 20 rotating drafts, High Camp has one of the best craft selections in town and food and culture like no one else.

“We make food just like it is at home. In Nepal, we heal with food,” Pema told the Bend Magazine. “And the flavor of our food comes from our thoughts. Which is why we cook with gratitude, joy and love.”

But High Camp is more than just a restaurant and bar. A portion of all proceeds raised at High Camp goes back to Nepal to fund a program to providing education for kids and teach income-generating skills to Nepali women.

“Our main goal is to give back to the community. Sherpa is an ethnic group, in Nepal we have more than 150 different ethnic groups with different cultures and languages,” says Pema.

Nurbu taught himself how to cook after coming to America, because in Nepal only women are allowed to do so. When Pema and Nurbu have the opportunity to travel home, they spend their time with the marginalized populations of Nepal. One one of their many trips, Pema says, “We stumbled upon this group of people known as Musuhar Caste in the village of Tilhi, they are very poor and have to catch mice for protein.”

Shortly after opening in Sisters, the Sherpa’s joined Ten Friends, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Central Oregon that improves the lives of children, young women, and communities in Nepal. Founded in 2005 by Sisters-based teachers Rand Runco and Mark LaMont, after spending a summer in Nepal with eight of their friends delivering medical stretchers to remote villages.

Nurbu and Perma later handed off the Himalayan Bites food truck to relative Tenzin Sherpa, who strengthened the connection to the local beer scene by relocating it to popular craft beer destination and food truck pod “On Tap” on the east side of Bend.

In Portland, the High Camp’s Nepalese friends and family Mingma T Sherpa opened Sherpa Kitchen as a food truck stationed at the now closed Base Camp Brewing. Early on Sherpa embraced the way Oregonians appreciated food and drink as a way of connection with other people that on a surface level they have little in common with. When Zoiglhaus Brewing transitioned from a German brewpub to a micro food hall called The Zed in 2021, Sherpa Kitchen was the first tenant to sign-up. Over the years Sherpa Kitchen and brewmaster Alan Taylor have fostered a tight connection expanding from food and drink collaborations, a Mt. Everest celebration, to making the limited housemade German dishes on the Zoiglhaus menu.

In response to the disaster in Nepal, Zoiglhaus has brought back their Himalayan Pilsner collab with Sherpa Kitchen.

Proceeds of sales will go to Khangri Experience Foundation, which is working with local partners in Rasuwa, Nepal, to provide families in need with clean water, shelter, medical care, and support for children who’ve lost everyone. Donations will eventually go toward the harder work of helping families rebuild.

In addition to The ZED , the Himalayan Pilsner will also be available on draft at The Hollywood Queue and the new Norte Brewing taproom.

Back in Sisters, Oregon the High Camp taproom and restaurant still strives to create a sense of community, while concurrently offering a bridge to Nepal—not only through their own sales but of handmade garments like beads and shawls made in Nepal by a woman freed from being forcibly entered into a brothel. The Nepali community connections are evident not only in the food and decor, but in a wall of photos of children from the Musahar School that they help fund.

High Camp has joined the Rise for Nepal project to raise funds to support those affected by the flooding. Along with Ten Friends, High Camp is hosting a 3-course dinner and drinks for $75 on Thursday, September 3rd with 100% of proceeds going toward flood relief efforts in Nepal. Reserve your seat: 541-904-4694 or Text: 541-639-5322.

“We are born and raised in Buddhist culture where we practice compassion, and compassion is as simple as feeding someone or providing tea on a cold day, or listening to someone on their lows, you know just like a drop of compassion,” adds Pema.

High Camp Taphouse, 523 US-20, Sisters, OR 97759

Sherpa Kitchen, 5716 SE 92nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266

Himalayan Bites, 1424 NE Cushing Dr, Bend, OR 97701

Oktoberfest is both a category of beer, and the world’s largest beer festival. First celebrated in Munich, Bavaria, Germany on October 12th 1810 to celebrate the royal marriage of Kronprinz Ludwig (later King Ludwig I of Bavaria) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The party was deemed so epic that they deemed worthy to throw it again in 1811, it has since become an annual tradition celebrated all over the world - but in September not October in Germany.

There are more than 20+ Oktoberfest celebrations across the state of Oregon from breweries to community centers. We’ve done our best to compile some of the biggest, smallest, and most craft beer-centric and noteworthy Oktoberfest parties from all across the state in this single guide.

But before we get into the events guide, let’s talk about the beer.

Oktoberfest beer actually falls into two different and fairly distinct styles of lager. The original and arguably still most prominent version of Oktoberfest Bier is called a Marzen at all other times of the year. This is the traditional and longest running style of beer at Oktoberfest events, and it’s a deep amber, copper-bronze colored, malty and chewy lager with moderate sweetness and alcohol with a touch of hops for balance. In more recent decades the old school Marzen Oktoberfest has been supplanted in popularity by the Festbier. This much lighter in color and malt flavor lager is crisp golden-blonde and thus can showcase the hops more prominently while finishing with less residual sweetness. Paulaner Brauerei is credited with creating the Festbier style in the mid-1970s, but it didn’t become widely popular until it was adopted into the Oktoberfest beer halls in Munich in 1990. Today, Fest Bier is the most popular type of beer at Oktoberfest in Germany.

2026 Oktoberfest Events in Oregon:

September 1, 8, 15, 26th

Buoy Beer Oktoberfest

1343 Duane St, Astoria, OR, United States, Oregon 97103

Instead of a single day or weekend event, Astoria’s Buoy Beer is holding events throughout the month of September and leading up to their Steinly Cup Championship. Join Buoy all month long for Festbier, full and half-liter steins, special beer releases, Oktoberfest cocktail features from Pilot House Distilling.

Steinly Cup practice rounds take place on Sept. 1, 8, and 15, and you can reserve your spot in the championship here.

