Eugene Beer Week Continues To Roll Along

We’re now midway through the 3^rd Annual Eugene Beer Week with many more fun and exciting events left to take place throughout the Eugene area. Brewpublic was able to make it to Eugene to take in a few of the festivities over the past couple of days.

The nice attribute that Eugene Beer Week offers is that most, if not all of the events are very affordable. The events are geared for both the beer geek and the beer novice just beginning to understand what craft beer is all about. You can take in a free sensory analysis class at Ninkasi Brewing conducted by Jamie Floyd, a few various beer dinners for $35, a Whiskey Barrel Beer Fest with free admission and the list goes on. From my vantage point it’s a week worth of fun, easy going, casual beer events that anyone can attend and make a good time out of it without draining the pocketbook.

Once in Eugene our first stop was the newly relocated and much enlarged The Bier Stein at 1591 Willamette Street. Wow, this place is large and spacious. The first thing you notice when walking in is the large rectangular bar with two large TV’s above the taps using DigitalPour to showcase their 24 different beers that they’re pouring.

The reason for this visit to The Bier Stein was to check out the Breakside Brewing and Ninkasi Brewing Dual-Tap Takeover. So most of the beers pouring this night were from these two breweries with one very special beer, their collaborative India Golden Ale. Jacob Leonard of Breakside Brewing was on hand and worked the crowd to talk up Breakside’s new offerings to their loyal patrons.

From The Bier Stein we walked up Willamette Street to 13^th Avenue to the original 16 Tons Taphouse to see what they had on tap. Searching for the perfect nightcap a Boneyard Backbone was delivered and pleased the late night palate. This rich chocolate, espresso stout definitely hit the spot.

On day two of our visit for beer week we started the festivities off at the brand new Oakshire Public House. Located in the Whiteaker neighborhood of Eugene across the street from Wandering Goat Coffee is the new outpost for finding everything Oakshire Brewing related. Their brewery is still staying put on the northside of town but you’ll now be able to purchase and enjoy any of their 13 different beers 7 days a week from 11am – 10pm. And if you’re hungry they’ll have a food truck serving their specialties during the evening hours. On our visit it was Sammitch Time Food Truck. But for all of you that like to get your corny keg filled, Oakshire now offers a dedicated corny keg fill station on the side of the tasting room. This will allow you to get a quicker turnaround time on your beer for your home kegerator.

Knowing that there were some other stops for day two we packed up and headed south to 16 Tons Café for their Cornbread Café Vegan Dessert and Beer Pairing. This was a great pairing and very affordable. For $3 you received a taster of the paired beer along with the collaborative dessert treat. After consuming the 5 offerings it was difficult to decide which was the best pairing. I really enjoyed the Peanut Butter Cup and the Sopapilla the best. Here is the listing of the pairings:

1. Chocolate Stout Cake w/ Stone Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout
2. Rice Crispy Treats w/ Stone Espresso Imperial Russian Stout
3. Peanut Butter Cups w/ Hopworks Bourbon Noggin Floggin 2010
4. Sopapilla with Cinnamon and Strawberry Sauce w/ Elysian Peste Chocolate Chili Ale
5. Carrot Cake w/ Hopworks Belgian Style Apple Ale and Elysian Space Dust IPA

After 16 Tons Café, a return trip to The Bier Stein was in order for the 2^nd Annual Bend Invades Eugene Tap Takeover. All 24 taps were dedicated to Bend brewed beers. The standout of the night was Good Life Brewing’s Jam. This base beer of Sweet As had marionberries added and then aged in a Syrah barrel to give it a some light fruit character along with a slight tart finish.

Unfortunately we could only take in two evenings of Eugene Beer Week this year. If you find your way near Eugene you have three more days of events.

The rest of the weeks events are listed below.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Real Ale Fest, 3 p.m.?‘It just got real in here.’ Join us for an afternoon of firkins and a special cask release. We’ll have two different beers from Falling Sky and two guest firkins, all pouring for $3.?Where: Falling Sky Brewing, 1334 Oak Alley, Eugene, OR

Beer Trivia w/ special beers by Agrarian Ales, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., hosted by Elliott Martinez.?Teams of up to six people play for free. Test your beer knowledge and win prizes.?Where: 16 Tons Cafe 2864 Willamette #500

Welcome to Funkytown! 5 p.m. to close?What would Starchild drink? Boogie down to the Stein and find out… We’ll have wild and sour beers from Logsdon, Block 15, Russian River, Cascade, and more. These beers utilize different strains of yeast and bacteria to create a menagerie of flavors not found in conventional beers. Many are aged in oak barrels to add depth of character. This event goes from 5 p.m. to close — while supplies last, mothafunkas!?Where: The Bier Stein, 1591 Willamette St., Eugene, OR

