Lompoc Reds Today Then St. Patrick’s and two big birthdays Thursday

Today we have an evening of Lompoc Reds and on Thursday we have St. Patrick’s Day and two big birthdays.

Lompoc Night of the Living Red
4 p.m. Wednesday March 16, Lompoc Sidebar, 3901 N. Williams Ave.; $12 for taster tray of all six beers, or buy individually.
The party features that legendary Lompoc hospitality and six red Lompoc beers:

• Dagda: Lompoc’s St. Patrick’s Day seasonal is a Pan-Gaelic Red Ale that features a malty body with caramel flavors, a touch of smoke and a tart finish. 5.5 percent.
• Proletariat Red: Deep chestnut in color, this red features toasted malt with biscuit undertones leading to caramelized pear and cinnamon. This beer won silver at the 2015 GAB and strikes a good balance between malt and hops. 6.2 percent.
• 2015 Cherry Christmas: Aged for two years in Maryhill Winery Merlot barrels on 45 pounds of sour cherries. It has a malty body, a strong oak aroma and hints of cherries and finishes. 6.2 percent.
• 2015 Cherry Bomb Smoked Red Ale: Brewed for International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day, this red ale is crimson with a strong smoked flavor and aroma. Cherry smoked malt was used in the mash and in-house smoked dried cherries were added to the bright tank. 3.7 percent.
• 2013 Fleming Red Ale: Named in honor of former Lompoc brewer Dave Fleming, this is a blend of four different beers: Lompoc Wheat Wine, Stout Out Loud, Proletariat Red and a red ale aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels for 10 months. The resulting beer has a strong sour nose, a malty body with hints of raisins and oak, and finishes with a sharp sourness. 6.6 percent.
• 2012 Franc’ly Brewdolph: This Belgian style red ale was aged in Maryhill Winery Cabernet Franc barrels for 10 months and then blended with the non-barrel aged version of the same beer. It has an oaky aroma with a mild fruitiness and a spicy clove flavor. 7.7 percent.

Belmont Station’s 19^th Anniversary
3 p.m. Thursday March 17, Belmont Station, 4500 S.E. Stark St.;
St. Patrick’s Day is also Belmont Station’s Anniversary, and this year is the 19^th, and that calls for a party. As in the past, the entire staff picked beers to share, and this year staff picks are stellar as always. Here are just a few of the beers you’ll find:

Block 15 Intergalactic Hop Shop, Deschutes Abyss 2015, Upright Hearts Beat, Fremont Barrel-aged Abominable Stout, Lagunitas One-Hitter Imperial Stout with Hazelnuts, Cacao Nibs and Brandy-Soaked Vanilla Beans — the only keg in Oregon – Hair of the Dog Flanders Fred, Piraat Triple Hop, Ruse Multibeast – a burgundy barrel-aged modern farmhouse ale, de Garde Vin Lee, Block 15 Sweet Sassy, Sticky Hands and Intergalactic, pFriem Flanders Red, 3 Magnets Hoppy Porter, Schlenkerla Helles and more.

Plus they’ll have a sneak preview of their 19th Anniversary beer: a bourbon barrel-aged barley wine by Ecliptic. That will be pouring in the taproom on March 17 but on March 21, the anniversary celebration will expand to include bottles of the Anniversary barley wine available for sale in the bottle shop and Oregon brewing legend and Ecliptic owner/brewer John Harris will be on hand for that party, too…

Double Mountain Portland Style Ninth Anniversary Party
5 p.m. Thursday March 17, Green Dragon, 928 S.E. Ninth Ave.;
Disguised as a mild-mannered meet-the-brewer event, this is in fact a big-ass party celebrating nine years of one of Oregon’s finest breweries, and the first 50 customers in the door who purchase Double Mountain beer will receive a Kolsch marinated Bratwurst. Irish Stout carbombs will also be available and the Dragon is expecting David Alan, Andrew Russo, and Head Brewer Greg Balch from the brewery for this 20-tap takeover extravaganza. Here’s the list:

Space Jitters
Stardust IPA
Moon Patrol
Kolsch
Vaporizer
Hop Lava
Black Irish Stout (Nitro)
Gypsy Stumper
Carrie Ladd Porter
Hail Yeah Pear Cider
Brett the Red
Sphagnum P.I.
Witty C.
Fast Lane IPA
Ninth Brown
Come Together Pale
Devi’s 2014
Off the Wagon
Old Dirty Goat
IRA (Cask)

25th annual Kells St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Thursday March 17 – Sunday March 20, Kells Irish Pub, 112 S.W. Second Ave; Kells Brew Pub, 210 N.W. 21st Ave; $5 – $20 cover charges at different times.
The annual bash is the Northwest’s largest St. Patrick’s Day event and this year’s festival happens over four days and four venues: inside the venerable Kells Pub; in a festival tent in the pub’s back parking lot; at the Kells Brew Pub; and in a festival tent at the Brew Pub. Entertainment starts at 11:30 a.m. in the festival tent Thursday and my old friend Mike Beglan (publican of the much-loved East Avenue Tavern and founder of the Alberta Street Pub after that) will take the stage at Noon as the first of a roster of dozens of musicians over the weekend. If you’re in the mood for St. Patrick’s, Kell’s is the place to celebrate.

Shamrocks & Shenanigans with Crux
5-9 p.m. Thursday March 17, NW IPA, 6350 S.E. Foster Rd.;
The N-Dubs crew asks why drink you’d Guinness on St Paddy’s Day when you could drink Crux Tough Love? They’ll have 2014 and 2015 Tough Love on tap plus some pub only IPAs from the brewpub in Bend. Plenty of House of Pain for your ears.

St. Patrick’s Day Party
6 p.m. Thursday March 17, Three Mugs Brewing, Hillsboro;
Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with the Three Mugs crew, who’ll have contests for Most Green outfit, best kilt, and games of skill for fun prizes; Irish pub song karaoke, Celtic tunes, lots of good beer – none of it green – and who are bringing back their free loaded potato bar.