Beer Hall: Zwickelmania, Starkbier Fest and the Sweet/Tart Festival Begins!

Every year, breweries across the state open their back rooms for the day, allowing swarms of public paws to caress their giant silver tanks.

They call it Zwickelmania, and it's a celebration of the hard work and creative minds that live behind brewery doors, and craft some of the best beers in the known universe.

This weekend, head down to your local alehouse, take a peek into their sight glass and ask a few questions about how they do things—or just join them in raising a pint in the honor of Oregon-brewed beer.

You don't get this kind of access anywhere else.

Thursday, February 11

Starkbier Fest

Dan Hart's two German bier bars, Stammtisch and Prost, will be kicking out the strong stuff all week. After the drunken festivals of Fasching and Karneval—what the Germans celebrate instead of Mardi Gras—it's time to fast for Jesus. The monks do this by drinking beer: strong and bready beer like doppelbocks. Stammtisch will have eight of them straight from Deutschland, Prost will have five entirely different ones and each will have food specials. Stammtisch, 401 NE 28th Ave, 206-7983. Prost, 4237 N Mississippi Ave, 954-2674. Feb. 10-14.

Woodsman Pairing Dinners

For two nights leading up to the all-Oregon beerfest, Zwickelmania, the Woodsman will host a beer and cocktail dinner pairing Gigantic beers and Ransom Spirits with a mess of food, from oyster shooters to mussel chowder, alongside other Woodsman favorites. Gigantic brewer Ben Love and Ransom's Art Tierce will be on hand to talk up the pairings, which will include a Gigantic Pipewrench IPA aged in Ransom's Old Tom barrels. Woodsman Tavern, 4537 SE Division St., 971-373-8264, woodsmantavern.com. 5 pm. $60.

All of the Sculpins!

San Diego's most famous billion-dollar-brew makes its way north for the evening, in all quad flavors (plus a special extra). There'll be regular Ballast Point Sculpin, sure, but why would you not go for Habanero, Pineapple, Grapefruit or Blueberry? Live a little, pal. PH. Saraveza, 1004 N Killingsworth St. 6-9 pm. Free.

Friday, February 12

Gorge-Us

Save yourself a rainy wintertime drive and head to Beer, where the breweries of the Columbia meander past their waterfalls and to your doorstep. Featuring selections from Pfriem, Double Mountain, Solera and four more, this is a great chance to dig into the brews without that pesky scenery to distract you. PH. Beer, 1410 SE Stark St. 11 am-11 pm. Free.

Saturday, February 13

Zwickelmania

Every year for one day, Portland brewers open their spigots to the world at large. Over 120 breweries throughout Oregon will let packs of roving hopheads roam around the backs of their operations with cup in hand, begging for free beer. This year, they'll also be handing out chocolate along the way. Join in on this best-loved (by drinkers) and deeply-dreaded (by brewers) drunken shitshow, with Brewvana buses spinning around town between breweries. All disruptive souses ousted. Various locations. More info at oregoncraftbeer.org/zwickelmania. 11 am-4 pm.

Sweet/Tart Celebration at Belmont Station

The new iteration of Bigger, Badder, Blacker Week at Belmont Station is a bit more mouth-puckering. Featuring a constant flow of four four dark brews beside four special sour ales, the festival aims to be a back-to-back of sweet and tart, punching your tastebuds to and fro with all their alcohol-laden might. It should be one hell of a fight; We can't wait to see who wins. PH. Belmont Station, 4500 SE Stark St. 12-11 pm, February 13-18. Free.

Sunday, February 14

My Beery Valentine

The hugging booth at Saraveza has been canceled, in favor of creme brulee at Bazi. The annual My Beery Valentine fest has swapped venues, but the specialty cocktails and love-themed beers are very much in play, whether a pomegranate Gose from Breakside, a chocolate-covered cherry stout from Oakshire, or—in an interesting choice—Something Brown from Gigantic. Bazi Bierbrasserie, 1522 SE 32nd Ave., bazipdx.com Noon-6 pm.

Reverend Nat's Red Fleshtival

As a bow to lovebirds and a celebration of all apples whose flesh bleeds red, Nat and the crew break out four rose-colored ciders, along with two guest taps from West County Cider and Snowdrift. It's a perfect cider-laden day-date on the dreaded V Day, and a visual extravaganza to boot. PH. Reverend Nat's Hard Cider, 1813 NE 2nd Ave. 10 am-7 pm. Free.

Willamette Week