Cheers to Belgian Beers festival releases brewery lineup, beer descriptions

A list of this year’s participants, including beer names and beer descriptions, is available at http://oregoncraftbeer.org/ctbb/. The majority of beers have been made using Imperial Organic Yeast strain Gnome B45, a yeast that produces peach and apricot esters with a spicy phenolic character. The beers made from this yeast run the gamut in styles and regions, including a mango lassi Belgian-style blonde ale from Bend, brewed with mango, salt and cardamom; a Belgian-style strong dark ale from Cascade Locks made with plums and soured with lactobacillus; a Belgian-style beer from Portland made with stroopwafels; a blackberry sour ale from Yachats; and a Belgian-style golden strong ale from Corvallis.

To ensure diversity, the color and strength most of the beers at the fest were predetermined by a dart throw earlier this year. Depending on where the dart landed on the board, the brewer was directed to brew a Belgian style beer either light or dark in color, with amber as the midpoint; and either lower or higher in alcohol, with six percent being the median.

General admission costs $20, which includes a beer goblet and eight drink tickets. Advance tickets are on sale now at Mercury Tickets, http://www.merctickets.com/events/42335109/cheers-to-belgian-beers-2017. Purchasers can use promo code CTBB17 at checkout to get 20 percent off tickets; this discount is available until May 12 at 5pm.

Portland’s Cheers to Belgian Beers takes place inside The North Warehouse as well as outside in the tented parking lot. Food is available from Urban German Grill and Oregon Deli Co., and Oregon craft beer gear and apparel is available through Brewed Oregon. Street parking is available, but limited. Attendees are encouraged to take public transportation — the TriMet Bus Line 35 stops one block away and the Yellow Max Line stops two blocks away — or ride their bike, with complimentary bike parking available.

Cheers to Belgian Beers is produced by the Oregon Brewers Guild and sponsored by Boelter, Country Malt Group, Imperial Organic Yeast and the Portland Mercury. Follow @OregonCraftBeer on social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, #ctbb17.

About the Oregon Brewers Guild

The Oregon Brewers Guild is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the state’s craft brewing industry and the common interests of its members. Founded in 1992, the Oregon Brewers Guild is one of the nation’s oldest craft brewers associations. The Guild comprises 159 brewing companies, 118 associate/supplier members and more than 3,950 enthusiast members known as S.N.O.B.s (Supporters of Native Oregon Beer). To learn more, visit OregonCraftBeer.org.

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Website: http://oregoncraftbeer.org/ctbb/

Social Media: @OregonCraftBeer – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1732694283687999/

Hashtag: #ctbb17