• Sept. 1 – Festbier Release + Oakshire Guest Tap

• Sept. 8 – Hop Farm Collaboration IPA Release

• Sept. 15 – German Festbier Keg Tapping

• Sept. 26 – Steinly Cup Championship

Saturday September 12th from 1-8pm

Heater Allen Oktoberfest

Oregon’s favorite lager brewery and mostly traditional German rooted brewhouse is hosting their annual Oktoberfest. Now home to both Heater Allen Brewing and sister brands Gold Dot Beer, as well as two on-site food carts, Brassi's and Ricky's Tacos, there will be lots of fun to get up to. In addition to Heater Allen’s now classic Bobtoberfest lager, they will be grilling up some Zenner's sausages and Nascent Bread will be serving pretzels. There will be live music, a dunk tank, stein holding competition, and more fun for the whole family.

Saturday, September 12th 12 PM - 9 PM

Oktoberfest at the German Haus

German American Society of Portland, 5626 NE Alameda Street Portland, OR 97213

The official center for German community and culture in Portland hosts their annual Oktoberfest party with German style brews, German food, live music, and entertainment, advanced tickets available here.

Starting at noon, raise a stein for the ceremonial tapping of the first keg. For food there will be German sausages, pork, chicken, potato salad, pretzels, strudel. Polkas, German drinking songs, traditional German folk dancing to festive party tunes, live music will accompany you all day long. Games for the whole family and a bouncy house for the kids, too. Do a little shopping from a selection of German imported crafts and local vendors. Danke to the sponsors: Zoiglhaus Brewing and Wienerwurst!

September 17-20th

Mt. Angel Oktoberfest

Mount Angel, Oregon

The granddaddy of all Oregon Oktoberfest celebrations and the largest one in the the state runs a full 4-days and takes over the entire German town of Mt. Angel. There are many, many things to do and see at Oktoberfest, more than you can even take in on one full day. Seemingly every street, road, shop, and tavern becomes a venue for the celebration. Take your time and wander the streets enjoying the music and taking in the sights, sounds and smell of delicious food selections over 6 different bier gardens and numerous other event spaces.
Mt Angel Oktoberfest will host its annual starts on September 17th, but the there is a kickoff party for 21+ only on Sept 12, 2026 at the Mt Angel Festhalle and Biergarten. A full schedule, tickets, and more at Oktoberfest.org.

September 18 - 19th

Zoiglfest

Zoiglhaus Brewing & The Zed, 5716 SE 92nd Ave. Portland, OR, 97266

Outer southeast Portland’s German and American-style brewery Zoiglhaus and their food hall The Zed are hosting the annual Zoiglfest. There will be live music with @smutcityjellyrollsociety and Smoke Show, the Lents-famous Lederhosen Fashion Show, and a Stein-Holding Contest. For the kids there will be games, Frank N Balloons balloon animals and @cosmicfacespdx face painting. Plus an artisan market! Get a Zoiglfest mug now and a ticket for your first fill for only $20 advance purchase, or $25 the day of the event.

September 19th

SteepleJack Oktoberfest

2400 NE Broadway, Portland, and 5834 NE Pinefarm Ct, Hillsboro

SteepleJack Brewing’s NE Portland Broadway location, and their Hillsboro location will both celebrate Oktoberfest on 9/19. There will be liters of fresh Fall beer, German food specials, and stein-holding and costume competitions.

September 19th

World’s Littlest Oktoberfest

Little Hop Brewing, 4400 SW Garden Home Rd, Portland, OR 97219

Multnomah Village’s beloved nano brewery Little Hop Brewing is throwing their annual Oktoberfest at the delightful little beer garden and food cart pod.

Saturday, September 19 from 2pm - 9pm

Bend Oktoberfest

Deschutes Historical Museum Lawn, 129 NW Idaho Ave, Bend, OR 97703

This free community event brings a touch of Bavaria to the High Desert with live music, delicious local food, craft beer, wiener dog races, quirky competitions, and more.

Think: stein holding, pretzel tossing, the beer slide showdown, and yes—costumes, yodels, and barrels will roll.

More info at oktoberfestbend.org

Sunday, Sept. 20th (all day!) 

McMenamins Crystal Hotel Oktoberfest

303 SW 12th Ave. Portland, OR

All ages welcome at this free event with Live Music at Pride Plaza: 1-7pm  and Live Music at Ringlers Pub: 3-5pm

September 25th 5-11pm and September 26th 12-11pm

Blocktoberfest

300 SW Jefferson Ave Corvallis, OR 97333

Block 15 Brewing’s annual Blocktoberfest celebration at their downtown Corvallis pub under a big tent with live music, German-style food and beer from Block 15, games, stein-holding competitions, face painting, and college football on the big screen.

Admission is $10 at the event door for those 13 and older. A wristband will be provided upon entry and is good for both Friday and Saturday.

September 25-27, 2026

Oaks Park Oktoberfest

7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland, OR 97202.

Step into a celebration of fall, fun, and German tradition at Portland’s beloved local Oktoberfest! For three days, Oaks Amusement Park will be filled with the sights, sounds, and flavors of the season. Savor authentic German cuisine and raise a stein of Paulaner beer, returning to the festival by popular demand. Dance the night away to lively polka and folk music, cheer on the wiener dog races, and catch live cooking demonstrations. Browse one-of-a-kind creations from craft vendors, while kids enjoy the Kinderplatz with games and hands-on activities. Thrill-seekers can take on the midway rides or try their hand at mini golf and roller skating, all set against the park’s historic riverside charm. Much more info including details on vendors, music schedule, parking, and advanced tickets here.

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Saturday, September 26

Van Henion Brewing Oktoberfest

63067 Plateau Dr, Bend, OR 97701

Bend, Oregon’s German-inspired and lager centric Van Henion Brewing throws an epic Oktoberfest at the brewery. This year will feature 7 guest breweries in addition to their housemade beer, plus live music and games! More info to come.

