If you missed the darkness last weekend in Astoria, then you are in luck because Fort George Brewery is bringing Stout Month to your favorite PNW bar or bottleshop. February may be the shortest month of the year, but it’s known as stout month here in the PNW, the time of the year when Festival of the Dark Arts takes place and when Fort George drops Matryoshka Stout, a barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout released in limited quantities with special variants last weekend at the brewery.

Not only did the legendary Festival of Dark Arts have to be pushed out another year thanks to COVID-19, but precious few kegs and cases of Matryoshka are available. However, accompanied by a bevy of special draft-only stouts,  the aforementioned Matryoshka variants will start shipping to fine beer establishments across the Pacific Northwest this week, with some special events set up to headline their arrival. 

Tuesday, February 22 - 5pm - Ben’s Bottleshop - Vancouver, WA - The PDX-Metro release of Matryoshka with Vanilla-Cardamom 500ml, this event will also feature a keg of the variant alongside vintage 2021 Matryoshka with Vanilla, 2022 Matryoshka, 2022 Matryoshka Vanilla-Cardamom-Cinnamon-Ginger-Coffee, and more! 

Wednesday, February 23 - 5pm - Belmont Station - Portland, OR - The PDX-Metro release of Matryoshka with Vanilla-Ginger 500ml, this event will also feature a keg of the variant alongside vintage 2021 Matryoshka with Vanilla, 2022 Matryoshka, 2022 Matryoshka Vanilla-Cardamom-Cinnamon-Ginger-Coffee, and more! 

Thursday, February 24 - 3pm - Loyal Legion SE - Portland, OR - This special draft event will feature kegs of vintage 2021 Matryoshka with Vanilla, 2022 Matryoshka, 2022 Matryoshka Vanilla-Cardamom-Cinnamon-Ginger-Coffee, and more!

Friday, February 25 - 5pm - Chuck’s Hop Shop Central District - Seattle, WA - The Seattle Metro release of Matryoshka with Vanilla-Cinnamon 500ml, this event will also feature a keg of the variant alongside vintage 2021 Matryoshka with Vanilla, 2022 Matryoshka, 2022 Matryoshka Vanilla-Cardamom-Cinnamon-Ginger-Coffee, and more! 

Saturday, February 26 - 11am - Array Bottleshop - Portland, OR - The newest beer spot in SE Portland will have 4 special draft-only stouts including Waves of Silence: Embayed, Gone Pecan, Chaiway 101, and Mint Chocula, as well as a case of the Matryoshka Vanilla-Cardamom-Cinnamon-Ginger-Coffee!

Sunday, February 27 - 11am - John’s Marketplace Multnomah - Portland, OR - The PDX-Metro release of Matryoshka with Vanilla-Cinnamon 500ml, this event will also feature a keg of the variant alongside the final blend of 2022 Matryoshka Vanilla-Cardamom-Cinnamon-Ginger-Coffee, and more! 

The base 2022 Matryoshka Stout rings in at a whopping 14.1%abv and was aged mostly in Pac-NW whiskey barrels from Westward Whiskey (Portland) and Westland Whiskey (Seattle) with some Kentucky bourbon barrels from IJW rounding out the remainder.