Weekend in Beer – Beginning October 5, 2023

It is going to be another splendid weekend to get outdoors as the temperatures will be very nice here in Oregon. There are a plentiful amount of beer events to enjoy the great fall weather the area will be seeing over the next few days.

Tonight, look for a few tasting events across the area. Dwinell Country Ales will be at Belmont Station while Away Days will be at Uptown Beer Co. On Friday, Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House is set to offer Fresh Hop Flights and Block 15 Brewing hosts its two-day Bloktoberfest. Oakshire Brewing celebrates its 17th anniversary from Friday through Sunday in Eugene and Portland.

On Saturday a trip out to the Columbia River Gorge is looking quite nice as Hood River Hops Fest returns for its 19th year. Then for whiskey fans, Skamania Lodge is hosting its second Western Whiskey and BBQ with Westward Whiskey. And if you’re down in the Willamete Valley, TopWire Hop Project will host its Fall Fest.

Learn more about all of these events and more from our top picks for the Weekend in Beer!

Dwinell Country Ales Tasting
Thursday, October 5 – 4:00-7:00pm
Dwinell Country Ales hail from Goldendale Washington, and have been fermenting up some unique beers, ciders and wine. To kick off the weekend, Belmont Station will have three options on draft.

Draft List:
Mellow Gold – Amarillo-centric IPA
Old Vine – Saison w/ Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Honey
Almira – French-style that features robust apple flavors while still finishing dry

Then next door in the bottle shop, there will be a free tasting of Dwinell Country Ales!

Belmont Station – 4500 SE Stark – Portland, OR

Away Days Tasting
Thursday, October 5 – 6:00-8:00pm
Away Days will be bringing a selection of its beers to the far western reaches of Portland for a Thursday night tasting. Look for the brewery’s Festbier, Home & Away IPA, and Milner’s Mild on tap and with every can or draft purchase be entered into a raffle for cool Away Days merch!

Uptown Beer Co. – 6620 SW Scholls Ferry Rd. – Portland, OR

Oakshire Brewing 17th Anniversary
Friday, October 6 – Sunday, October 8
Seventeen years ago, Jeff and Chris Althouse founded Oakshire Brewing and this month the Eugene, Oregon based brewer will celebrate this milestone with four beer releases, three of which are barrel-aged beers. These beer releases includes Seventeen, Goatshire, The Fear That Lies Before Us, and The Fear That Lies Behind.

These beers can be pre-ordered for pickup and draft pours beginning on Friday, October 6 at either Oakshire location. To place your order for Eugene pick up, visit oakbrew.square.site and for Portland pick up, visit oakbrewpdx.square.site.

Both pubs will also be hosting live music all weekend long. Eugene’s live music begins at 6:00pm each day and includes Jackie Jae and Jason on Friday, Storm Tipton on Saturday and Ky Burt on Sunday. Portland’s live music for the weekend includes The Larks on Friday at 6:00pm, Tabor Mountain Boys on Saturday at 6:00pm and Gus Smith on Sunday at 5:00pm.

Oakshire Eugene Public House – 207 Madison St – Eugene, OR
Oakshire Portland Public House – 5013 NE 42nd St – Portland, OR

Deschutes Brewery Fresh Hop Flights
Friday, October 6 – 11:00am-10:00pm
The Portland outpost of Deschutes Brewery will debut six fresh hop beer with Fresh Hop Flights. These hyper-seasonal beers will be on tap for a limited time!

Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House – 210 NW 11th Ave – Portland, OR

Block 15 Bloktoberfest
Friday, October 6 – 4:00-11:00pm – Saturday, October 7 – 12:00-11:00pm
Corvallis, Oregon’s Block 15 Brewing is excited to announce the return of their Bloktoberfest celebration in Downtown Corvallis on Oct 6th and 7th. The Oktoberfest celebration will take place under the traditional big tent occupying one whole city block by their downtown Block 15 Pub, located at 300 SW Jefferson Ave. The celebrations will be held from 4pm to 11 pm on Friday, and 12pm to 11pm on Saturday, with both days featuring live German music, German-inspired beer and food, face painting, a Stein Holding Competition, German Spelling Bee, and College Football on the big screen.