Saturday, Sept. 26th 1-7pm

McMenamins Kennedy School 10th Annual Oktoberfest Brewfest

5736 NE 33rd Ave. Portland, OR 

21+ (minors welcome with parent or guardian) *Dress in German attire + get a prize! $35 advance, $40 at the door (includes 10 tokens and a festival glass!) Live Music: The Oompah Loompahs, 1-2:30pm, Michelle Alany & the Mystics, 3-5pm, The Quick & Easy Boys, 5:30-7pm

Saturday, Sept. 26 

McMenamins Hotel Oregon Oktoberfest

310 NE Evans Street McMinnville, OR 

Free event, All ages welcome, 21+ only in Cellar Bar. *Buy a pint and get a discount on an Oktoberfest stein!
Live Music: Paragon Lounge - Rogue Moon, 5-7pm, Mattie's Room - The Polkaticians, 7-9pm, Cellar Bar *21+ only - Fly & I, 8-10pm.

Saturday, Sept. 26 

McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Oktoberfest

4045 NE Cornelius Pass Rd. Hillsboro, OR

All ages welcome. (Free!) *Sausages on the grill + Oktoberfest hats! Live Music: The Brothers Jam, 6-9pm 

Saturday, September 26th 2-7pm

pFriemtoberfeest with Grasslands Barbecue

650 Portway Ave, Hood River, Oregon, 97031

Celebrate Oktoberfest in Hood River with pFriem + Grasslands Barbecue for the annual pFriemtoberfest! This celebration will transform the Hood River Waterfront Park into a slice of Bavaria, complete with traditional music, games, German-inspired food from Grasslands Barbecue, ice cream by Frosty Peak, and pretzels by Urban German. And of course, plenty of pFriem beer including Oktoberfest served in traditional steins.

Sunday, Sept. 27th 12-7pm

McMenamins Edgefield Oktoberfest + Plant Sale

2126 SW Halsey St. Troutdale, OR

Free event. All ages welcome

• 10am: Golf Tournament check-in ($50/person, details here)

• 11am-5pm: Plant Sale w/ Edgefield estate plants, produce and seeds, and guest vendors

• 1-3pm: Face painting

• 2-4pm: Balloon artist

• 12-7pm: Live music property-wide! 

October 2-4th

Prost! Oktoberfest

Prost!, 4237 North Mississippi Ave. Portland, OR, 97217

Prost! is Portland’s most popular German beer destination and throws one of the biggest ragers of every year. There will be Commemorative Bier steins, traditional German bands, Stein holding, sing-a-long drinking songs, and boatloads of true imported German beer flowing. All that, and the Fresh Hop Pop-Up Beer Fest will be pouring fresh hop German styles of beer at the outdoor beer garden at the attached food cart pod connected to the bier hall. More info TBA.

Saturday October 3, 12-9PM

Rosenstadt Oktoberfest

2117 NE Oregon St Ste 703, Portland, OR 97232

Rosenstadt Brewery is celebrating Oktoberfest for the first time at their new taproom and kitchen!
More details are forthcoming, but you can expect the Ceremonial Keg Tapping at 2pm, a special food menu, Stein holding contest, games, and a DJ.

Saturday, Oct. 3 (all day!) 

McMenamins Grand Lodge Oktoberfest

3505 Pacific Ave. Forest Grove, OR 

All ages welcome. (Free!) *Bratwurst Station. Live Music: 2-10pm 

October 10th 12-9pm

Occidental Brewing Oktoberfest

Occidental Brewing, 6635 N Baltimore Ave Unit 102, Portland, OR 97203

N. Portland’s Occidental Brewing is bringing Oktoberfest to the St. Johns neighborhood. The star of the show is their Festbier, but there will also be fresh hop beers and IPAs, and delicious German food to sustain you between mugs and live music and games. Admission is $15 = Mug and 1 beer. Additional beers $7. Non drinkers and kids are free. 

Schedule:

• 12pm - Doors open

• 1-3pm Festival Brass

• 3:15 pm - Stein Holding contest

• 3:30 pm - more live music 

• 5-7 pm - Festival Brass

• 8:30 PM - Last call. 

October 10th

Oaktoberfest

Bauman’s on Oak, 930 SE Oak StPortland, OR 97214

Bauman’s Cider celebrates Oktoberfest at the Bauman’s on Oak taproom and cidery garden in southeast Portland. There will be Cider, Live Music, Baby Goats, Pumpkin Decorating, Face Painting, Pie Contest, Chainstitch Embroidery & more to be announced.

Mayfly Bottleshop & Taproom is closing on September 12th, 2026. The N. Portland, Kenton neighborhoodcraft beer bar made it 7 years and successfully navigated the pandemic to become an essential neighborhood outpost for curated beer, cider, wine, and community programming. The good news is: Mayfly is going out like a gadfly with a series of events, and then they are handing the keys to Chris Stonebreaker, their general manager, to reopen the space as The Watershed taproom & bottleshop.

“Mayfly has been one of the best things in my life and I am so proud of what it has become. Personally, it has brought so much joy, so many friendships and countless memories, but my life is much different now than it was 7 years ago and it's time to celebrate this chapter to move on,” wrote Mayfly founder Ryan Born in announcing the impending closure of the taproom in May.

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“A Mayfly is an aquatic insect that when it emerges from the water, it lives, breeds and dies all within one day...thus, our slogan "Life is Short. Be Good. Have Fun." I try my best to live that slogan everyday, and I hope that it resonates with you as well,” wrote Born.

In June, Born began advertising the Mayfly space, brand, and equipment available for a new Steward. An ideal scenario would see a new proprietor step in, but in today’s craft beer and bar environment each piece of the business would also be available for sale independent of the plug-and-play alternative.

“It's been a long time coming....I'm just ready to move on to something new from food and beverage. I've been in it my entire working life and my life is so much different today than when Mayfly was just a dream,” Born told the New School.

6th annual Kölsch Fest

Mayfly’s signature annual event, the blind tasting friendly competition Kölsch Fest, will take place for a final time from August 28nd through 30th.

