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A Bad Week to Be a Beer

But a good week to drink one. Eugene Beer Week brings together public houses and breweries

EW-Extra by Bentley FreemanPosted on

As fraternity men (who love more than just cheap 4 percent beer), my brothers and I are very much looking forward to this year’s Eugene Beer Week, which brings together breweries from across the Willamette Valley. 

We’ll finally be drinking some beer that isn’t Coors Light.

“I love organizing Eugene Beer Week because it’s truly an inclusive community event,” Mike Coplin, founder of Eugene Beer Week and owner of 16 Tons writes in an email. “People love to meet up and enjoy a beer. It’s especially refreshing this time of year. Beer brings people together and there is a style of beer to please everyone’s palate.”

Beer Week runs June 5 through 11, and this year’s lineup includes events hosted by Hop Valley, Claim 52, Viking, Ninkasi, Oakshire and Alesong. “Every brewery, beer shop, restaurant and other related business can contribute and participate,” Coplin writes.

Beer lovers can get excited for the headlining event, the Sasquatch Brewers Festival, on Saturday, June 10, from noon to 5 pm. “Sasquatch Brewers Festival has always had a big impact on me and been a great conduit for us to share beers with the community,” Jamie Floyd, Ninkasi Brewing founding brewer emails Eugene Weekly.

My fraternity brothers and I will be attending to drink the “exclusive beers” at the Ninkasi Better Living Room, the proceeds of which go to The Glen Hay Falconer Foundation. Tickets can be purchased online for $12, which includes two drink tickets or $5 for the “designated driver” package.

While each event will have a large variety of beers to sample from, the Sasquatch Brewers Festival in particular will host a litany of IPAs, lagers such as Helles and Schwarzbier, stouts, saisons and barleywines to choose from.

“We all get caught up at our own breweries working, and it is a great way to get us out and sharing each other’s beers while also hanging out with the larger community,” Floyd writes.

Glen Hay Falconer was a local brewer before his untimely death in 2002. His family set up the foundation to honor his legacy by offering educational scholarships to brewers who desire to further their education in the craft. 

Throughout the week several featured events will be hosted across Eugene and Springfield:

  • Hop Valley Trivia Night 6 pm to 8 pm June 6 from at beergarden, 777 W. Sixth Avenue.
  • Craft Beer and Live Music Friday featuring beers from Block 15 6 pm to 8 pm June 9 at 16 Tons Cafe, 2864 Willamette Street.
  • World Famous World’s Shortest Happy Hour 3:45 pm to 4 pm June 7 from  at 16 Tons Taphouse and Bottle Shop, 165 E. 13th Avenue.
  • Bare Hands! At Falling Sky Brewing, 1334 Oak Alley, at 6 pm Wednesday, June 7, 
  • The Bier Stein Tower of Sour all day June 8 at Bier Stein, 1591 Willamette Street.
  • Hop Valley Eugene Beer Week Promo Night 5 pm to 7 pm June 8 at First National Taphouse, 51 W. Broadway.
  • Guest Beer-celebrity Bartenders June 7 and 8 at A Beer Club, 472 W. Seventh Avenue, #5.
  • Sasquatch Brewer’s Festival noon to 5 pm Saturday, June 10 at The Ninkasi Better Living Room, 155 Blair Boulevard. 
  • Frogs Wort Pale Ale Celebration at Cornucopia, 207 E. Fifth Avenue, 295 W. 17th Avenue and 521 Main Street, Springfield.
  • 26 taps and Oregon Beer Awards all week at Public House, 418 A Street #4604, Springfield.

“Having had to host a virtual beer week of sorts in 2020 and a much reduced version in 2021, I’m looking forward to Beer Week really flourishing this year,” Coplin writes.

Eugene Beer Week runs through Sunday, June 11. It’s a bad week to be a beer. But a good week for beer drinkers. More info at EugeneBeerweek.org.