Portland breweries will face-off at Uptown Beer Co. (formerly named Uptown Market) 2nd annual Chili Con this Saturday, February 22nd from 4-8pm. The aptly named Chili Con II: Wrath of Con pits Ex Novo, Breakside, Baerlic, Sasquatch, Modern Times, Leikam, Little Beast and Ecliptic against each other in a homemade chili competition and beer fest rolled into one.

“Like a good chili, this event is the perfect mix of so many of my favorite things,” said Joshua Johnson, owner of Uptown Beer Co. “So many great styles of beer go well with chili and there are so many different types of chili and flavors to pull from. It's one of the few events I hope for rain as it forces us to all cozy up with a cold beer and warm bowl of chili,” said Johnson.

This year Chili Con will be benefiting Lift Urban Portland, a local non-profit focused on ensuring everyone has access to healthy food. A portion of each entry fee will go toward Lift UP and at the end of the night all remaining chili will be sold off for $5 donations to Lift UP. Local musician Gabe Hess will be performing his sultry mix of soul and rock.

The entry fee of $30 can be purchased ahead of time at ​www.uptownbeer.co​ or at the door. This includes a commemorative glass, 4 oz samples of each beer paired with 2oz samples of each chili, cornbread, a pint of your favorite beer, and a bowl of your favorite chili. This event is ages 21 and up only.

While the event is a celebration of the pairing of beer and chili it is also a competition. Each entry includes a vote for each category: Best Beer, Best Chili and Best Pairing. At 7:30 we will be announcing the winners. We will also enjoy raffles throughout the evening for all sorts of prizes!

Uptown Beer Co. has been a bottle shop and brew pub in SW Portland for over 8 years. Carved out of an old convenience store, it is now home to over a thousand unique beers, wines and cider as well as 36 taps. Uptown Beer Co. is also homebase for BinaryBrewing.co, with Binary beer always on tap, and Flying Barracuda BBQ in their onsite food cart. With great food and craft beer Uptown Beer Co. has something for everyone to enjoy while catching up with friends as well as something to take home with you.