No Shortage of Beer Events in Beervana

Wednesday aka hump day is just another day of the week, but today in Beervana, there’s so much pouring. Here’s some highlights of what’s going on today:

Mac Dragon Release

Uber beer geek, Oregon Brew Crew member, and F.H. Steinbart employee Michel J. Brown will be releasing the latestOBC  beer brewed at the Green Dragon.  In the style of a Scottish 80, Mac Dragon promises to be “clean and malty with a dry finish, and perhaps a few fruity esters, and just a touch of peaty earthiness to entice you into a cold night’s indulgences. This beer finishes fairly dry considering the relatively sweet palate, from the restrained use of Styrian Goldings hops and has a slightly different balance than the strong(er) Scotch ales that may be more familiar. Made with Golden Promise, crystal 80, crystal 165, pale chocolate and black patent malts and bittered with Styrian goldings.”

21 IBU, 27 SRM, 3.8 ABV, 11.75 Plato

Ale-X Collaborator Release

One delicious Oregon Brew Crew release is not enough on this fine evening. In conjunction with Widmer Brothers, OBC members Chris Hummert and Mark Easton will unveil “Ale-X“, a special Collaborator Series release at East Burn. According to a post on the OBC list serve, “The beer is called Ale-X (named after Mark’s son), and is a Pacific Northwest winter seasonal ale that is perfect for sipping on cold Portland nights.  Deep brown in color, it’s full bodied with dark crystal maltiness balanced by assertive hops and just a touch of roastiness.  There are notes of chocolate, toffee and nuts that fade to a relatively dry, hoppy finish. Approximately 6.5% ABV.”

Deadlift Imperial IPA Night

The beer-crazed bros at The Beermongers, Portland’s coolest new bottle shop and tap room are hosting a special event featuring Widmer’s latest bottled treat, the Deadlift Imperial IPA. Available in four-packs, this 8.6% ABV, highly hopped brew has an interesting history. The brewery’s most expensive beer to produce ever, 7,750 Gallons (62,000 pints) of Deadlift were lost in a recent power outage. This still did not deter Widmer from keeping their chins up and taking the situation in stride. A DVD with news footage of the occurrence was sent out to media along with an empty capped bottle of the beer revealing Widmer’s healthy sense of humor. For anyone who hasn’t tried it yet and consider herself a hop head, now’s your chance. The ‘Mongers will be pouring tasters starting at 5pm.

BAM Fest Kick-off!

Thanks in big part to the McMenamins, beer and movies pair together in Portland like nowhere else on the planet (beer and anything for that matter). Tonight is the official opening festivities for the first annual BAM Fest organized by the folks at Beer Northwest. This two week festival will be housed at a number of places known for great beer and film. Sponsored by Ninkasi and New Belgium, tonight’s kick-off takes place at McMenamins’ historic Bagdad Theater on Hawthorne Boulevard. Firestone Walker, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Laurelwood Brewing, Lompoc Brewing, Southern Oregon Brewing, and Woodchuck Cider will also have special releases available at the fest. For a complete listing of movies, theaters, and showtimes visit http://www.bamfestpdx.com. Our pick: Repo Man (Greatest movie ever made) @ The Hop & Vine February 11 @ 7PM.

Portland’s got it all. An average weekday here is more than other cities can dream of…and it ain’t even Zwickelmania time yet!