Fort George, Mirage, & Sunriver Brewing unveil 3-Way IPA 2025 release plans
Since 2013 Astoria, Oregon’s Fort George Brewing has released an annual 3-Way IPA collaboration with new and old buds alike. The annual tradition inspires Facebook groups and reddit threads to debate who Fort George will and should collaborate with on this now cherished Pacific Northwest tradition that regularly lands in the top beer releases of any given year. In the past the collaboration partners have spanned the gamut from Anchorage, AK, and Monterey, CA and breweries both small and local, well known, lesser so, and those soon to be household names. For their 2025 3-Way IPA release Fort George Brewing is staying closer to home, bringing in the 2024 brewery of the year, Bend, Oregon’s Sunriver Brewing Co., and the beer nerd cultish Seattle, Washington brand Mirage Beer.
3-Way IPA will be available all over the Pacific Northwest for a limited time starting in Mid-May. It’s also available in Fort George’s online store for pre-order right now [as of Thursday, 5/8].
“Sunriver has been in our fridges for a while and we finally got to do a collab in 2024,” says Ft. George ops manager Brian Bovenizer, referring to their collaboration beer Extended Leave released last September. “We were blown away by the amount of hop knowledge and passion that Brett, Patrick and the crew brought to our collab, so they were immediately on the short list for 2025 3-Way IPA. They are especially bringing their west coast game, so then it was on to the hazy partner.”
Fort George spends months trialing 3-way recipes including different variations, alternate hops, malts and yeasts, and releases them to the public under the “Beta” series name.
“If you haven't noticed, we have been switching up some variants in the 3-Way IPA game over the last three years. That's where Mirage came in,” adds Bovenizer about their Seattle based collaborator. “Michael Dempster (Mirage) has been a friend for a while since brewing at Buoy and is often found at the bar at Bridge and Tunnel. We have been following Mirage in their journey and the time felt right as they have their own brewery and are cranking out some incredible beer.”
The first iteration of the 2025 3-Way IPA is a West Coast IPA with everyones favorite sexy new hop Krush (formerly HBC 586), with New Zealand varieties Waimea and Nelson Hops. You can expect a second hazy iteration this summer. Each new project is an opportunity to explore the trends, tendencies, new inventions and unfathomable mysteries of craft beer.
This year, Fort George celebrates the 13th year of 3-Way IPA and the launch of the summer season rocket ship with a beer and music festival on the grounds of the Historic Flavel House Museum in Downtown Astoria. On May 17th, prepare to enter a land of Lupulin Ecstasy where the beer world’s newest, best, rarest, strangest and most delightful offerings will all be pouring from over 50 taps around the grounds. 26 breweries, live music, baby goats, adoptable pets and delicious food from noon to 6PM, rain or shine. This year a portion of festival entry goes to the Clatsop County Historical Society and their mission to preserve, restore and educate in Clatsop County.
Fort George and all of their friends and collaborators will be gathered for a 3-Way IPA Pre-Funk with the first tastes of 2025’s 3-Way IPA at the Fort George Pub on Friday, 5/16.
If you can’t make it out to Astoria to grab a 3-Way IPA directly from the headwaters of summer beer, you can meet up with Fort George, Sunriver and Mirage at release parties and events all over the Pacific Northwest this summer.
5/16 - Fort George’s 3-Way IPA Pre-Funk - Astoria
5/17 - Fort George’s Lupulin Ecstasy Festival - Astoria
5/19 - 3-Way Release w/ Sunriver at Bier Stein - Eugene
5/20 - 3-Way Release at Mirage - Seattle
5/21 - 3-Way Release at Peaks and Pints - Tacoma
5/21 - 3-Way Release at Valley Public House - Happy Valley
5/22 - 3-Way Release at Oly Taproom - Olympia
5/22 - 3-Way Release at Rainier Growlers - Puyallup
5/22 - 3-Way Release w/ Sunriver at On Tap - Bend
5/22 - 3-Way Triple Play baseball night @ Hooligans - Vancouver
5/29 - 3-Way Release at Elizabeth Station - Bellingham
6/5 - 3-Way Party at Tap n Fill - Idaho Falls