“We are excited to be bringing Bloktoberfest back again. After a few years break, we want to invite you all back under the big tent in Downtown Corvallis to celebrate.” – Nick Arzner

Stein Pre-Order packages and Table Reservations are available now on Block15.com, with limited Liter Stein packages available.

Block 15 Brewing – 300 SW Jefferson Ave – Corvallis OR

Meet Irrelevant Beer
Friday, October 6 – 4:00-7:00pm
The recently opened Irrelevant Beer from Vancouver, Washington will be making its debut at Belmont Station. An offshoot to Relevant Coffee, this new brewery is led by Quin Tinling and Sebastian Lynch, who have spent time working at various breweries both near and afar.

Drafr List:
Arnada – NW American Lager – Malty yet dry, fruity yet clean, bitter yet balanced. 4.8%
Minimal Majesty – American IPA – Collaboration with Obelisk Beer Company. Notes of mango, papaya, bubblegum & resin. 7.1%
Premium Plush – Fresh Hop IPA – Fresh Simcoe hops bring Bright expressive notes of passionfruit, pineapple, and vanilla. 6.4%

The Irrelevant Beer team will be at Belmont Station during this time to answer your questions and talk all things beer.

Belmont Station – 4500 SE Stark – Portland, OR

19th Annual Hood River Hops Fest
Saturday, October 7 – 11:00am-7:00pm
One of the region’s most popular fresh hop beer festivals returns on Saturday to scenic Hood River, Oregon. The 19th Annual Hood River Hops Fest will bring together nearly 30 breweries to the Columbia River town for a day of fresh hop beer tasting!

Here’s a preview of the featured breweries that’ll be serving up its fresh hop beers on Saturday.

Baerlic Brewing
Binary Brewing
Breakside Brewery
Chehalem Valley Brewery
Creekside Brewing
Double Mountain Brewing
Ferment Brewing Company
Fire on the Mountain Brewing Co.
Fort George Brewery
Freebridge Brewing
Full Sail Brewing Company
Georgetown Brewing Co
Hopworks Urban Brewery
Kings & Daughters Brewery
Migration Brewing
Mt. View Brewing
Old Town Brewing
Pelican Brewing
pFriem Family Brewers
Silver Falls Brewery
Solera Brewery
Stickmen Brewing Company
Sunriver Brewing Company
Three Creeks Brewing
Thunder Island Brewing Co.
Walking Man Brewing
Wild Ride Brewing
Working Hands Fermentation
Zoiglhaus Brewing

There will also be live music throughout the day with the West Goats kicking things off from 11:30am-1:00pm. They’ll be followed by Antonyms from 1:30-3:00pm, Megan Alder & The Woods from 3:30-5:00pm, and The Kinky Brothers from 5:30-7:00pm.

Tickets to the Hood River Hops Fest are currently on sale and can be purchased online via etix.com. There are three packages to choose from, including two various tasting packages and a designated driver ticket. The Grand Tasting Package includes a commemorative tasting glass, and 12 beer tokens for $35. Another option is the Small Tasting Package the includes commemorative tasting glass, and 5 beer tokens for $25. A Designated Driver Ticket is $10. Those minors attending with a parent or guardian are admitted for free.

The Columbia Lot – Corner of Columbia St and 5th St – Hood River, OR

TopWire Hop Project Fall Fest
Saturday, October 7 – 11:00am-9:00pm
Celebrate the arrival of Autumn at a hop farm. Hop harvest may be over but there are still plenty of beers and ciders to enjoy at TopWire Hop Project at Crosby Hop Farm.

Experience cozy vibes with a delicious selection of 5 ciders on tap, featuring the likes of Bauman’s Cider, 19 Acres Cider Co., Salt Creek Ciderhouse, and Ten Tower Cider. Plus, grab a cider taster flight to enter for some killer raffle giveaways!