The five previous Kölsch Fest champions—Chuckanut (2021), Van Henion (2022), StormBreaker (2023), and Occidental (2024) and Old Town (2025), are going up against 7 new challengers:

• Chuckanut Brewery (2021 Champ)

• Van Henion Brewing Company (2022 Champ)

• StormBreakerBrewing (2023 Champ)

• Occidental Brewing Co. (2024 Champ)

• Old Town Brewing(2025 Champ)\

• Montavilla Brew Works

• Block 15 Brewing

• Double Mountain

• Ferment Brewing

• Gigantic Brewing

• Loowit Brewing

• Oregon City Brewing
  
  

Kölsch Fest is a unique blind-tasting competition that uses two group stages of six and a “final four” to determine a champion. The scoring system—awarding 1 point for a “final four” appearance and 3 points for a toppick—rewards consistency and crowd-pleasing flavor.

Each ticket includes:

• The full tasting experience.

• A .2L Kölsch Stange commemorative glass

• A Fressen Artisan Bakery hot pretzel with German mustard

• An ice cold bottle of Underberg

• A chance to win a special prize at our closing party (September 12th) by guessing their favorite brewery correctly

Friday they will have Briel’s BBQ from 4-8p and Saturday/Sunday they will have Carly’s Diner from 2-8 in the plaza.

Event Details
Mayfly Taproom and Bottle Shop, 8350 N Fenwick Ave, Portland, OR 97217
Friday, August 28: 2 PM – 9 PM
Saturday, August 29: Noon – 9 PM
Sunday, August 30: Noon – 8 PM
Tickets: $30 online / $35 at the door (valid any day of the fest)

The Watershed taproom and bottle shop

Chris Stonebreaker and a consortium of friends and neighbors will take over the Mayfly space and hope to reopen it in October as The Watershed Taproom & Bottle Shop (not to be confused with The Watershed Pub in Seattle). Stonebreaker owned and operated the Beer Stop in Redmond, Oregon from 2018-2023, but has been living part-time between Portland and Bend since 2021. For the past 3 years he has been working at Mayfly and since learning it was closing began working to align a group of investors, including Ryan Avenatti, Sara Walker, Ryan and Gloria Pittel, Chris DeLap, and Reed Homan all with ownership stakes in the new taproom.

“Something I've kept with me from my roles with Beer Stop and Mayfly has been just how much I love this industry, from the brewers to the distributors to the vendors and customers I've built relationships with,” says Stonebreaker. “There's remarkable creativity, collegiality, and place-based connection, which is something that The Watershed will offer an opportunity to build on. Not only strengthening relationships in those domains, but also being part of an ownership group for this endeavor.”

Stonebreaker and his partners have a vision to create a homey atmosphere with the same community outreach that Ryan Born and company brought to Mayfly events like their regular neighborhood trash clean-up, local food pop-ups, trivia, drag, and music.

“Like many taprooms in the area, we are developing a slate of programming that will build on collaborations with our neighborhood businesses and also with the wider Oregon and Washington beer, wine, and cider community,” says Stonebreaker.

Also like Mayfly, The Watershed will cultivate a selection for cross-drinkers from craft beer (on tap and in cans and bottles), plus local cider, wine (individual pours or whole bottles for purchase), and a wide variety of non-alcoholic beverages with snacks and food pop-ups. 

“We chose the name The Watershed as a nod to our local geography and the Columbia River Slough, as well as a reflection of this watershed moment for our group and the community. It's a term that reflects multiple streams coming together in the same direction, which is a sense we will endeavor to curate in the space,” adds Stonebreaker.

You can follow their progress on Instagram (@thewatershedpx).

Final Days of Mayfly

Ryan Born is sending Mayfly out on his own terms as he seeks to get out of the food and drink industry…but not quite yet.

“I've been working in F&B since I was 14 delivering food to patients rooms in a hospital. When I started working on the concept of Mayfly I was 30 and single...now I'm married and have a 3 year old...my priorities are a bit different these days. So I'm looking for something with a bit more stability, weekends with the family, maybe even some health insurance!” says Born.

But while he figures it all out, Born is helping Living Häus Beer with event planning and picking up random shifts at The BeerMongers and HarBQ when they need an extra hand.

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Friday, August 28- Sunday, August 30:

 - Kölsch Fest 2026.

FINAL WEEK:

Tuesday, September 8:

 - FinalKenton Trotters Run Club 6:30p

 - Taco Gang 4-8p

Wednesday, September 9:

 - $5 Glass Pours or Wine

 - All Bottles $10

 - Cheese Cups available (Either Le Femme Fromage, or we will assemble our own)

Thursday, September 10:

 - Final Trivia with Sam night 7-9p

 - The Good Bird 4-8p

Friday, September 11:

 - Plant sale/auction/raffle - All plants must go to a good home!

 - Makers Market with Hustle Home Decor, Obi Plants, Super Cool Ceramics and more.

 - Steely's/HarBQ pop-up in the plaza 4-8p

Saturday, September 12:

 - $4 Beers All Day

 - 60 Mayfly commemorative gold-metallic glasses will be for sale. ($10 for the glass and then all beers in that glass are only $2)

 - Tattoos from Howdy Slow Poke 2-8p

 - Trivia Sam will be DJing

 - We will be rolling a grill into the plaza and having a good old-fashioned neighborhood cook-out

“I met all of my closest friends through the community that we built at Mayfly,” adds Born. “I'll be forever grateful for this period in my life and I thank each and every person who walked through our doors...Mayfly was a magical space for so many people and I know that whatever comes next for this space it will continue to be special! Hug your friends, tell them you love them cause "Life is Short. Be Good. Have Fun."

Mayfly (soon to be The Watershed taproom & bottle shop)

8350 N Fenwick Ave, Portland, OR 97217

https://www.mayflypdx.com/

One of the more surprising developments in the craft beer industry is the re-introduction of low ABV “session” beer category that seemed dead after the rise of craft Non-Alcoholic beers. Sierra Nevada Brewing is jumping into this space that exists somewhere in-between sober and full-strength beers with Go-Two IPA, and Shred Beer Sodas.

