Previewing #PDXNOW Presents Base Camp’s Collabofest As It Unites 16 Portland Breweries

Now in its third year, #PDXNOW Presents Base Camp’s Collabofest, returns to Base Camp Brewing on Saturday, January 28 from 2:00 to 8:00pm. Part of Travel Portland’s, Portland is Happening Now campaign, which also includes some free stuff and great savings for visitors, Collabofest unites 16 local area breweries to collaborate on 16 beers. The twist is that each brewery is paired with one other brewery and then brews a collaboration beer at each brewery. The results will be pouring for the very first time on Saturday.

“Yeah, the brews that have been made specifically for Collabofest the past two years were filled with creativity,” stated Base Camp’s Event Manager, Morgan Tashea, in a release. “The excitement that the brewers have for the festival really shows through when they work together to create a new brew that truly embodies Portland’s creative and innovative spirit.”

“We’re thrilled to see so many Portland breweries collaborating and giving visitors an easy way to experience the breadth of Portland’s beer scene this winter,” stated Greg Newland, executive vice president of marketing and P.R. for Travel Portland, in a release. “We love that these limited edition beers are also available at participating breweries during February for those who aren’t able to make the festival.”

This past November, all 16 participating breweries were paired up via a lottery-style drawing. Then each paired brewery came up with a beer that was collaborated on and brewed at each brewery. One pairing we found somewhat ironic is how Ex Novo Brewing and Laurelwood Brewing were partnered. Both breweries saw each of its head brewers depart in late November and early December to go on to form a new brewery together, Level Beer. Now the new head brewers at each location came together to brew two beers, appropriately named In With The New and Out with the Old.

Last evening Base Camp Brewing hosted a preview and we were on the ground to check out and sample a few of the 16 beers that will be pouring on Saturday. Our favorite offerings served were Mt. Tabor Brewing’s Space Mountain Sour IPA, Occidental Brewing’s Ding, Ding! I’d Like to Dry Hop a Toast, and Gigantic Brewing’s Nevørmind Oyster Stout. The best pairing of two of the paired breweries came from the two collaboration beers from Hopworks Urban Brewery and Ruse Brewing. The two beers, Astral Wavelength and Astral Frequency used Kernza, a perennial grain, in part of its malt bill.

Here is a rundown on all 16 beers that will be pouring at #PDXNOW Presents Base Camp’s Collabofest.

Base Camp Brewing Co. & Baerlic Brewing
Honey Chestnut Pilsner
Sir Douglas MacStouterson

Widmer Brothers Brewing & Culmination Brewing
Bashō IPA
Zen Wave IPA

Ecliptic Brewing & Mt. Tabor Brewing
Space Mountain IPA
Space Mountain Sour IPA

Alameda Brewing & Stormbreaker Brewing
Coffee and Donutella
The Passion of the Homer

Hopworks Urban Brewery & Ruse Brewing
Astral Wavelength
Astral Frequency

Gigantic Brewing Co. & Uptown Market Brewery
Nevørmind Oyster Stout
The Taming of the Shroom

Occidental Brewing & Fat Heads Brewery
Ding, Ding! I’d Like to Dry Hop a Toast
Smuggling Dunkel

Ex Novo Brewing Co. & Laurelwood Brewing Co.
In With The New
Out with the Old

Advance tickets for #PDXNOW Presents Base Camp’s Collabofest are now on sale and can be purchased here. The event runs from 2:00 to 8:00pm with special VIP session that begins at 1:00pm and includes a few other special goodies. General Admission tickets are $25.00 and VIP tickets are $40.00.

If you miss #PDXNOW Presents Base Camp’s Collabofest the collaboration beers will be pouring at each of the brewery’s taprooms throughout the month of February.

Base Camp Brewing Company
930 SE Oak St.
Portland, OR 97214