Beer Hall: Portland Fresh Hops Fest, Widmer Oktoberfest, and Cascade Barrel House Turns Seven

The last great fest of the fresh hop season will kick off this Friday.

CO Breakside Brewery
The last great fest of the fresh hop season will kick off this Friday at our local amusement park, joined in size by Widmer’s annual Oktoberfest the following day. But nestled in between these packed annual hangouts are a number of small and exciting celebrations, ranging from a seven year celebration for the House of Sour to the welcoming toast to one of Washington’s finest breweries.

Thursday, September 28

Aslan Portland Kickoff Party

Bellingham, WA’s Aslan brewing brings a pride of kegs to Southeast Portland in celebration of their now year-round Portland distribution, with a few canned options available to take home from the bottleshop. Known for excellent hoppy ales, the brewery will compete with heavy-hitting locals like Breakside for your almighty dollar. To this we have two words: Good luck. Belmont Station, 4500 SE Stark St. 5-8 pm. Free.

Friday, September 29

Portland Fresh Hops Fest

The Gorge fresh hops fest has been postponed, but the Oaks Park fest is huge this year. Seriously. Seventy Oregon breweries will be pouring their farm-fresh, straight from the hopper beers at Oaks Park both Friday and Saturday, including a fresh-hop hazy from Great Notion, a fresh-hop saison from Little Beast and a fresh-hop sour from Yachats. Oaks Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way. 5-9 pm  September 29, 12-8 pm October 30. $20 for a glass and 8 tasters.

Cascade Barrel House 7th Anniversary Party

It’s been seven long years since the house of sour began blessing Portland palates with excellent lactobacillus-fueled pours, a fact that is appropriately celebrated this weekend with an assortment of vintage pours and special collaborations—including a bourbon barrel aged imperial porter brewed in collaboration with the Netherlands’ acclaimed Browerij de Molen. Cascade Brewing Barrel House, 939 SE Belmont St. 12 pm September 29-October 1. Free.

Prost Oktoberfest

Your Oktoberfests are running out! This is one of the last! As at sister German bar Stammtisch, Prost will be tapping 8 echt-Deutsch Festbiers on a big outdoor patio—but this time the patio is the big Mississippi Marketplace food pod, which Prost owner Dan Hart now owns. So paint your face, don your best lederhosen and get a little beschwipst. Prost, 4237 N Mississippi Ave. All day September 29-October 1. Free.

Regional Rumble

It’s windsurfers vs. snowboarders as Bailey’s pits the Columbia River Gorge against Central Oregon as part of its new Regional Rumble series, with beers from pFriem, Double Mountain, and Everbody’s Brewing going head-to-head against options from Boneyard, WildRide, and GoodLife. Bailey’s Taproom, 213 SW Broadway. 5-9 pm. Free.

Saturday, September 30

Widmer Brothers' Oktoberfest

The 13th Annual Widmer Oktoberfest will take over Pioneer Courthouse Square this Saturday, with special seasonal pours and old favorites joined by live music from Nathanial Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Tango Alpha Tango, and more. As far as big-scene beer events go, a cheap pint of Widmer and some solid jams is certainly worth celebrating. Pioneer Courthouse Square, 2-10 pm. $35.

Parker Hall

Parker Hall is a writer, musician, and home brewer from Portland. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, where he studied jazz percussion with drum legend Billy Hart (Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock). Now a freelance writer and professional member of the city's jazz and indie rock scenes, he spends most of his days writing, playing music or drinking brews in his spacious North Portland basement.

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