10 Barrel Tap Takeover at Hot Mama’s Wings, 5:00?5 Brews on tap, including some not-so-common ones. 10 Barrel Beers on tap all day long with cool swag giveaways after 5:00. Win a pair of tickets to Mt. Bachelor and meet some of the 10 Barrel folks.?Where: Hot Mama’s Wings, 420 West 13th, Eugene, OR

BeerAssana, 5:30 p.m. till zen?Align mind and body with free, all-comer’s yoga class taught by Jay Martin of LifeForce FIitness, and keep the mellow with a selection of craft beers afterwards.Yoga class @ 5:30, beer till zen.?Where: Claim 52 Brewing, 1030 Tyinn St, Suite 1, Eugene, OR

Oakshire Beer Dinner at Wild Duck, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.?Join Brewmaster Matt Van Wyk and Sous Chef Adam Peterson for an evening of food and beer pairings. Tickets are $35 person, with a portion of the proceeds being directed to the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation. For reservations, call 541-485-3825.?Where: Wild Duck Cafe, 1419 Villard Street, Eugene, OR

Meet the Brewer! 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.?Meet our head brewer, Mark Henion, and dive into our newest Prismatic Lager Series release, Sterling Pils. Ever wondered what goes into making this popular style of beer? Mark will tell you!?Where: Ninkasi Brewing Company, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR

Sensory Class with Ninkasi Founding Brewer Jamie Floyd, 5:30 p.m.?Awaken your senses! Jamie will lead participants through the proper techniques used to evaluate a beer, demonstrating how the human body perceives aroma and flavor through the coordination of olfactory, gustation and trigeminal nerves to influence our love of beer and food. All classes are free to the public. Only 10 spots are available per class. Register in advance by calling 541.344.2739.?Where: Ninkasi Brewing Company, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR

Sensory Class with Ninkasi Sensory Tech Jared Clark, 6:45 p.m.?What makes beer, beer? Learn about the creation of this liquid gold starting with its most basic ingredients! Jared will walk participants through each individual brewing ingredient, followed by a tasting of the beer they create. The class will conclude with a demonstration of the proper way to taste a beer and how to detect the four major off-flavors, their causes, and how to prevent them.?All classes are free to the public. Only 10 spots are available per class. Register in advance by calling 541.344.2739.?Where: Ninkasi Brewing Company, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR

Lane United Launch Party and Pints For A Cause! 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.?Join us for Pints For A Cause on the patio! Ninkasi will donate 25% of all pint sales to benefit the Lane United Football Club (LUFC), a community benefit nonprofit corporation dedicated to establishing professional soccer in Eugene.?Where: Ninkasi Brewing Company, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR

Widmer Brother’s Sampling, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.?Come down to sample some newly released Widmer beers!?Where: Market of Choice, 67 W. 29th, Eugene, OR

Cask Release of Coffee Wheat Stout?Where: Hop Valley Brewing Co., 980 Kruse Way. Springfield, OR

Friday, May 10, 2013

Mystery Beer Release, 4 p.m.?Is it something old? Is it something new? Is it something borrowed? Or something blueberry? Come on down to find out; it will be $3 all night long..?Where: Falling Sky Brewing, 1334 Oak Alley, Eugene, OR

Cheese Wars V — Session One, 5:30 p.m. / Session Two, 8 p.m.?Pick your side in a battle of ancient beverages. Five courses of cheese, each paired with a specific beer and wine! Featuring Raptor Ridge Winery and Breakside Brewing.?Tickets: $25 in advance, at both 16 Tons locations or online here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/382026?Where: 16 Tons Cafe 2864 Willamette #500

Eugene Love, all day?From farmhouse to watershed, our local breweries will stake their claim at the Stein. Worship the goddess: let it pour!?Where: The Bier Stein, 1591 Willamette St., Eugene, OR

BRING Beer Benefit, 4 p.m. until dark?Give a little and get a lot with a Claim 52 fundraiser for Bring Recycling. Join the re-use movement with fun music, awesome food cart, great people, and local brews. A raffle will be held, featuring gifts from Claim 52, BRING, and Klean Kanteen, a co-sponsor of the event. Klean Kanteen will be on hand with products for sale (20% of the proceeds going to BRING) and settin’ up water pong.?Where: Claim 52 Brewing, 1030 Tyinn St, Suite 1, Eugene, OR