California breweries helped pioneer the low abv category starting in 2006 with 21st Amendment Brewery's Bitter American, a 4.4% ABV "hop session ale." In 2010 Founders Brewing introduced All-Day Session IPA as the first widely marketed and branded session IPA. By 2011 the 21st Amendment Bitter American followed suit in 12oz cans.

In 2020 the category evolved into low-calorie, low-gluten, active lifestyle beers with entries like Stone Brewing’s 4% abv Features & Benefits IPA, and Firestone Walker Brewing released Flyjack, a low-calorie, low-alcohol hazy session IPA. In Oregon, Deschutes Brewery had WOWZA!, a hazy pale ale with only 100-calories, and Da Shootz! a 4% abv Pilsner.

The Conneticut founded and San Diego, California-based Athletic Brewing changed the game with the first widely available packaged non-alcoholic craft beers and all but killed the low-abv category, atleast in terms of growth and expansion. Athletic Brewing was born in 2018, but it wasn’t until the pandemic kick-started the trend of sobriety and fueled the Dry January trend that the brand really took off. In 2022 Athletic Brewing was responsible for half the N/A craft beer sold in the U.S.

Frankly, I thought the low-alcohol “light” craft beer lifestyle beers were all but dead, but perhaps should have seen the backlash to going alcohol-free was inevitable. Welcome back small beers, micro IPA, radlers, and tiny format beers for those who want to partake responsibly.

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Go-Two IPA 2.8% Launches in Select Markets 

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is releasing an innovation beer, Go-Two IPA, to select markets starting in August 2026. The new, full-flavored IPA is just 2.8% ABV and will release in 6-packs of 12-ounce cans (MSRP $12.99). Drinkers can expect classic IPA flavors and aromas of Cascade, Chinook, and Mosaic hops balanced with smooth malt character – exactly the type of high-quality beer experience Sierra Nevada beers are known for, just at a new ABV. 

“Go-Two is designed for craft beer drinkers who, above all, want a full-flavored IPA and at the same time want more control in how they moderate,” says Ellie Preslar, Chief Growth Officer at Sierra Nevada. “It broadens the field of occasions for craft beer, and no compromises have to be made in the process.”  

Select markets that will see Go-Two in late summer include: AZ, CA, CO, GA, IL, KS, MA, MD, MI, NC, NY, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA

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Shred Beer Soda Variety Pack Launches in Very Select Markets 

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s new innovation, Shred Beer Soda, will begin appearing in a four-flavor variety pack of 12-ounce cans (MSRP $21.99) in very limited markets in California and North Carolina, shipping from the brewery this week. New flavors being introduced in this pack include Lemon, Orange, and Lime Ginger, alongside the original Grapefruit which launched exclusively at Sierra Nevada brewery locations earlier this summer. 

What is Beer Soda? Shred Beer Soda is beer brewed for a new generation of flavor-first drinkers, with bright, citrus-forward taste, low bitterness and easy-going 4.5% ABV. It is a modern take on a classic beer-soda-fruit combination, akin to a Radler. 

“Shred is an entirely new drinking experience,” says Ellie Preslar, Chief Growth Officer at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. “It’s bold, it’s flavor-forward, it drinks like a beer, yet tastes like a soda – and we know it’s going to turn heads in the aisle. This is why we’re being thoughtful with how we introduce it and look forward to taking feedback from drinkers.”

This latest distribution expansion and introduction of a variety 12-pack will take place only in limited markets in parts of California and North Carolina, including:

• Chico, CA

• Metro markets in Southern CA

• Greater Asheville area in NC

• Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area in NC 

Hop Breeding Company (HBC), together with partners John I. Haas and Yakima Chief Ranches, today announced the launch of Terra Alpha Hops, a new series of high-alpha hop varieties bred for reliable performance in both the field and the brewhouse.

Terra Alpha Hops represent HBC’s long-term platform for high-alpha hop innovation. Inspired by the foundational role alpha hops play in Brewing, the Terra line is build around sustainability, performance, and consistent, quality bitterness.

HBC is best known for flavor-forward varieties such as Citra HBC 394, Mosaic HBC 369, and Krush HBC 586. With Terra Alpha, HBC is showcasing two premier high-alpha bittering hops: TerraSurge HBC 1325 and TerraLux HBC 682.

TerraSurge is HBC’s newest high-alpha variety, combining exceptionally high yield with powdery mildew resistance and a late harvest window. Together, these agronomic advantages give growers greater flexibility and offer the potential for more efficient, sustainable hop production.

“TerraSurge encompasses every innovation we’ve developed over the last seven years. It’s a breakthrough,” says Michael Ferguson, Director of Hop Breeding at John I. Haas. “That’s what we want a hop to look like.”

Dean Monshing, Chief Sales Officer at Yakima Chief Hops, agrees: “The future of alpha depends on varieties that consistently perform in the field as well as the brewhouse. TerraSurge was bred for exactly that: a vigorous, high-yielding cultivar grown in the Pacific Northwest and designed to deliver dependable performance year after year. As Brewers look to diversify their alpha sourcing and build resilience in to their supply chains, TerraSurge gives them a foundation they can rely on.”

Meanwhile, the TerraFlux name brings a new identity to the established variety HBC 682, commercially grown since 2018. With more than 36 million pounds produced to date, its impressive history makes TerraFlux a natural complement to the newly introduced TerraSurge.

“HBC is well known for our intense flavor-forward hops, but innovation in alpha has also been an important part of our breeding program,” says Jennifer Burns, Executive Director of Hop Breeding Company. “TerraFlux has already proven itself at commercial scale, and TerraSurge represents the next generation of that work. With our Terra Alpha series, we’re giving that part of our portfolio an identity of its own.”

TerraSurge and TerraFlux are now available through Yakima Chief Hops and John I. Haas. For brewers seeking consistent, high-quality bitterness from hops grown in the United States, Terra Alpha Hops offer a new generation of sustainable high-alpha varieties built for performance.