There will also be a mini-marketplace with local vendors for some crafty shopping. Also on hand will be a few food vendors including Chaparros Mac serving authentic Latin street food, Eat Poundtown offering smash burgers, dirty fries, specials and more, and Drea’s Bad Ass Cookie Co. made fresh with premium organic ingredients!

TopWire Hop Project – 8668 Crosby Rd NE – Woodburn, OR

Skamania Lodge + Westward Whiskey – Western Whiskey and BBQ
Saturday, October 7 – 5:00-7:00pm
The spirit of the American west comes to the forefront this fall when Skamania Lodge returns with its Western Whiskey and BBQ. Now in its second year, this year’s event will once again feature Westward Whiskey, great BBQ food, poetry from Tom Swearingen and live music from Joni Harms.

Hosted in the Skamania Lodge’s new Moonlight Pavilion, this outdoor space offers scenic views of the Columbia River Gorge and its beautiful surroundings. The pavilion features four gas fire pits, bar and restrooms perfect for an evening at the lodge.

Last year, Oregon’s Cowboy Poet Tom Swearingen mesmerized the audience with his storytelling that painted life like pictures of how it was on the American frontier. And when Tom is not indulging the audience with his art, Joni Harms will be taking over with her guitar strumming focused songs creating a fine way to settle in for a fall evening.

WESTERN WHISKEY AND BBQ MENU

Appetizers
Pork Belly Burnt Ends with a Bourbon BBQ Glaze
Duchess Potato Bites
Smoked Salmon Mousse Vol Au Vents

Hot Entrees
Smoked Pork Loin with Glazed Carrots, Charred Fennel, and Whiskey-Apple Jus
Seared Flat Iron Steak with Skillet Fingerling Potatoes, Caramelized Cippolini Onions, and Poblano Cream Sauce
Plum Glazed BBQ Guinea Hen with Wild Rice Pilaf and Plum BBQ Sauce
Charred Brussel Sprouts with Roasted Pearl Onions, Apple Cider Vinegar, Piquillo Peppers

Action Stations
Chili-Glazed Hot Smoked Wild Salmon

Dessert
Chili-Chocolate Cream Puffs with Vanilla Mascarpone Filling
Juniper-Peach Buckle with a dollop of blueberry compote

Tickets to the Western Whiskey and BBQ are currently on-sale at $125 per person and includes a BBQ buffet, two Westward Whiskey cocktails and entertainment from Tom Swearingen and Joni Harms. Additional drinks will be available for purchase for $12 for a whiskey shot or $16 for a signature whiskey cocktail. This event is only open to those 21 years of age or older.

Last year, Western Whiskey and BBQ sold out so don’t delay purchasing tickets. To purchase tickets, call 866-783-9340 or visit https://skamanialodge.rezdy.com/578184/western-whiskey-bbq-featuring-westward-whiskey.

Skamania Lodge – 1131 SW Skamania Lodge Way – Stevenson, WA

Ghost Town Brewing Kick Off To Spooky Season
Tuesday, October 10 – 4:00-7:00pm
To celebrate the spookiest month of the year, Belmont Station is at it once again. Day One Distribution are bringing in Ghost Town Brewing from Oakland and Belmont Station will have four of the brewery’s beers on tap.

Drat List:
Fresh Hop Green Fiend – Mosaic Fresh Hop IPA – Notes of berries, green leaves & ripe citrus. 7.2%
Mordant – West Coast IPA (GABF Gold Winner 2022) – Berries, peaches & citrus are blasting in this Strata and Mosaic hopped gold medal winning IPA. 6.7%
Rat Majesty – Hazy IPA – A ferocious federation of sweet pineapple, fuzzy apricots, juicy honeydew and bitter orange marmalade. 6.6%
Livor Mortis – Oak Aged Sour with Watermelon & Peppermint – Deathly tart and cooling with strong notes of Jolly Ranchers, garden salad & fresh cut grass. 6.0%

Belmont Station – 4500 SE Stark – Portland, OR