Meet the Brewer! 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.?Meet Ninkasi Brewer Tim Sanborn as he leads a discussion of his first Ninkasi beer and the latest addition to our R&D Series, the Tripel. Learn what makes this bear unique, from the history of Belgian-style beers to the process for brewing ours.?Where: Ninkasi Brewing Company, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR

Sensory Class with Ninkasi Founding Brewer Jamie Floyd, 5:30 p.m.?Awaken your senses! Jamie will lead participants through the proper techniques used to evaluate a beer, demonstrating how the human body perceives aroma and flavor through the coordination of olfactory, gustation and trigeminal nerves to influence our love of beer and food. All classes are free to the public. Only 10 spots are available per class. Register in advance by calling 541.344.2739.?Where: Ninkasi Brewing Company, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR

Sensory Class with Ninkasi Sensory Tech Jared Clark, 6:45 p.m.?What makes beer, beer? Learn about the creation of this liquid gold starting with its most basic ingredients! Jared will walk participants through each individual brewing ingredient, followed by a tasting of the beer they create. The class will conclude with a demonstration of the proper way to taste a beer and how to detect the four major off-flavors, their causes, and how to prevent them.?All classes are free to the public. Only 10 spots are available per class. Register in advance by calling 541.344.2739.?Where: Ninkasi Brewing Company, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR

Live entertainment on the Ninkasi patio with The John Shipe Band! 6 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.?Where: Ninkasi Brewing Company, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR

Eugene Beer Weekend Whistle-Belgene V Release, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., tapping at 5 p.m.?Kick off the weekend with the fifth offering in Agrarian’s Belgene series.  A tribute to our deeply-revered brewing and farming companion, Gilbert Voss, we will be tapping the keg promptly at 5 p.m. at the brewery, as is Izakaya Meiji in the Whit, and Plank Town Brewing in Springfield (on cask!). Our friends from Delacata food cart will be at the farm as well, creating a southern fried farm feast!?Where: Agrarian Ales, 31115 West Crossroads Lane, Eugene, OR (5 miles north of Coburg) / Izakaya Meiji Company, 345 Van Buren, Eugene, OR / Plank Town Brewing, 346 Main Steet, Springfield, OR

Release of Citrus Mistress-IPA?IBU=75, P=14.6, ABV=6.5%?Where: Hop Valley Brewing Co., 980 Kruse Way. Springfield, OR

Saturday, May 11, 2013

$10 Brat Burger & Beer, 5 p.m. to close?Join us for a sausage party! Enjoy a Brat Burger (imagine a bratwurst without the casing on a bun, with sauerkraut and mustard, and try not to drool) special all night long.?Where: Falling Sky Brewing, 1334 Oak Alley, Eugene, OR

Whiskey Barrel Beer Fest 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. ?Featuring 40 different beers, including stouts, barleywines, sour ales, and IPAs aged in rye and/or bourbon barrels. Free entry, cash only.?Where: 16 Tons Taphouse, 265 E 13th Ave, Eugene, OR

“Tie Dye Hard” Party on the Patio, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Weather-permitting)?$20 for a Hop Valley T-shirt, a Hop Valley tie-dying experience, instruction provided, and a beer.?Where: Hop Valley Brewing Co., 980 Kruse Way. Springfield, OR

Sensory Class with Ninkasi Founding Brewer Jamie Floyd, 1:30 p.m.?Awaken your senses! Jamie will lead participants through the proper techniques used to evaluate a beer, demonstrating how the human body perceives aroma and flavor through the coordination of olfactory, gustation and trigeminal nerves to influence our love of beer and food. All classes are free to the public. Only 10 spots are available per class. Register in advance by calling 541.344.2739.?Where: Ninkasi Brewing Company, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR

Sensory Class with Ninkasi Sensory Tech Jared Clark, 2:45 p.m.?What makes beer, beer? Learn about the creation of this liquid gold starting with its most basic ingredients! Jared will walk participants through each individual brewing ingredient, followed by a tasting of the beer they create. The class will conclude with a demonstration of the proper way to taste a beer and how to detect the four major off-flavors, their causes, and how to prevent them.?All classes are free to the public. Only 10 spots are available per class. Register in advance by calling 541.344.2739.?Where: Ninkasi Brewing Company, 272 Van Buren St., Eugene, OR

Claim 52 Inaugural Cornhole Tourney, 3 p.m.?Register your team at Claim52Brewing@gmail or day of event starting at 2:30.?$10/ team gets you two skill-enhancing beverages and a chance to compete for fab prizes, including a private tasting party at the brewery.?Double elimination tourney; click here for official rules.?Where: Claim 52 Brewing, 1030 Tyinn St, Suite 1, Eugene, OR