It is hard to imagine but the Oregon Brewers Festival will turn 29 years young when the annual event takes place from July 27 through July 31 this year at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland. Since Beervana is also known as the Rose City, I consider this fest the Rose Bowl of festivals. Classy with history. (in this scenario the GABF is the National Championship Game – gaudy and for all the marbles).
88 beers will be pouring and what I like about this fest (which for some reason) has not been replicated here in Los Angeles, is that you buy a taster mug for $7 and then you can buy tokens for however many beers you want. You can show up each of the days the fest runs and have one beer or two and then leave. Plus the MAX transit line is right there so you don’t have to drive or find parking.
The other fun aspect is that there is an International Beer Garden which “will feature six breweries from Japan – Baird, North Island, Shiga Kogen, Shonan, Y Market and the winner of a national beer competition in Japan hosted by the Japan Beer Journalists Association; seven breweries from The Netherlands – De Molen, Frontaal, Maximus, Oedipus, Oersoep, Oproer and Van Moll; plus two breweries from Germany – Brauerei Nothhaft and Lang Bräu. The International Beer Garden was incorporated three years ago as part of a cultural exchange of ideas, knowledge and the worldwide celebration of craft beer.”
One of these days, I will plan my trips to Portland to coincide with this event.