February is Oregon Craft Beer Month and Stout Month, featuring the return of Zwickelmania®

Zwickelmania® is the Oregon Brewers Guild’s(OBG) open house-style event that invites the public behind-the-scenes for tours and tastings. Previously held in July, February has become Oregon Craft Beer Month and overlapping with Zwickelmania as a way to boost craft breweries during one of the slowest months of the year. The OBG will be promoting its member breweries from across the state via its website and social media outlets. Origin stories, photos, beer releases, as well as food & beer specials will be the main focus. 

“Winters can be difficult for Oregon craft brewers, which is why we wanted to use our platforms to help spread the word about our members and any special events or offerings they have going on during the month,” shared Christina LaRue, Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers Guild.

This year marks the 15th annual Zwickelmania® - a statewide open-house style celebration of Oregon craft breweries. The event is free to attend and will be held on two separate weekends, highlighting Portland breweries on Saturday, February 18th and then statewide on Saturday, February 25th. 

“We were excited to bring Zwickelmania® back to in-person last year, but were uncertain of attendance due to the public health situation we were still in,” stated LaRue. “We feel confident that craft beer lovers across the state will be excited to visit their favorite breweries and brewpubs this year.”

Zwickelmania® is not only a celebration of all things Oregon craft beer, but also celebrates the “zwickel”, which is a German word for the sample port found on fermentation vessels. For years, brewers have participated by opening their brewhouses to the public and offering things such as beer samples right from the zwickel, specialty beer releases, brewery tours, educational talks, food and beer pairings, and meet-the-brewer opportunities. 

You can find information regarding Oregon Craft Beer Month and Zwickelmania® via the Guild website at https://www.oregoncraftbeer.org/oregon-craft-beer-month.  

About the Oregon Brewers Guild
The Oregon Brewers Guild is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and protect 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. For more information, visit http://oregoncraftbeer.org.