KLCC Microbrew Festival, Eugene

This weekend—Friday and Saturday the 8th and 9th to be exact—is the KLCC Microbrew Festival over in Eugene (Oregon). From 5 to 11pm each day, it's at the Lane Events Center Exhibit Hall (796 W 13th) and costs $10 admission. Tasters are $1.

(There's also a homebrew competition; it's a $10 entry fee but you get subsequently get free entry to the 'fest.)

This is a big deal for Eugene. KLCC is the Public Radio station over there, and they put on a good fest; just check out this list of beers to see what I mean:

Alaskan, Juneau AK - Amber & IPA
Anderson Valley, Boonville CA - Boont Amber & Double Nickel Imperial IPA
Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis MO - Bareknuckle Stout & Shock Top Wit
Ayinger, Aying, Germany - Brau Weisse & Ayinger Marzen
Belhaven, Scotland - Scottish Ale
Big Sky, Missoula MT - Powder Hound & Moose Drool
Bridgeport, Portland OR - Beertown Brown & Bridgeport IPA
Calapooia, Albany OR - Chili Beer & Kringle Krack Strong Ale
Cascade Lakes, Redmond OR - Monkey Face Porter & Bald Mt. Bock
Deschutes, Bend OR - Green Lakes Organic Ale & Abyss Imperial Stout
Dogfish Head, Milton DE - 60 Minute IPA & Indian Brown Ale
Eugene City, Eugene OR - Honey Orange Wheat & 100 Meter Ale
Full Sail, Hood River OR - LTD 01 & Slipknot Imperial IPA
High Street, Eugene OR - Heavy Hand Strong Ale & Oat Stout
Hopworks Urban, Portland OR - Organic IPA & Organic HUB Lager
Kona Brewing Co., Kailua-Kona HI - Longboard Lager & Pipeline Porter
Lagunitas, Petaluma CA - Hop Stoopid & Czech Pils
Lang Creek, Marion MT - Mandarin Orange Hefeweizen & Cherry Porter
Laurelwood, Portland OR - Organic Free Range Red & Vanilla Porter
Lindemans, Vlezenbeek, Belgium - Framboise Lambic & Pomme Lambic
Lompoc, Portland OR - Proletariat Red & Strong Draft
Lost Coast, Eureka CA - Double Porter & Downtown Brown & Great White
MacTarnahans, Portland OR - Amber & Blackwatch Porter
Mad River, Blue Lake, CA - Steelhead Extra Pale & Steelhead Double IPA
Mendocino, Ukiah CA - Red Tail Ale & White Hawk IPA
New Belgium, Fort Collins CO - Springboard Ale & Tripple
Ninkasi, Eugene OR - Tricerahops Double IPA, Oatis Oatmeal Stout, Lady of Avalon Dark German Lager
North Coast, Fort Bragg CA - Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout & Brother Thelonius Belgian Abbey Ale
Oregon Trail, Corvallis OR - Ginseng Porter & Wit
Pelican, Pacific City OR - India Pelican Ale, Tsunami Stout, MacPelicans Wee Heavy Ale & Doryman's Dark Ale
Pyramid, Seattle WA - Thunderhead IPA & Snowcap Ale
Redhook Ale Brewery, Woodinville WA - Copperhook Spring Ale & Long Hammer IPA
Rogue Ales, Newport OR - Chocolate Stout & Kell's Irish Lager
Roots Organic, Portland OR - McAdams Milk Stout & Island Red
Sierra Nevada, Chico CA - Pale Ale & ESB (Early Spring Beer)
Siletz, Siletz OR - Chocolate Porter & Winter Warmer Ale
Skagit River, Mount Vernon WA - Scullers IPA & Dunkelwiezen
Southern Oregon Brewing, Medford OR - Pale & Porter
Steelhead, Eugene OR - Behemoth Strong Ale & Wiley Rye.P.A.
Stone, San Diego, CA - Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Ruination IPA, Stone IPA & Arrogant Bastard
Strongbow Cider, Hereford, England - Strongbow Cider
Wakonda, Florence OR - Beachcomber Creme Ale & Timberbeast IPA
Widmer Brothers Brewing Co., Portland OR - W'08 Crimson Wheat, Drop Top Amber Ale & Widmer Hefeweizen
Willamette, Eugene OR - Amber, IPA, Hefeweizen & Espresso Stout
Wolavers, Middlebury VT - Oatmeal Stout & Brown Ale
Wyder's Cider, Kelowna, BC, Canada - Pear Cider & Raspberry Cider
Young's, London, England - Double Chocolate Stout

Yes, that's a lot of beer. In addition, all the Eugene brewers get together and brew a "Collaboration" brew: this year it's a Bavarian Dunkelweizen. How it works is, five brewers (Eugene City, High Street, Ninkasi, Steelhead, & Willamette Breweries) each brew this Collaboration recipe, and you can compare all five of them together.

This is definitely a festival I want to go to someday. This year—not so much. Not because I don't want to; rather, between having plans this weekend and the terrible driving conditions over the mountains, it just wouldn't work out. Maybe next year!