Want a backstage pass to Oregon’s beer scene? It’s Zwickelmania, and it’s back.
This President’s Day weekend, we suggest you celebrate with a favorite beverage of a good many presidents, from Washington to Obama. Beaver state breweries are honoring our brew-loving forefathers with tours, zwickel tastings (i.e. pours taken directly from beer tanks via zwickel, or sample valve), specials, live music, and in many cases, beers aged in wood barrels in honor of the fifth-year “wood anniversary” of Zwickelmania success.
Oakshire Brewing, for one, is unveiling the highly anticipated Hellshire III while Full Sail, Breakside Brewery and Crux Fermentation Project are expected to tap into barrel-aged and -aging batches of their own. Meanwhile, Fort George Brewery will make the occasion an excuse for a stout-forward “Festival of Dark Arts” (complete with tattoos, fire dancing, tuvan throat singing, oh, and 40-plus stouts).
A complete list of participating breweries and their Zwickelmania offerings (with suggested itineraries) is up on the Oregon Brewers Guild’s Zwickelmania event page. The celebration is statewide, with all seven regions of Oregon teaming up to demystify the inner workings of their independent breweries. Photos are welcome and encouraged: hashtag them #Zwickel13 and be entered to win beer glasses and tickets to the upcoming “Cheers to Belgian Beers” festival. Last year’s event attracted 23,000 enthusiasts, and this year’s projections only have the festival growing.
What? You want more good news? Don’t worry about tickets or a D.D.: it’s free entry at all participating breweries, with free shuttles ferrying merrymakers around Portland, Eugene, Bend and Salem. Grab your friends and join next Saturday’s carefree crowds across Oregon for the “zwickel crawl” of the year.
Saturday, February 16 || 11 am—4 pm || Various locations: see event page for details
