Oregon Festivals. John Shewey

      Portland

      Hillsdale Brewery & Public House, 1505 SW Sunset Boulevard

      Late February

       www.mcmenamins.com/hillsdale-brewfest

      Not only is Hillsdale Brewery & Public House among the oldest of the nearly five dozen McMenamins establishments, it also hosts the longest-running McMenamins festival. This popular Portland landmark first opened its doors in 1984 as the Hillsdale Pub, following closely on the heels of McMenamins Barley Mill and Greenway Pub. Then in 1985, thanks to tireless lobbying at the Oregon State Capital by the McMenamin brothers, Mike and Brian, and a cadre of other now-legendary Oregon brewers, the legislature passed a landmark law that made it legal both to brew and sell beer on one property. McMenamins Hillsdale Brewery was fired up, and in October of 1985 it became Oregon’s first brewpub since Prohibition and the birthplace of several of the now-classic McMenamins beers: Hammerhead, Ruby, and Terminator. To this day, Hillsdale Public House displays the original brew sheet from its first brew.

      Moreover, since 1995, Hillsdale Public House has hosted the annual Hillsdale Brewfest in which McMenamins brewmeisters send their latest, greatest concoctions to compete for the coveted championship belt. Patrons determine the winner: the pub offers up trays of beer samples, arranged from lightest to darkest, and then festival goers decide who deserves the coveted title. The beers cover the spectrum of brew styles, ranging from Hefeweizen to oatmeal stout, barleywine to smoked amber ale, and beyond—the beermaking autonomy of McMenamins, wherein brewers at the various facilities are allowed and encouraged to experiment and create, is on full display in this people’s-choice-style event. Each taster casts one ballot that lists his or her top three choices (and beware the shameless vote-mongering by the competing brewers, who are only too happy to mix with the throngs of attendees and lobby for votes).

      The winner of the Hillsdale Brewfest enjoys the honor of assisting in the development of the beer that will represent McMenamins at the Oregon Brewers Festival later in the year. The Hillsdale Brewfest has no admission fee; the sample trays, with about ten beer samples, typically cost about $10 each. The pub has a full food menu, and the event runs from 11 am until 1 am on a Saturday.

      A table full of tastings at the popular Hillsdale Brewfest held at iconic Hillsdale Brewery & Public House.

       LUCKY LABRADOR BARLEYWINE FESTIVAL

      Portland

      Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby Street

      Early March

       www.luckylab.com

      Since 1994, Lucky Labrador Brew Pub has served as a model for the neighborhood pub concept, each of its locations providing a relaxed and convivial hangout for Portlanders who love great beer, good times, and fun food. And just a few years after opening its doors, this popular brewery launched one of the first and very few barleywine tasting events in the nation and the only one in Oregon, the annual Lucky Labrador Barleywine Festival held at the Lucky Lab Quimby Brew Hall in the Slabtown District just north of Downtown Portland.

      Despite the potentially confusing moniker, barleywine is not a wine, not even in part; the wine part of the name derives from the high alcohol content of these beastly beers—typically from 8 to 12 percent, nearly that of many wines. Barleywines are big, bad, bold ales that come in two forms, with lots of middle ground; so-called American-style barleywines tend to display some hoppy bitterness in the flavor profile, while British-style barleywine beers tend to lack the bitterness, tending towards the malty end of the spectrum—traditionally at least. In the ever-creative Northwest brewing culture, such demarcations are definitely blurred, and barleywines come in an amazing array of flavor profiles, not to mention colors.

      And there’s no better place to explore all those barleywine incarnations than the Lucky Labrador Barleywine Festival, which annually assembles more than sixty different big bad beers, with twenty-five on tap at a time, representing a wide range of Oregon brewers, from longtime favorites to little-known nano-breweries. Luckily for beer fest junkies, this event remains a bit under the radar, even in its third decade, so crowds are modest and lines minimal.

      The Lucky Labrador Barleywine Festival features high-octane specialty ales.

      The easy-on-the-wallet entry fee includes a commemorative festival glass and four tasting tokens, with additional tokens available for purchase. No worries if you can’t settle on a high-octane barleywine to your liking—you can always find a great Lucky Lab beer (brewed onsite), with plenty to choose from, to suit your palate, and the excellent food choices include traditional-style pizzas, zesty salads, and classic deli sandwiches. The barleywine festival runs Friday and Saturday, noon to 10 pm both days.

       CIDER RITE OF SPRING

      Portland

      Location varies

      Late March

      www.nwcider.com and www.facebook.com/nwcider/

      Oregon’s rapidly growing cider industry has not only spawned many innovative and interesting cider varieties but also spurred the launch of a variety of festivals that celebrate these fruit-based fermented beverages that have taken the Northwest by storm.

      One of the best of these cider extravaganzas is the Cider Rite of Spring, presented annually by the Northwest Cider Association and awarded “Best Northwest Cider Festival” by Sip Northwest magazine in 2015. Held in late March, at a time when cherry and other fruit trees are blooming in Western Oregon, Cider Rite of Spring celebrates both Northwest cider and the arrival of spring, and features some three dozen cider producers serving about 100 different cider varieties. The event is a virtual who’s who of regional cider makers, with past participants including such stalwarts as 2 Towns Cider, Bull Run Cider, Finnriver Farm & Cidery, Portland Cider Company, Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider, Tieton Cider Works, and many others, both big and small, from all over the Northwest.

      In addition to a bedazzling array of ciders, the event offers featured food vendors and a dedicated pop-up retail store where festival attendees can buy their favorite ciders to take home. Cider Rite of Spring is a 21-and-over event, and the entry fee includes a festival logo glass and tasting tickets. VIP passes include access to catered tastings of special showcase ciders. Tickets are available in advance (see the event website or Facebook page) and at the door. The Cider Rite of Spring outgrew its original location, with capacity crowds throughout the event; see the event website for news on the current venue.

      Tasting tickets ready for action at the annual Cider Rite of Spring.

       NANO BEER FEST

      Portland

      John’s Marketplace, 3535 SW Multnomah Boulevard

      April

       www.nanobeerfest.com

      You’ll feel as if you’re giddily sharing secrets among