PORTLAND, Ore. – The Holiday Ale Festival has released the beer and cider list for the 24th annual event, taking place Dec. 4 through Dec. 8 at Pioneer Courthouse Square, located at 701 SW Sixth Ave. Advanced general admission and VIP tickets can be purchased at www.holidayale.com.
The Northwest’s original outdoor winter beer festival––which is tented and heated––will feature four dozen craft beers and ciders in the main lineup, all of which are made or blended specifically for the event or are rare or vintage products not commonly tapped in the state. In addition, the festival will also feature a number of Meet the Brewer events and dozens of specialty and rare beer tappings. The Holiday Ale Festival is highly regarded as presenting one of best lineups of winter beers and ciders anywhere in the nation.
This year’s tap list is available at the bottom of this release. Full product descriptions can be found on Google Sheets HERE.
The festival’s atmosphere has made it a must-attend event. Despite being held outdoors during one of the coldest months of the year, attendees stay cozy and warm under clear-topped tents fueled by gas heaters. A second level above the main floor, dubbed the Sky Bar, serves additional taps and provides ample elbow room for attendees to relax, spread out and peek at the revelers below. Portland’s lighted Christmas tree serves as a festive and colorful centerpiece for the holiday event.
The purchase of an entry package is required to enter the venue. Advance general admission for one person costs $40 and includes the 2019 tasting glass and 12 taster tickets, plus express re-entry all five days (express re-entry requires a wristband and the 2019 tasting glass and is subject to festival capacity). A GiftPass advance general admission for two costs $80 for two tasting glasses and 28 tasting tickets (an additional four tasting tickets). Advance VIP packages cost $100 and include the tasting glass, 30 taster tickets, special VIP beer lines with little to no waiting, exclusive VIP only vintage beers, bottled water, and express entry all five days.
General admission at the door costs $40 and includes the 2019 tasting cup and 12 taster tickets but does not allow for expedited entry. Most beers and ciders cost one ticket for a taste, or four tickets for a full pour. Certain limited release and special tappings may not be available in full pours or may cost extra tickets. Additional taster tickets can be purchased for $1 apiece. Previous years’ mugs or glasses will not be filled. There are no designated driver tickets available; the festival is located along TriMet MAX Light Rail Blue and Red lines and is easily accessible to rideshare companies. Lyft has a designated drop off and pick up area at Pioneer Courthouse Square at SW Broadway St.
An onsite coat and bag check and the Crater Lake Soda Garden raises funds for the Children’s Cancer Association MyMusicRx Program, which delivers the healing power of music to the bedsides of children and teens facing cancer and other serious illnesses. The Holiday Ale Festival rounds up, then doubles and matches all funds raised. The festival offers two food vendors and self-guided cheese and beer pairings. The event is for ages 21 and over.
For more information, visit www.holidayale.com and follow the event @HolidayAleFest on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using hashtag #HolidayAle.
2019 Participants: Product Name (Product Style)
54-40 Brewing Co: OH SNAP! (Winter Warmer)
Anthem Cider: Holiday Honeycrisp Delight (Semi-Dry Cider)
Backwoods Brewing Co: Smoked Pecan Pie Porter (Smoked Porter)
Bauman’s Cider: Nuts in Cider—I Hardly Know ‘er (Spiced Cider)
Bear Republic Brewing Co: Mistletoe Fetish (Multi-Barrel Blend)
Boneyard Beer: Dibble Dabble with a Dubbel (Belgian-Style Dubbel)
Cascade Lakes Brewing Co: Pure Dead Brilliant (Maple Scotch Ale)
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project: Spontaneous Sunrise on Christmas Morning (Orange Sour Ale)
Crux Fermentation Project: Clearly Confused (Blonde Stout)
Deep Space Brewing: Imperial Session Stout (Stout)
Deluxe Brewing: Deluxe Old Ale (Barrel-Aged Old Ale)
Depoe Bay Brewing: Dead Reckoning (Belgian Trippel)
Deschutes Brewery: Fresh Squeezed Old Fashioned (Imperial IPA)
Drakes Brewing: Santa’s Brass (Barrel-Aged Barleywine)
Ecliptic Brewing: Pinot Noir Barrel-Aged Ecliptic + Russian River Belgian-Style Hoppy Golden Ale (Red Wine Barrel-Aged Belgian-Style Hoppy Golden Ale)
Eel River Brewing Co: Clear Christmas (Hard Sparkling Water)
Everybody’s Brewing: Pinot Noir Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Ale (Pinot Noir Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Ale)
Firestone Walker: Falling Snow (Norwegian Farmhouse Ale)
Fort George Brewery: Made to Order (Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Coffee Stout)
Fortside Brewing Co: Mullet of Krampus (Mulled Begian Dubbel)
Fremont Brewing: Orange Freak (Blended Barrel-Aged Winter Ale)
Gateway Brewing: Not Grandma’s Cranberry Sauce (Winter Ale with Cranberries)
Gigantic: Stocking Stuffer (Marzipan Citrus Golden)
Golden Valley Brewery: Straight to the Noggin (Eggnog Milk Stout)
Hopworks Urban Brewery: Cookie Pillager (Pastry Kveik)
MadCow Brewing Co: Ol’ Saint Snick’s Santa Doodle (Spiced Cream Ale)
McMenamins Edgefield Brewery: Lord of Misrule 2019 (Barrel-Aged Samoa Milk Stout)
Montavilla Brew Works: Lupulin Symphony (Imperial IPA)
Ninkasi Brewing: Golden Milk & Cookies (Golden Milk Ale)
Oakshire Brewing: Nui Nui Tiki Sour (American Sour Ale)
Pear UP: Cranpeary Salted Caramel (Perry)
Pelican Brewing: Old Fashioned at Sea (Dark Strong Ale)
pFriem Family Brewers: Tropical IPA (IPA)
Portland Cider Co: Royal Blackberry (Fruit Imperial Cider)
Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider: Oatmeal Cookie Abbey Spice (Cider)
Rogue Ales: Whiskey Barrel-Aged Double Chocolate Stout (Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout)
Stickmen Brewing Co: It’s Gingerbrett, Man (Winter Seasonal) 
StormBreaker Brewing: Pretty Fly for a Chai Guy (Chai Spiced Winter Warmer)
Stoup Brewing: Tropical Blizzard (Hazy Double IPA)
Sunriver Brewing Co: Shiver Me Timbers! (Caribbean-Style Export Stout)
Three Mugs Brewing Co: Mrs. Claus’s Gingerbread Desire (White Chocolate Gingerbread Ale)
Threshold Brewing & Blending: Grandma’s Loaded (Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout Blend)
Trap Door Brewing: Nut Tree (Candied Nut Imperial Porter)
Upright Brewing: Sherry Barrel Stock Ale (Stock Ale)
Victor-23 Craft Brewery: Dan Cooper’s Confession (Churro Sweet Stout)
Von Ebert Brewing: Oma’s Dessert Lager (Dark Lager)
West Coast Grocery Co: It’s the Holiday Saison (Chardonay Barrel-Aged Saison)
Wolf Tree Brewery: Donker Boom (Belgian Dark Strong)
About the Holiday Ale Festival
The Holiday Ale Festival started as the Winter Ale Festival in 1995 and continued in 1996, then took a year off in 1997. It returned as the Holiday Ale Festival in 1998 and is now regarded as presenting one of the best lineups of beers and ciders anywhere in the nation.
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