Feast Portland Returns For Its Fifth Year From September 15-18

Five years ago prior to launching the first Feast Portland, co-founders Mike Thelin and Carrie Welch had a vision of featuring a lineup of local chefs and artisans along with bringing in nationally recognized talent for a food and drink festival like no other. Through the festivals short five years, Feast Portland has become one of the most buzzed about foodie festivals in the nation and for good reason brings in many fans from across the United States and beyond during the four day event.

Later this week Portland will be a buzz about food and drink when the 5th Annual Feast Portland returns to the Rose City from Thursday, September 15 through Sunday, September 18. The event has grown in popularity that all of the events except for three of its Drink Tank Series are now sold out. This is event after adding additional events for the 5th anniversary. Bring great tasting food for a charitable cause and people will definitely show up.

Speaking of charity, Feast Portland will once again partner exclusively with Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon with a concentrated effort on the organization’s campaign to raise awareness around school breakfast participation in Oregon schools. During the past four years Feast Portland has raised over an amazing $231,000 to local and national charity partners working to end childhood hunger.

For those still looking to experience what Feast Portland is all about Friday Drink Tank events, as of this posting, still have tickets available. The three events include Meet the Press, Washington Wines on the Rise and Aperitifs Ascendant: Understanding Vermouth, Quinquinas and Aperitif Wines (only 11 tickets remain). All of the Drink Tank events will be held outdoors at the Portland Art Museum Evans H. Roberts Sculpture Hall located at 1219 SW Park Ave in downtown Portland.

Drink Tank: Meet The Press
Friday, September 16 – 12:00pm-1:00pm – $35.00
In early America cider was king, consumed by everyone from kids to George Washington. Post-Prohibition, cider became tee totaling juice, and hard cider turned sticky and sweet. Today’s daring cider makers are embracing tradition, heritage fruits, and brewing methods (dry-hopped ciders!) to devise dynamic, elegant beverages that are the apple of drinkers’ eyes. Meet the makers behind the movement.

Tastemakers:

• Jeff Alworth, Cider Made Simple (Portland, OR)
• Joshua M. Bernstein, Author and Journalist (Brooklyn, NY)
• Craig Campbell, Tieton Cider Works (Seattle, WA)
• Nat West, Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider (Portland, OR)
• Kevin Zielinski, E.Z. Orchards Cidre (Salem, OR)

Drink Tank: Washington Wines On The Rise
Friday, September 16 – 2:00pm-3:00pm – $55.00
Maybe you’ve slurped down a bottle of delicious Washington Cabernet Sauvignon with your last juicy steak and sipped a delectable Washington Syrah over a leg of lamb, but there’s a whole lot more happening with Washington wine. From spicy Grenache and floral Cabernet Franc to cool-climate sparklers and Rieslings, Washington wines have come of age. Winemakers are exploring new varieties, growing grapes in emerging viticultural regions, and experimenting with winemaking techniques, all with delicious results. Feast’s big league wine aficionado and award-winning writer, Bruce Schoenfeld leads a panel of trailblazing winemakers and experts on an exploration of the latest and greatest wines from across the mighty Columbia.

Tastemakers:

• Kate Derby Raymond, Spring Valley Vineyard (Walla Walla, WA)
• Brennon Leighton, B. Leighton Wines (Seattle, WA)
• Tony Rynders, Tendril Wine Cellars (Carlton, OR)
• Bruce Schoenfeld, Saveur (Boulder, CO)

Drink Tank: Aperitifs Ascendant: Understanding Vermouth, Quinqunas And Aperitif Wines
Friday, September 16 – 4:00pm-5:00pm – $45.00
Twenty years ago, vermouth was stuck in the doldrums—but today, drinkers are discovering the aperitif experience. Old World standards are mingling with New World newcomers—and this is just the start. Find out what bottles to look for, and get a taste of some of the most interesting styles.

Tastemakers:

• Kate Bolton, Maven (Portland, OR)
• Paul Clarke, Imbibe (Portland, OR)
• Neil Kopplin, Imbue Cellars (Beaverton, OR)
• Ryan Magarian, Hamlet (Portland, OR)
• Jake Parrott, Haus Alpenz (Bristow, VA)

Beyond these three events that still have tickets available, Feast Portland has also teamed up with six of its top participating artisans and chefs to create Feast Portland-inspired, one-of-a-kind items.

What is being called the #FeastFab5 collaborations are available for a limited time in honor of Feast’s 5th birthday. The #FeastFab5 collaborations include the following:

Xocolatl de Davíd – Chocolate collaborations with:

• Elias Cairo from Olympia Provisions (Portland) – “Swiss Picnic”
• Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue (Austin) – “Texas Barbecue”
• Jessica Koslow of Sqirl (LA) – “Slice Crispies”

QUIN – A little pillow of candy that kind of sparkles with a tiny effervescence. It’s cherry flavored and contains Oregon cherries, to be more purely Oregon.

Wiz Bang Bar from Salt & Straw – featuring a special flavor the week of Feast at retail location

Pok Pok Som – featuring a special “Oregon Strawberry & Thai Basil” flavor of Som

Stumptown – featuring a special cold brew soda made in-house during the week of Feast in Portland retail cafes, except the Annex.

Olympia Provisions and Pok Pok – featuring a special sausage collaboration between Elias Cairo and Andy Ricker.

Many of these products, excluding Wiz Bang Bar and Stumptown, will be available until September 18th online and in select retail locations. The featured makers will also graciously donate 10% of net sales to Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon!

Happy Feast(ing) everyone!