Portland doesn’t need much of an excuse to celebrate beer, and as summer keeps coming in, we’re entering peak suds season. July is Oregon Craft Beer Month, and will be stuffed to the gills with festivals, tastings, tappings, and all manner of beery things to do. But before then, make way for Portland Beer Week, a week-and-change’s worth of events that showcase and elevate the city’s absurdly fertile local beer scene. This year’s Portland Beer Week, the ninth one so far, is shaping up to the best one yet. Here’s the rundown of some of the most intriguing events on the docket for the 10 days that make up 2019’s supersized Portland Beer Week. (For more info and a complete schedule of events, head on over to pdxbeerweek.com.)


LOYAL LEGION HOMEBASE

Inner Southeast’s Loyal Legion will serve as the hub for Portland Beer Week, and they’ll have $4 beer specials each day along with other discounts. Plus, different days will spotlight different area breweries, including Wayfinder, Little Beast, and more. Fri June 7-Sun June 16, Loyal Legion, 710 SE 6th


KICKOFF PARTY AND MIKKELLER BREWING POP-UP

The abrupt closing of Burnside Brewing in February was a shock to the Portland beer community, but it’s been mitigated by the very welcome news that legendary cult brewery Mikkeller will be opening a pop-up pub on the location, with the possibility of permanently taking over the on-site brewery. Mikkeller began in Denmark as a nomadic brewery working in close collaboration with other beer makers. The company now has two permanent brewhouses in the US, and their mold-breaking beers have become some of the most sought-after in the world. As part of the kickoff party for Beer Week, the pop-up pub will open its doors and pour its first Portland pints. And renowned chef Shaun King—formerly of Momofuku Las Vegas—will be serving a limited menu of Japanese-influenced drinking snacks. There will also be cider, spirits, and two axe-throwing lanes. Sat June 8, 4-9 pm, Mikkeller Brewing Pop-Up, 701 E Burnside, $15 at merctickets.com ($25 VIP)


BEAN TO BAR

While a chocolate stout is one of life’s finest pleasures, there’s more complexity to both chocolate and beer, and they can be coupled in ways you might not have thought of. Xocolatl de Davíd chocolatiers and Ruse Brewing host this chocolate-and-beer festival, which spotlights 10 local chocolates and 10 beers paired for each one specifically. Sun June 9, 1 pm, Iron Fireman Collective Building, 4784 SE 17th, $25 at merctickets.com ($35 VIP w/early entry)


FUTURE OF THE CRAFT

A seminar about the state of the industry and what’s on the horizon, with speakers Sam Holloway of University of Portland, Tony Roberts of the Oregon Brewers Guild, Ben Edmunds of Breakside Brewing, Ben Parsons of Baerlic Brewing, and Jason Notte of Portland Business Journal and other publications. Sun June 9, 7 pm, Migration Brewing, 2828 NE Glisan, $12 at merctickets.com


MUSSELS FROM BRUSSELS

One of the classic beer-and-food pairings is a bowl of mussels and frites with a crisp, refreshing beer. Four local breweries—Ecliptic, pFriem, Lompoc, and Little Beast—offer up their wares for this friendly competition and tasting. Mon June 10, 7-10 pm, Grain & Gristle, 1473 NE Prescott, $30


DRINK YOUR MOVIE

Stormbreaker Brewing has selected a lineup of nine beers for you to taste during a screening of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. We don’t expect them to actually serve a snozzberry beer, but we’re dying to know what they’ll be pouring when Violet Beauregard turns into a blueberry. Tues June 11, 7 pm, Stormbreaker Brewing St. Johns, 832 N Beech, $20


BREWERS BURGER BRAWL

Take the day off from work for this burger-off! Four Oregon breweries—Stormbreaker, Von Ebert, pFriem, and homecourt hosts Wayfinder—will each serve a carefully selected beer to be served alongside a slider-sized burger, in a competition to determine who has the best pairing. There will also be fries and Salt & Straw ice cream, and some of the proceeds will go to local non-profit Growing Gardens. Wed June 12, two sessions (11:30 am & 1:30 pm), Wayfinder Beer, 304 SE 2nd, $35 at merctickets.com


NORDIC + NORTHWEST

Loosen your belt for this four-course, beer-paired dinner from renowned Icelandic chef Ólafur “Óli” ÁugĂșstsson, the culinary director for Portland’s forthcoming KEX hotel. Drinks will be aged and sour beers chosen from Breakside Brewing’s cellar, and the meal will focus on local produce and seafood. Wed June 12, 7 pm, St. Jack, 1610 NW 23rd, $85


PORTLAND BEER AND CHEESE FESTIVAL

Hear me out: Cheese goes better with beer than it does with wine. But don’t take my word for it—the eighth annual Portland Beer and Cheese Festival will pair 10 cheeses from local creameries with 10 specially chosen beers, all selected by cheese guru Steve Jones of Cheese Bar and Chizo. As if beer and cheese wasn’t enough—trust me, it’s enough—there will also be charcuterie and chocolate to try, but these beer-and-cheese matchups are going to be something special. Sat June 15, 1-4 pm, Culmination Brewing, 2117 NE Oregon, $37 at merctickets.com ($47 VIP session w/early entry)