Oregon Brewers Guild Details July Craft Beer Month

A flock of beer writers and some great beer were on hand today as the Oregon Brewers Guild both unveiled its new Web site and also announced the full slate of activities for Craft Beer Month, set to kick off July 1st. I've put the whole press release of this upcoming affairs below, but suffice to say the OBG is doing a great job with the site redesign as well as the events set for next month.

Oregon Celebrates Craft Beer In July
New, Improved Oregon Brewers Guild Website Helps Craft Beer Enthusiasts Maximize Oregon Craft Beer Month Experience

Portland, Ore., June 3, 2008 – Today the Oregon Brewers Guild (OBG) is unveiling a new and improved website. The long awaited website, designed by the creative team at eROI, includes many new interactive features making it even easier for craft beer enthusiasts to find the latest news from their favorite Oregon breweries and stay up to date on events happening around the state. Highlights from the new website include a complete listing of OBG members, upcoming beer events across the state, an interactive blog featuring the latest OBG member news, an extensive photo archive and an online pressroom housing the latest Guild news.

The “Meet a friend for a pint” feature is one of the website’s most innovative components and allows users to send an electronic invitation to friends to meet at an Oregon Brewers Guild member brewery with the simple click of a button. For those of you on Twitter, you can get the latest Oregon Brewers Guild update off the home page or sign up at http://twitter.com/Oregonbeer to follow Oregon Beer. Users can actively participate in the OBG experience by submitting their own photos involving Oregon craft beer.

The redesigned website represents the Guild’s continuing commitment to promoting Oregon’s craft brewing industry and will include a micro-site dedicated section for Oregon Craft Beer Month. Recent numbers released by the Oregon Brewers Guild show that Oregon has the highest rate of local craft beer consumption in the nation and this special month-long celebration offers residents a variety of events showcasing one of Oregon’s iconographic products.

“Oregon is the only state to have an entire month devoted to celebrating the craft brewing industry, and this year we will make Oregon Craft Beer Month an even greater celebration by hosting more than 100 craft beer related events,” said Brian Butenschoen, Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers Guild. “Oregon is an incredibly unique place where we are fortunate enough to have a variety of world class beer, made locally; Oregon Craft Beer Month is an opportunity to celebrate all the amazing beer and people that make the state so special.”

Oregon Craft Beer Month officially begins on July 1st with over 21 events around the state. Other Oregon Craft Beer Month events include Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub's Beer and Sausage Fest on July 19th, Fred Eckhardt’s 17th Annual Beer and Cheese Tasting at Rogue Brewery on July 22nd and the Oregon Brewers Guild Brewers Dinner on July 23rd. Oregon Craft Beer Month culminates with the 21st Annual Oregon Brewers Festival held from July 24th through July 27th in Tom McCall Park in downtown Portland. At least 60,000 beer enthusiasts are expected to sample beer from 72 participating breweries at the Festival during its four-day run.

America’s beer revival in Oregon began in the early 1980s, and the state currently has 63 brewing companies operating 88 brewing facilities. Portland, Oregon has 30 microbreweries within its city limits, more than any other city in the world. Industry pioneers such as BridgePort Brewing, Widmer Brothers Brewing, McMenamins and Pyramid Breweries all started in Portland. Full Sail Brewing, Deschutes Brewery and Rogue Ales were also founded in Oregon and now have regional, national and international distribution. Emerging breweries such as Fort George Brewery, Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom, Block 15 Brewery, Klamath Basin Brewing and Silver Moon Brewing Companies beers can be found around the state and local breweries like Hopworks Urban Brewery, The Mash Tun Brewpub and Clinton Street Brewing/Captured by Porches offer unique beers on tap at their neighborhood pubs.

Pour yourself one soon at one of the Craft Beer Month events and visit the Oregon Brewers Festival in July. For more information about the Oregon Brewers Guild or to view a complete listing of Oregon Craft Beer Month events please visit www.oregonbeer.org.