‘Weird Beer on the River’ will feature unique brews

Local and regional beer and hard cider breweries are being challenged to create and serve their weirdest brews made from unexpected ingredients. The 26 participants of the "Weird Beer on the River" will include 54? 40' Brewing Co. and Doomsday Brewing Co. LLC, both of Washougal, and Mill City Brew Werks, of Camas. The event will be held Friday, from 4 to 10 p.m., and Saturday, from 2 to 10 p.m., at Marina Park, near the Port of Camas-Washougal office and marina, 24 S. "A" St., Washougal. Bolt Minister, owner of 54? 40', plans to create a batch of "Chaga-lug Chuga-lug Porter," using Chaga mushrooms from Foods in Season, also a Washougal business. "I tried some chaga mushroom tea and I liked the maple syrup and vanilla flavors that came out, so I chose to use a chocolate porter as the beer's base to play with the vanilla," he said, in a press release. "I hope people attending the event come away with the understanding that craft beers are really what you make it," Minister added. "You can add some pretty unexpected ingredients to beer and still come away with an enjoyable drink." Other breweries that will be at Weird Beer on the River include Atlas Cider (Bend, Oregon), Beerded Brothers Brewing (Vancouver), Bridgeport Brewing (Portland), Deschutes Brewing (Bend), Dogfish Head (Milton, Delaware), Elysian Brewing (Seattle), Fat Heads Brewery (Portland), Fortside (Vancouver), Ghost Runners (Vancouver), Jester & Judge Cider Co. (Stevenson), Locust Cider (Woodinville, Washington), Loowit Brewing (Vancouver), Merchant Du Vin (Seattle), Mt. Tabor Brewing (Vancouver), Natian Brewery (Portland), New Belgium (Fort Collins, Colorado), Ninkasi Brewing (Eugene, Oregon), pFriem Family Brewers (Hood River, Oregon), Portland Brewing (Portland), Pyramid Brewing (Seattle), Railside Brewing (Vancouver), Reverend Nat's Hard Cider (Portland), Schooner Exact (Seattle) and Walking Man (Stevenson). Barbecue, hot dogs and Mexican food will be available to purchase, and there will be picnic tables for seating. Music will be provided by a DJ. The event is for people age 21 and older. Dogs will be allowed, if well-behaved and on a leash. Complimentary overflow parking will be available at the site of the future Washougal Waterfront Park and Trail, 335 S. "A" St. The park is not open. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $17 each, until Thursday, at 5 p.m., at www.cdmcaregiving.org/events/weird-beer-on-the-river or at the gate for $20 per person. Each ticket holder will receive a souvenir tasting glass and six tokens for 4 ounce tastes of beer. A two-day pass will cost $25, if purchased online, or $30 at the gate. Designated drivers will be admitted for $5. Soda and bottled water will be available to purchase. Proceeds from the event will benefit CDM Caregiving Services, a non-profit agency that provides in-home care, adult day services and other support for veterans, seniors and people with disabilities in Southwest Washington, in an effort to keep them living in their own homes. The Weird Beer on the River was planned by CDM Executive Director Eric Erickson and Sean Guard, owner of Metropolitan Productions, of Washougal. This year's event is receiving $4,000 in city of Washougal lodging taxes, for advertising and promotional items. Rene Carroll, a marketing and communications consultant for Washougal, said the Weird Beer event attracts people from outside the area. "What better way to introduce visitors to our area than a summer festival at Marina Park," she said. "Hopefully they plan to return and continue to explore what Washougal has to offer." For more information, visit www.cdmcaregiving.org or www.visitwashougal.com.

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