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There’s nothing like a cold beer on a hot day. And the hottest time of year for Oregon breweries, sales-wise, tends to be the two weeks surrounding Independence Day, when breweries rack up 4.9% of their annual sales, according to the Brewers Association.
This year, there’s extra heat on breweries to sell, as they face a bevy of challenges, such as aluminum tariffs, inflation, employee shortages, and a decrease in beer drinkers overall, as reported in this week’s issue of WW.
For Oregonians who want to impress their friends with a timely and tasty selection from their local bottle shop, here are five new beer releases to consider:
Great Notion
Top Down, a new fruited tart ale (6% ABV)
Tasting notes: “This summer crusher flaunts a mouthwatering mix of watermelon, key lime and dragon fruit with just a pinch of coriander and sea salt,” according to Great Notion.
Von Ebert Brewing
Triple Dry Hopped Volatile Substance (6.9% ABV)
Tasting notes: A varietal of Von Ebert’s flagship Volatile Substance Northwest India Pale Ale, using hops from Pacific Northwest farms CSC Vineyard, C&C Hop Farms, TV Hops and Coleman Agriculture.
Migration Brewing
Gambler 500 IPA, a collaboration with the Oregon Gambler 500 off-road car rally (and public land cleanup!) event in Madras, which just wrapped up June 29 (6.5% ABV)
Tasting notes: According to Migration, the Gambler 500 IPA “embodies the essence of West Coast IPAs, known for their explosive hop aroma that bursts with notes of citrus and tropical fruits.”
Gigantic Brewing
Sunshine Superstar IPA (6.2% ABV)
Tasting notes: This golden IPA has notes of tangerine, ripe citrus and sweet tropical fruit. According to Gigantic, “it’s bright. It’s bold. It’s your taste buds doing yoga in a meadow while a butterfly lands on your shoulder,” which sounds like a nice way to spend an afternoon.
Ferment Brewing
High Five, Herman!, a collab between Hood River’s Ferment Brewing and Oregon Wildlife Foundation in honor of Herman the Sturgeon, an 80-year-old, 500-pound white sturgeon who lives at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery (6.5% ABV)
Tasting notes: Made with hops from Crosby Farms in Woodburn, this IPA has mango, tangerine and grape flavors.