Hop Breeding Company, LLC is a leader in hop breeding and research, dedicated to developing innovative hop varieties that meet the evolving needs of the brewing industry. Through rigorous testing and collaboration with brewers worldwide, HBC continues to advance hop cultivation, performance, and quality. HBC is ajoing venture between John I. Haas, Inc. and Yakima Chief Ranches, LLC.

Astoria, Oregon’s Fort George Brewery is introducing a new year-round beer to their core lineup - Island Towns. It’s a bright and aromatic tropical West Coast IPA available in 12oz cans/6-packs and draft, but not to be confused with an earlier iteration of the beer with the same name and label.

Astoria might not technically be an island but it sure can feel like an island sometimes. Not the lonely, isolated John Donne sort of island (that no man is), but a cheerful, welcoming, community-rich island. Astoria is surrounded by water on three sides, diverse and ecologically unique with their own culture and custom.

Like the town it was brewed in, Island Towns isn’t just a summer destination. This Tropical West Coast IPA is lush, a little sweet, and perfect for activities in any season.

If the name of the beer and the label art by Jesse LeDoux seem familiar, it’s because a similar beer with the same name and art was first released in September 2025 as a one-off in 16oz cans. However, that earlier version of Island Towns was a collaboration with Seattle Indie Rock Band, Minus the Bear, for the 20th anniversary of their album Menos el Oso. That version of Island Times wasn’t tropical, had a different recipe formulation, and included spruce tips.

The new Island Towns is brewed with a mix of cutting edge, fruit-forward hops like Superdelic and the bold, citrus-y West Coast flavor of Citra and Chinook. Modern brewing science and warm Sandy beaches, ripe tropical fruit on the breeze and a refreshing citrus breeze off the Pacific - it’s a brand new, year-round Tropical West Coast IPA from Fort George.

Hops: Superdelic, Citra, Chinook, Mosaic, Citra Cryo

Malts: Rahr to Thee, 2-Row, Dextrin, Acidulated

ABV: 6.5%

Island Towns release parties all over the Pacific Northwest:

8/21 in Portland at Asylum Spirits (inside the Hawthorne Asylum Food Truck Pod), 1080 SE Madison St, Portland, OR 97214

8/25 in Hillsboro at the Noble Hop, 370 E Main St, Hillsboro, Oregon 97123

8/27 - Red Hot in Tacoma 2914 6th Ave, Tacoma, Washington 98406

9/9 - The Barn at Hickory Station, 640 Hickory St NW, Albany, OR, United States, 97321

The North American 2026 hop harvest has started in Oregon and farmers say this year’s crop is promising. Fresh Hop beers will soon hit the taps and get packaged up in cans for distribution - this is when you can expect them to arrive.

Farm workers have sharpened their machetes and fueled up their bottomcutters to begin cutting the base of the suspended growing lines to make way for topcutter tractors and trucks to load up the 10ft bines bursting with hop flowers. Then the hop picker heavy machinery gets to work, stripping the hop cones from the leaves with a series of fans and dribble belts that shake out the excess parts of the plant for composting. Most of the still “wet” hop cones then go to drying beds before they get baled or pelletized. But here in Oregon (and a few other parts of the world) most breweries intervene in the process to collect undried hops for use in seasonal fresh hop brews that attempt to capture the potent but fragile lupulin oils and aromas during a very brief window before they begin to dry out and oxidize or mold.

Fresh Hop beers are made almost exclusively in the Pacific Northwest where the hop growing industry of the United States is concentrated in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and only rivaled by the hop growing region of Germany. Since the long accepted standard for brewing with fresh picked hops is 24 hours from bine to brew, most breweries don’t even have an opportunity to make fresh hop beers. However, with the more recent advancements and obsession with hop utilization via proprietary breeding and extraction technology have meant the latest hop crops are more available in processed cryogenically frozen or extracted forms that can be used and shipped over extended periods. Still, the true fresh hop beers using undried whole cone hops are the gold standard and probably no one in the world takes more advantage of that limited access than Oregon breweries.

The hop harvest got started in Oregon this week at a few select growers like Goschie Farms, with additional farms like Coleman Agriculture and Crosby Hops beginning next week ahead of the rest of the world.

Many of Oregon’s signature hop varieties such as Strata and Centennial are ready to be picked early which means our harvest gets started roughly 2 weeks before Washington’s. Specific hops like Tettnang and Willamette will also show up early from Oregon farms, followed by Simcoe, and Lorien, later Cascade, Sterling, Amarillo, etc. Many of the trendier or newer developed hops like Citra, Mosaic, Krush, and Thora, won’t even be picked until mid September which means fresh hop beers will still be getting released until the first week of October.

StormBreaker Brewing

First fresh hop beer drops Friday August 14th

StormBreaker Brewing is one of the most prolific brewers of fresh hop beers, almost always dropping double digit numbers and winning a medal or two along the way. So far they have 8 releases planned this year, but brewer/co-owner Rob Lutz says “The number we do always seems to surpass what we plan, but this is what we have for now.”

StormBreaker gets their Fresh hop beers releases rolling this Friday August 14th with Fresh Hop Total ReKolsch with a boost of fresh Centennial hops from Goschie Farms.

Next Tuesday or Wednesday will mark the second Stormbreaker fresh hop release with ‘Handfuls of Fresh Hops’ featuring Centennial hops on August 18th or 19th. Next up: FH Safety Meeting IPA w/ fresh Strata (ETA 08/25-08/29), FH StormBreaker IPA w/ fresh hop TBD (ETA 08/27-09/05), The Fresh Hop Is Strong With This One w/ fresh hop TBD (ETA 8/27-9/5), Fresh Hop Oregon IPA w/ fresh hop TBD (ETA 8/27-9/11), and Set Freshies To Haze w/ fresh hop TBD (ETA 8/31-9/11)

Level Beer

First fresh hops drop August 14th or 15th!

