Raise a Glass to Celebrate Craft Beer at the Oregon Brewers Festival

With over 96 craft breweries based in the Porltand metropolitan area, this city has the most breweries per capita of any city in the United States. A plethoa of Portland based beer festivals take place throughout the year designed for every palate.

One of the major festivals celebrating this craft culture is the Oregon Brewers Festival (OBF). This event was founded in 1988 when craft brewing was just getting off the ground. Currently, the OBF attracts over 80,000 beer lovers who come to Porltand the last week in July to partake in this annual celebration.

The 29th annual OBF will take place from July 27 through July 31, 2016 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland. Here beer connoisseurs can sample a wide variety of beers including 88 US based craft brews. For the past three years, the festival included an International Beer Garden that highlights a select offering of unique beers form other countries. This year, the International Beer Garden will be serving 25 beers from Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, and China.

The 2016 offerings from three Portland based breweries testify to the diverse range of beers available at the OBF. Ecliptic Brewing will be presenting Carina Peach Sour Ale, a crisp and tart beer loaded with peach flavor. Neighboring StormBreaker Brewing will be pouring Handfuls of Hops v.OBF, an American-Style India Pale Ale with a golden color and a 62 IBU tha delivers a medium hoppy kick. Also, Burnside Brewing's will be offering a NW style IPA aged on Western Red Cedar that has a fruity aroma and a dry, piney, and resinous finish.

The festival gates open at 11:30am daily, with taps are open from noon to 9pm on Wednesday through Saturday and then from noon to 7pm on Sunday. Those looking to avoid the crowds are encouraged to come during the weekdays when the festival is less boisturous and rowdy.

While some beer festivals are geared for those 21 and older, the OBF remains family friendly with children of all ages permitted throughout the festival when accompanied by an adult. Designated drivers and those under 21 can take advantage of the complimentary handcrafted root beer and sodas available at the Crater Lake Soda Garden.

If possible, avoid the downtown traffic and tare public transportation. Portland's Tri-Met MAX Light Rail station is located just a block away from the main entrance. Also, consider cycling to the festival and take advantage of the free bike parking available courtesy of the Hopworks Urban Brewery secure bike corral.

Admission to this festival remains free though beer lovers do need to purchase a 12 oz. 2016 souvenir mug for $7 in order to taste beers. Tokens cost $1 each with one token required for a tasting and 4 tokens for a full mug. This is a cash-only event with eight ATMs located on-site.

For more information about this year's festival and subsequent festivals, log on to this website.