Beer Hall: Choctoberfest, Killer Beer Fest, and Brewers For Boobs

Portland Beer Events for the Week of October 20, 2016.

With multiple rare keg tappings, anniversary celebrations, and delectable beer-and-food pairings, there's a lot to look forward to this week in the land of beer and rain.

Why not make a weekend of it?

See what the other side of the nation is up to on Thursday, grab some beer and chocolate on Friday, raise some money (and some pint glasses) for breast cancer research on Saturday, and cap it all off with a special meal at N.W.I.P.A. on Sunday night.

With events this good and rain on the horizon, those feeling more voracious may even want to blend up some other beer-fueled indoor detours.

Thursday, October 20

Other Half/Great Notion Pre-Collaboration Party

(Bridget Baker) (Bridget Baker)

Brooklyn's Other Half treks four kegs of of its much-beloved hoppy stuff (and one stout) to Belmont Station this evening, where it will sit alongside five of Great Notion's best. A celebration of a collaboration to come, think of this as a beer-soaked rehearsal dinner. Belmont Station, 4500 SE Stark St. 5 pm. Free.

Friday, October 21

Choctoberfest

Is there something else you want on a Friday night that isn't beer, chocolate and German sausage? A whole mess of Portland's small-batch artisan chocolate makers will be pairing beers with local breweries including Ex Novo, Hair of the Dog and Laurelwood. $20 ($25 at the door) nets beer, chocolate pairings, and German-style appetizers. Old Portland Hardware, 1667 SE Tacoma St. 6 pm. $20-25.

Brewpublic's 8th Annual Brewniversary

Saraveza (Jack Southard)

Two GABF gold medal winners join several other rare blogger's delights as Brewpublic celebrates eight years online at this packed Packer bar. Come for the full pours of Alesong's much-lauded Touch of Brett, stay for the cheese curds and fried chicken. Saraveza, 1004 N Killingsworth St. 11 am-11 pm. Free.

Pilsner Urquell Unfiltered Keg Tapping

Fresh kegs of unfiltered Pilsner Urquell are serious stuff. Shipped cold via air straight from the brewery, this rare unpastuerized Czech lager will showcase all the fresh, nuanced characteristics that are usually flashed out of it before international deployment. A stateside appearance of the good stuff means a free trip to light lager mecca for those willing to wander to SE Division on a Friday. The BeerMongers, 1125 SE Division St. 5 pm. Free.

Saturday, October 22

Brewers For Boobs

(Henry Cromett) (Henry Cromett)

No, this isn't a Trump thing. It's a breast-cancer fundraiser with belly-dancing, a beer battle and also a raffle whose prizes include a three-night stay at Sunriver Resort, where some of the best brews in Oregon are currently being made. Oh, and if that's not all confusing enough, the musical entertainment will be first breakbeats, then salsa. East Burn, 1800 E Burnside St. 5 pm. Free.

Killer Beer Fest

Killer Beer Week comes to a close today, as Bailey's taps some of the finest and rarest beers from the Northwest and beyond. Nerds note: They'll have six extra-special taps pouring at the decidedly quiet Upper Lip, including some of that unfiltered Pilsner Urquell you may have missed at The BeerMongers yesterday. Hell, that's a beer so nice you may as well grab it twice. Bailey's Taproom, 213 SW Broadway. 12 pm-12 am.

Ecliptic's Third Anniversary Party

John Harris' space-themed warehouse launches an imperial version of his terrific porter aged with cherries to celebrate three orbits around the sun. Given that his current take on the style won gold at this past year's Oregon Beer Awards—and that this is the man who birthed Deschutes' Black Butte Porter—we're inclined to think this beer will be well worth the trip. Ecliptic Brewing, 825 N Cook St. 11 am-11 pm. Free.

Sunday, October 23

Grain and Gristle and Upright Brewing Dinner

Hilary Sander, NWIPA Hilary Sander, NWIPA

Fuck. This looks good. Grain and Gristle is one of the only Portland gastropubs to every give gastropubs a good name—a wood-laden hall of deeply savory comforts. Upright is the wildly inventive basement brewery that makes other basement breweries seem like amateurs. Anyway, there's dinner from one and a bunch of rare beers and bottle pours from the other. Awesome. N.W.I.P.A., 6350 SE Foster Rd. 5 pm. Sold out.

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