Portland’s purveyors of retro gaming themed and socially conscious northwest ales and lagers are always the first to pour freshies. Level Beer is coming out of the gate hot with three different fresh hop beers dropping this weekend and up to 13 total (including one fresh hop water.) Level Beer adds all of their fresh hops on the cold side to get them out early.

Fresh Hop Game On! American IPA, West Coast IPA, and an Oktoberfest, are all getting the fresh hop treatment and released in 16oz cans and on-draft. Which fresh hop varieties will be used in each was unclear at the time of publishing, but we hear the Fuggle, Tettnang, and Centennial were picking from Goschie farms yesterday…

Both the Level Beer fresh hop IPAs have some Crosby CGX Nuvo hops in both the whirlpool and the dry-hop on the hot side of the Brew. The fresh hops from Goschie Farms are added on the cold side for a real fresh and aromatic finish.

Also coming from Level Beer but undated with fresh hop varieties TBD:

• FH Press Pause Pale Ale - Fresh hops in hop back and cold side.

• FH Daylight Cravings CDA - Fresh hops cold side.

• FH Roadkill Red - Fresh hops cold side.

• FH Stay Gold Ponyboy - Golden/ Summer Ale - Fresh hop cold side.

• FH Hazy IPA (TBD) - may or may not happen.

• FH Pilsner/ Lager (TBD) - may or may not happen.

• FH Collab with Crosby and Loyal Legion (TBD)

• FH Collab with Roy Farms/ Crosby Farms (TBD)

• FH Jay-Z Goes Fresh WC IPA “We brew a Fresh hop beer with our long time regular Jay. This one we've been doing CGX Nuvo in the boil, fresh hops in the hop back and more CGX Nuvo in the dry hop, and maybe some cold side as well,” says Level Beer co-owner/brewer Shane Watterson.

• FH Level Clear (Fresh Hop Water” - “We made some last year and it was delicious!” says Watterson.

Occidental Brewing

First fresh hop beers drops August 19th

Occidental Brewing and their fresh hop Pilsner reliably kickoff the season each year and is a beloved favorite. This year is no different, but they are also adding some new fresh hop beers into the mix. Occidental brews all of their fresh hops cold-side, meaning the beer is already fermented out by the time the fresh hops are added. They also use the “weed whacker” approach to processing fresh hops, this method of chopping up the fresh hops to unlock the oil and lupulin glands is an increasingly popular technique.

Occidental’s Fresh Hop Pilsner using Tettnang fresh hops from Goschie Farms will be released at the brewery’s taproom in St. Johns neighborhood of N. Portland on August 19th. Their distributor, Maletis Beverage, will also be picking up draft and 16oz cans that same day and the beer should hit beer bars and bottle shops over the course of that week.

Next up will be a new one for Occidental - Fresh Hop Kolsch with Hallertau fresh hops from Goschie Farms. This will be available at the Occidental taproom on August 26th, with Maletis Beverage also bringing this one out to market the following days/week.

Last but not least is Fresh Hop Occidental IPA dropping on August 27th. Occidental Brewing began broadening their horizons outside of strictly German beers in early 2025 and last Fall debuted a fresh hop IPA. This year they are using Centennial hops from Crosby.

Zoiglhaus Brewery + Norte Brewing and Spotlight Brewing

First fresh hop beers drops August 28th

Zoiglhaus Brewery is always among the first to drop fresh hop beers, and consistently they are award winners too.

Fresh Hop Zoigl-Kolsch kicks things off on August 28th, arriving slightly late compared to the usual mid-August drop date. This Oregon Beer Awards silver and bronze medal winner is brewed just like in Cologne with all-German ingredients, then fermented slow and cool with an authentic Kölsch yeast strain brought back from brewer/ owner Alan Taylor’s studies in Germany. Fresh Hop Zoigl-Kölsch is the standard base beer but with 300 lbs of fresh, local Tettnanger hops added in the whirlpool. 4.8% abv 16oz cans and kegs are available now for pre-order.

Following FH Kolsch, Zoiglhaus has a new beer - Fresh Hop Cold IPA - dropping September 4th.This might be Zoiglhaus first ever take on the Cold IPA-style beer, which is essentially a West Coast IPA that uses rice to lighten the body and add a crispness, and fermented with a lager years instead of an ale yeast. Zoiglhaus FH Cold IPA is brewed with fresh harvested Centennial hops from Goschie Farms. The 7% abv beer drops in 16oz cans and kegs on September 4th.

September 11th is a big drop date for Zoiglhaus and their sister brands Spotlight Brewing, and Norte Brewing (new taproom opening soon.) Zoiglhaus big award-winner Oktoberfresh (OBA gold medal winner) fresh hop Oktoberfest lager fresh hopped with Hallertauer will be released in cans and draft. The same day will see the release of Spotlight Brewing’s 7% abv Fresh Hop West Coast IPA focusing on the glory of Strata hops (draft only.) Also coinciding on 9/11 is Norte Brewing’s Fresh Hop Mexican-Style Lager 4.7% with Lorien fresh hops (in 16oz cans and on draft), and Fresh Hop Gatito Pale Ale 5.5% abv with Strata fresh hops and Krush Cryo hops dry-hop (in 16oz cans and on draft).

Sunriver Brewing

First fresh hop beers drop September 7th.

The Bend, Oregon based multiple-time brewery of the year winner Sunriver Brewing is planning to package more widely their fresh hop beers in 2026. Expect the usual fresh draft beer, but way more 16oz cans in the market.

Sunriver Brewing’s first release is a fresh hop version of their flagship Vicious Mosquitio IPA brewed with Crosby Hops brand new hop product CGX Nuvo. Introduced in 2025, CGX® NUVO™ is a flowable, high-density lupulin powder made from fresh hops using Crosby Hops’ patented cryogenic technology. We can debate (and will debate) whether processed and powderized hop cones can or should ever be considered “fresh” hop, but regardless the word-of-mouth on this product is very good. The fresh hop extract is made only during the harvest season by immediately flash-freezing and concentrating 100% of the essential oils from whole cones.

