Your week in Thanksgiving week in beer: one new fest and two great brewers on tour

Harrisment, Oregon Style: JH² IPA Brewmasters Tour
4:30-9:30 p.m. Friday Nov. 20, see below for sked.
Ecliptic ‘s John Harris and Fort George’s Jack Harris share essentially the same name and both got their brewing start at McMenamins. They’ve joined forces to create JH² IPA, which was brewed with Pale malt, Munich malt, and Pinot Noir and Syrah juice giving it a subtle wine taste, plus hops: Mosaic, Calypso, Simcoe, and Centennial hops add a wonderful aroma and flavor to the 7-percent beer. Today, they hit the road for a tour around Portland to celbreate JH² IPA:

4:30-5:30 p.m. Saraveza, 1004 N Killingsworth St.;
6-7 p.m. Roscoe’s, 8105 SE Stark St.;
7:15-8:15 p.m. Horse Brass Pub, 4534 SE Belmont St.;
8:30-9:30 p.m. C Bar, 2880 SE Gladstone St.;

Big Chill 2015
9 p.m. -1 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, Grand Central Restaurant and Bowling Lounge, 808 S.E. Morrison St.; free admission and Widmer glassware with purchase of Brrr while supplies last.
For the eighth year, Widmer Brothers Brewing welcomes winter with a kickoff party for it classic winter beer, Brrr Seasonal Ale. The Big Chill features music, art, winter fashion, and lots of Brrr, a big Northwest red ale that emphasizes aromatic and flavorful hoppiness while embracing a feeling of winter with a robust malt backbone, rich body, and red appearance. Brrr, the brewery’s winter seasonal for eight years, features Simcoe and Cascade hops for a big, citrusy aroma and Widmer Brothers’ Alchemy hop blend for bittering.

This year’s Big Chill is an après ski-themed party with a fashion show where you can check out the latest winter styles in snowboarding and winter apparel. There will also be a silent auction benefitting The Snowdays Foundation, a local non-profit, plus an art show of snowboards donated by Mt. Hood Meadows and transformed by local artists into winter-themed works of art, which will be displayed on site in the artist gallery. Partygoers will be asked to vote on their favorite.

[credit: FoystonFoto]

First Cherry Festivus
Noon – 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, Bazi, 1522 S,E, 32nd Ave.; $20 includes admission, glass and six tix.
Ezra’s found an empty weekend and an under-celebrated fruit (and one of my favorites, truth be told) and has created a new beer festival – Cherry Festivus – to fill that unseemly gap. Sample cherry infused beers and cider, plus food and cocktail specials. Featuring a list of two dozen rare and exclusive cherry beers ( including Dogfish Head Higher Math 20th Anniversary Cherry and Chocolate strong ale)and a special winter spiced cherry cider, Ezra says Cherry Festivus is the alternative festive drinking event of the year.

Cherry Cocktails:
Cherrywood Sour – Bourbon, kriek beer, lemon juice, egg white, thyme syrup
Cherry Festivus Daiquiri – rum, lime juice, kriek beer, syrup
Chocolate Dipped Cherry – pFriem strong dark, kriek beer

Food Specials:
Cerasus Stoovlees stew made with Painted Hills beef, kriek and served on top of street frites.
Choco Kriek Brownie served with Salt & Straw Double Fold Vanilla ice cream

Winter Beer Showcase
Noon-close, Saturday Nov. 21, Triton Taphouse, 8300 N.E. Hwy. 99, Vancouver, Wash.;
The Triton will be pouring a wide selection of winter seasonal beers including IPAs, porters, ciders and more. Raffles and swag giveaways start at 6 p.m.

Bourbon County Stout Sneak Preview
5-7 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 25, Belmont Station, 4500 S.E. Stark St.; $30, ticketed event.
Some tix still available.
Goose Island releases its eagerly awaited Bourbon County Stout varieties on Black Friday, with events at John’s Market, NW IPA and others, but you can sample ’em early at Belmont Station’s pouring of four very special rare versions of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout that happens in the taproom on Wednesday and raises money for the Oregon Food Bank. This will be a ticketed event, and the ticket will buy you a flight of 2015 Bourbon County Stout, BCS Barleywine, BCS Regal Rye and BCS Coffee, plus half of your ticket price gose to the Oregon Food Bank.

contact John Foyston with info on your beer events at johnfoyston@comcast.net