A Bad Week to Be a Beer

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.

Read the rest on Eugene Weekly’s website here.