Buoy Beer launches Benefit Series, announces Lager Fest
Astoria, Oregon’s Buoy Beer has stayed busy since their devastating pier roof collapse last year, introducing an ambitious 2023 brand calendar and now a new benefit series of beers, and the return of their lager festival.
Benefit Series
At the beginning of 2023, Buoy Beer Company launched a new program to contribute 3% of the sales of their rotating 16oz 4pks to Ocean Blue Project. Ocean Blue Project is a grassroots, boots-on-the-sand nonprofit founded in Newport, Oregon by Richard and Fleet Arterbury, father-and-son tribal members of the Choctaw Nation. Their organization is built around one vision: to restore the world’s oceans, beaches, and rivers to pristine, self-sustaining ecosystems where wildlife and human communities can coexist and thrive.
Because everything flows downstream and the ocean is a mirror reflection of our city streets, Ocean Blue Project educates, empowers, and lends technical expertise to communities and governments around the world to support microplastics recovery, river restoration, and programs that teach kids to be stewards of the earth and wildlife.
Buoy’s first beer release to benefit this organization is a fan favorite, Buoy Baltic Porter, a crisp, malty lager that yields its light richness to a combination of Munich, Vienna, and Black malts. Born from dark winter nights in the icy northern latitudes, Buoy Baltic Porter crosses the boundaries between rich and crisp, smooth and brisk. Lagering below freezing for thirty days and thirty nights evolves the resonant flavors of coffee, filberts, and bittersweet chocolate into a beer perfect for those all at sea.
A quick season of Baltic Porter will be followed by a new release, Buoy LAGER. Coming out in April, Buoy LAGER is a tribute to the premium Oregon-brewed lagers that inspired a generation to become production craft brewers. This easy-drinking golden lager is crisp and light, brewed with American Pilsen malt and Cascade hops for flavors of toasted cracker, bright citrus, and a finish of spice. It's the lager you never knew you always needed.
“When you drink a Buoy LAGER for the first time, you understand exactly why you picked it up,” says Matt Jones, Head Brewer. “This is an easy-drinking throwback to the premium NW lagers that were the go-to weekend beers not so long ago. It’s light and smooth with crispness from Cascade hops and spiciness from Sterling hops.”
Buoy Beer Company’s partnership with Ocean Blue Project brought them together with Block 15 Brewing and Sunriver Brewing, two breweries that have also supported Ocean Blue Project. Though all three breweries are in different distinct areas of Oregon, they are all impacted by the interconnectivity of our regions; as they say, all rivers lead to the sea. This environmental connection is the inspiration for a collaboration beer between the breweries. All three breweries will also be participating in a beach clean-up in Newport to celebrate World Oceans Day on June 24th. Everyone is encouraged to join. Stay up to date with details on the Ocean Blue Project website and the breweries' social media.
Baltic Porter and Buoy LAGER are available throughout Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
Lager Fest
Lager Fest is returnig to the Astoria riverfront Friday and Saturday, May 12th and 13th with live music, great company, views, and brews.
This year Buoy has partnered with more than a dozen West Coast breweries including Astoria Brewing, Block 15 Brewing, Fort George Brewery, Figueroa Mountain Brew Co., North Jetty Brewing, Sunriver Brewing, Obelisk Beer Co., pFriem Family Brewers, Reach Break Brewing, Steeplejack Brewing, Sisu Brewing, Mirage Beer Co., and more.
The festivities will begin Friday, May 12th at Buoy’s original riverwalk location and will feature live music by Holiday Friends from 3-8pm. Lager Fest event mugs and tokens will be for sale on-site, giving lager lovers and beer lovers a chance to taste variations of the style’s color, fermentation processes, hop profiles, and malt flavors.
On Saturday, May 13th, the day starts with Astoria’s 10th annual Run on the River Half Marathon, 10k, and 5k. Sponsored by Buoy Beer, Run on the River is a fundraiser for Astoria Parks Recreation and Community Foundation which helps individuals and families access health and wellness opportunities through scholarships. Sign up today to participate or volunteer. Volunteers will receive a Lager Fest mug for dedicating their time to this cause.
The fest continues on Saturday 11am-8pm. Join Lager Fest for a springtime day full of delicious lagers from their partner breweries, specialty lagers from Buoy, and live music all day from The Hackles and more.
During the festival you can also sign up for our Buoy Beer Club. The annual membership features perks like discounts on draft and packaged beer, discounts on merchandise (both at the brewery and online), invites to brewer social events, and more! Sign up during Lager Fest and your festival mug will be included in the membership price.