Photo: Deschutes Brewery
Breweries from around the state will celebrate Oregon’s craft beer scene this Saturday and next by taking part in the 12th annual Zwickelmania, opening their doors to the public with tours, tastings, meet-the-brewer sessions, and free samples. More than 70 Portland Metropolitan area breweries will celebrate the event this Saturday, Feb. 15, while another 50 breweries throughout the rest of the state take part next Saturday, Feb. 22.
The event annually draws 30,000 people.
Zwickelmania is the highlight of Oregon Craft Beer Month, a month-long celebration that includes tap takeovers, beer festivals, panel discussions and more. Zwickelmania is named in honor of the zwickel, a screw valve that mounts on the outside of fermentation or conditioning tanks and allows brewers to sample the beer inside for quality assurance and control.
Zwickelmania is presented by the Oregon Brewers Guild, 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 oregoncraftbeer.org.
For the second year in a row, breweries from across the state have collaborated on a limited run Zwickelmania beer that will be canned and sold at participating breweries during the event.
“State of Excitement IPA” is a West Coast IPA collectively created by 30 Oregon brewers to celebrate the friendly and collaborative nature of the Oregon beer scene. State of Excitement IPA will be available for purchase at select breweries during Zwickelmania. Proceeds from sales of the beer benefit the Oregon Brewers Guild.
Source: Oregon Brewers Guild