Fresh Hop Vicious Mosquito with Warrior, Columbus, Simcoe, Fresh Centennial NUVO CGX drops on or around September 7th in 16oz cans and on draft.These wet wonders deliver big notes of grapefruit juice, lime blossom, and pine needles

Fresh Hop Stomp is next up on September 11th in cans and on draft. This modern IPA is lean, mean, and precise, stomping on traditions, and blazing a new trail.  A skinny malt bill of Idaho-grown pale barley creates a clean, lightly sweet base for a blend of hand selected PNW hops.  Citra, Krush, and a massive amount of Fresh Strata hops deliver reliably tropical and citrus notes, while the Mosaic hits with supporting diesel, woodsy, and berry character.

September 12th ish:

• FH Something Dank w/ Simcoe

September 15th:

• Fresh Hop Fuzztail Hefeweizen w/ Luminosa

September 19th:

• FH Burlington w/ Dolcita (16oz cans)

September 22nd:

• FH Rippin w/ Amarillo (16oz cans)

• FH West Coast Hospitality w/ Citra

• FH Che Figata- Lorien (16oz cans)

September 26th:

• FH No Whammies w/ Mosaic (16oz cans)

Ruse Brewing

First fresh hop beers drop September 15th

Ruse Brewing has been ratcheting up their fresh hop releases over the past few years and plans to release 10 this year. As big believers of using fresh hops “hot side” at the beginning of the brewing process, their beers tend to be released slightly later in the season. Ruse Brewing kicks their hop harvest releases off on September 15th with two Strata fresh hopped beers.

Mystic Visions is a Hazy IPA using oat and spelts for body and mouth feel, with eldorado and mosaic hops, and a big pop of fresh strata hops to add a combo of fruit and dankness. Alien Plant Farm is a West Coast IPA collaboration with Human People Beer out of Seattle, WA, and Riip Beer from Hungington Beach, CA. This 6.6% abv westie has a plethora of hops additions from flaked adjuncts to Simcoe hop extract, and fresh frozen Cryo Mosaic hops. The big boost comes from Strata fresh hops. Both Mystic Visions and Alien Plant Farm drop on draft and in 16oz cans on September 15th, but a separate Citra fresh hop variant of Alien Plant Farm will be released on draft-only on September 22nd.

Next up on September 22nd: Green Mountain Green, a Hazy IPA collaboration with Other Half Brewing out of New York with fresh Simcoe hops on tap and in cans with a Mosaic variant dropping draft-only on September 30th. Red Rain, a fresh hop NW Red ale collaboration with Slice Beer Co. from Lincoln, CA with fresh Chinook hops in cans and on draft. Deception Test, a West Coast IPA collaboration with Ism Brewing out of Long Beach, CA with fresh Simcoe hops. The draft-only variant of Alien Plant Farm with citra hops will also be released this day. All four beers are kegging on September 22nd and should be available at the brewery that day and from the distributor Day One the following days/week.

September 29th and 30th marks the final few releases in Ruse’s fresh hop schedule: Wolves in the Rain, a West Coast IPA with Citra fresh hops: Shade Garden, a Hazy IPA with fresh Citra hops; and, Songspire, a West Coast IPA with fresh Citra hops, all drop on September 29th at the brewery with the distributor to follow. The Mosaic fresh hop variant of Green Mountain Green hazy IPA will also drop the following day on 9/30 on draft-only.

Portland goes to the pandas! Portland Cider Co. debuts Red Panda Cider, and national touring Asian food & drink festival Panda Fest takes over the waterfront September 11-13th.

Portland has one more month to get ready for Panda Fest, an Asian food and culture festival making its Oregon debut September 11-13 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The three-day festival will bring together local Portland-area food vendors and national food purveyors offering visitors a chance to taste everything from viral food trends to hard-to-find Asian street foods.

WHAT: Panda Fest — Asian Food & Culture Festival

• Local restaurant spotlight: Yoonique Pho & Grill: Co-owner Cindy Phan serves family recipes and cuisine from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This is the sister restaurant to Yoonique Tea pairing street food with tea drinks (dishes like bun nem chua, or cured sour beef)

• Festival food must-haves: Flintstone-sized roasted bone marrow served with toast, from Project Bone Marrow from Washington, King Squid’s whole giant grilled squid on a stick, TJ Big Pan’s Omurice (Japanese Fried Rice) and other Asian street foods.

WHEN:

Friday, September 11 from 4p.m. to 10 p.m. 
Saturday, September 12 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday, September 13 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE: Tom McCall Waterfront Park (98 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204)

TICKETS ON-SALE: Visit www.pandafests.com.

ABOUT PANDA FEST

Launched in 2024, Panda Fest is one of the largest outdoor Asian food and culture festivals in the United States. In its first year alone, the festival produced 13 events across 11 cities, welcoming over 500,000 attendees, with attendance continuing to grow. Featuring experiential activities, tastings, market fairs, and live performances, Panda Fest brings communities together to celebrate the richness of Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures.

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Portland Cider Co. is welcoming the Oregon Zoo’s two new red pandas with a special-edition release of Pacific Berry featuring playful red panda artwork. The limited release is part of the cidery’s fourth annual summer partnership with the Oregon Zoo Foundation, giving cider fans a delicious way to support wildlife throughout July and August.

Pacific Berry is a luscious blend of Northwest-grown marionberries, raspberries, and apples. Jam-packed with juicy berry flavor and vibrant aromatics, the 6.5% ABV cider is refreshing and balanced, with just the right combination of sweet and tart.

During the two-month campaign, a portion of proceeds from every Portland Cider 4- or 6-pack sold at participating retailers across Oregon and Southwest Washington will be donated to the Oregon Zoo Foundation. The funds will help provide extraordinary daily care for animals at the zoo while supporting species-saving conservation efforts in the Pacific Northwest and around the world.

The special-edition Pacific Berry is available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans at the Oregon Zoo and select retailers throughout the Portland Metro area, while supplies last. A portion of proceeds from Pacific Berry supports animals at the Oregon Zoo and in the wild.