February is Oregon Craft Beer Month

It’s February, and our local suds scene is taking off as we head into Oregon Craft Beer Month. With unique beer releases and exciting events throughout the state, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Oregon craft beer in 2025.

If you want to join the fun (and why wouldn’t you?), you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the best breweries, event highlights, and activities to keep you hopped up all month. Even if you’re keeping it dry (non-alcoholic) or maintaining a gluten-free lifestyle, there’s plenty of beer fun for everyone.

A Little Sip of History

Oregon’s rich beer culture is recognized nationwide with sustainable brewing facilities, award-winning craft brews, and one-of-a-kind microbreweries and gastropubs. Portland often ranks as Best Beer City in America and the craft brew capital of the world.

Much of Oregon’s success in beer can be credited to the Willamette Valley’s fertile agricultural basin, where some of the best domestic hops producers originate. We also benefit from crystal clear waters from the Cascade Mountain Rivers, offering plenty of fresh, natural ingredients to make amazing craft beer.

February Beer Festivals and Events 2025

Zwickelmania:

February 22nd from 11 am-4 pm. Hosted by the Oregon Brewers Guild, this is an opportunity to tour some of your favorite local breweries, enjoy free samples, and mingle with other brew lovers. See an updated list of participating breweries here.

Hillsdale Brewfest:

February 22, 2025, 10 am-11 pm. Nothing is more local than McMenamins. In 1985, they became the first Oregon brewpub to open after prohibition. Now in its 32nd year, the Hillsdale Brewfest (held at the Hillsdale Brewery & Public House) celebrates the contributions of all McMenamins breweries as each competes in the “Battle of the Belt.” Enjoy tasty food specials, try great beer, and vote for your favorites.

Hillsbrew Festival:

Date TBD. Held annually at Wingspan Convention Center in Washington County.

Check Portland Beer Festivals by Month for event updates.

Central Oregon Winter Beer Fest:

February 21 – 22nd. For those in or traveling to the Bend area during craft beer month, check out Suttle Lodge’s Winter Beer Fest. Now in its fifth year, this festival is three days of woodsy fun with beer, snacks, and live music set against the backdrop of a cozy cabin.

Check Out These Breweries

February is a great time to visit a local brewery, as many will be releasing new beers, including seasonal and limited editions, in honor of Oregon Craft Beer Month. In some venues, you’ll have the chance to mingle with other beer connoisseurs for guided tastings, beer flights, and savory pairings. Here are a few of our favorite breweries listed by area.

Eugene Breweries

Alesong: Book your reservation for the Winter Blender’s Circle Release coming Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 4:00 PM – Sunday, February 23, at 7:00 PM.

Alesong is a combination brewery, winery, and cidery located in the heart of Southern Willamette Valley wine country. Visit their beautiful countryside brewery on Territorial Highway from Thursday – to Sunday for great food and tastings.

Coldfire: A small craft brewery offering traditional European brews in a relaxed atmosphere with sports on the screens inside and food trucks out back. Stop in this month and enjoy a draft on tap.

Falling Sky: Enjoy classics, spins on traditional styles, and innovative styles of beer at this award-winning brewery in Eugene. Stop by on February 4 for Pint Night.

Corvallis Breweries

Block 15 Tap Room: Choose from a variety of beers on tap brewed just feet away from your table.

Salem Breweries

Xicha: A Latine brewery specializing in classic-style Mexican beers and Latin American cuisine not commonly found in the PNW. Stop in and find the perfect pairing for your tacos.

Bend Breweries

Monkless: Serving Belgian-style ales in a unique space on the riverfront designed to resemble a monastery. Monkless beers are inspired by the monk’s patience, process, and dedication to their centuries-old brewing practice. Enjoy European cuisine and ales in their beautiful taproom.

Boss Rambler Beer Club: A great place to get an outstanding tropical-noted IPA, summer lager, fruited beer, and grub from the local food trucks often parked just outside the building.

Spider City: This woman-owned, award-winning brewery was inspired by beers from around the world. This lively brewery hosts organized events monthly, including weekly BINGO.

Portland Breweries

Breakside: This highly-regarded regional brewery is known for its award-winning, innovative beers. Check out their beautiful location in Northeast Portland, and try their new releases.

Hosting a Beer & Cheese Pairing Party

There’s no better time than now to host a beer and cheese pairing with friends. All you need is a diverse selection of beer, various cheeses (ranging in intensity and texture), and an adventurer’s spirit. We explored pairings in an earlier post, Five of Our Favorite Beer and Cheese Pairings. Give it a read if you’re interested in learning more. Essentially, there is no right or wrong way to pair beer and cheese; even the combinations that turn up your nose make for a great story later on.

Branching Out Into New Styles

As we all know, beer is an acquired taste, which means it takes a little effort to develop an affinity for it. The same can be said for different styles of beer. Once we begin to expose ourselves to the unfamiliar, we often find that the flavors we once rejected actually become quite pleasant to us. Why not use this month as an opportunity, dare I say, an excuse, to break out of your beer box and grow your palate for craft beer?

Craft Lagers

Craft brewers are doing their best to break lagers out of the corporate beer limbo they’ve been relegated to for some time and restore them to their traditional Czech and German-style glory. Some creative brewers even put their own spin on lager beers, adding Northwest hops or spices and fruits for a more flavorful, drinkable lager.

• We recommend Heater Allen Pils, a Bohemian-style pale lager brewed locally in McMinnville, Oregon.

Porters and Stouts

If you’re like many Oregonians, IPA is your ride-or-die, but with the latest reinventions of the classic Porters and Stouts, you’d be amiss if you didn’t give these styles another shot. Widely known as “winter beers,” both porters and stouts are heavier and hoppier and oh-so-cozy for winter sipping.

• We recommend Rhino Suite by Alesong Brewing & Blending.
• Cavatica Stout from Fort George Brewing.
• Pilot Rock Porter from Caldera Brewing.

Sours

This suggestion may be controversial as many beer drinkers dislike sours. However, for those new to beer, sours may be the palate primer you’re looking for. We explored sours in a previous post: Tart, Sour, Wild, and Fruited Beers. If you’re interested in learning more about sours, give it a read. For now, it’s enough to know sours range in flavor from slightly sweet to mouth-wateringly tart and resemble wine more than a typical American lager.

• We recommend Pêche by pFriem Brewing: a Lambic-inspired ale with local peaches added.
• Alesong Brewing & Blending Sours.

Wild Ales

If you’re looking to embark on a real taste adventure this month, you may want to try wild ales. Natural airborne yeasts ferment these brews to create a complex flavor profile reminiscent of Oregon’s unique terroir. Every beer aficionado can appreciate a taste of the wild side of brewing, and what better time to try it than during Oregon Craft Beer Month?

• We recommend the Rare Beer collection from Little Beast Brewing.

Non-Alcoholic Beer for The True Brew

There’s no doubt craft brewers have come a long way toward improving the process, and thereby the taste, of non-alcoholic beer. In other words, these are not your grandpa’s ‘near beers.’ So, if you’d like to stay alcohol-free this month but don’t want to miss out on craft beer, you don’t have to. Here are a few of our favorite non-alcoholic beer options with the flavor profile you’d expect from great-tasting craft beer.

• Roaming Nobles is dedicated to producing only non-alcoholic, pasteurized beer.
• Deschutes Black Butte Porter is a great NA dark beer option.
• Deschutes Fresh Squeeze is perfect for those who enjoy a classic IPA.

Gluten-Free Beer Options

Committing to a gluten-free lifestyle doesn’t have to mean giving up on great tasting craft beer. Here are a few of our favorite brews full of complex flavors, not gut-wrenching gluten.

• Mutantis Cult Brewery is a queer and trans-woman-owned, dedicated gluten-free, and vegan brewing facility in Portland. Visit their NE 18th Street location for queer and trans mixers or BINGO nights.
• Bierly Brewing is a dedicated gluten-free brewing facility in McMinnville, crafting a range of classic beer styles from IPA to Pilsner.
• Evasion Brewing crafts a range of beer styles using naturally gluten-free grains. Try their barrel-aged American wild ale, Yamhill Punch!

From events and festivals to breweries and new releases, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Oregon Craft Beer this February. So, choose an event or two from our list, host a beer and cheese tasting, or visit a brewery near you to show Oregon beer some love.