Oregon Brewers Festival raises its mug in
Celebration of 20 Years of Craft Beers

PORTLAND, Ore. - Feb. 19, 2007 - The Oregon Brewers Festival (OBF), one of the nation's longest-running craft beer festivals, will host its 20th annual event this summer at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. To accommodate its ever-increasing popularity, organizers have extended the event, which will open at Noon on July 26 and continue through July 29. Hours will be Noon to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and Noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, with mug and token sales ceasing one-half hour prior to closing. The popular Oregon Brewers Dinner, a ticketed prelude to the festival, will take place July 25.

Admission for entry into the festival grounds is free. A 2007 souvenir mug, required for consuming beer, costs $4 and is good for all four days; mugs from previous years will not be filled. All beer is purchased with tokens, which cost $1 apiece. Patrons pay four tokens for a full mug of beer, or one token for a taste. The Oregon Brewers Festival is for patrons ages 21 and older.

Seventy-two of the finest craft breweries from across the country will each send one product to serve at the event, which is regarded by many industry experts and beer fans alike as the premier craft beer festival in the nation. More than 50,000 beer connoisseurs will travel from around the world to sample from a vast number of beer styles, which highlight the influences that different regions have on the brewing process.

Joining the breweries are industry exhibits by hop growers, homebrewers, breweriana collectors, and national beer writers. Food booths offer meals and alternative beverages, and live music is featured all four days. Alternative modes of transportation are encouraged, with free bicycle parking available each day courtesy of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. The main entrance to the event is located one block from the MAX Light Rail line.

The Oregon Brewers Festival takes place during Oregon Craft Beer Month, a celebration of craft beer by Oregon's specialty breweries. A variety of special events will take place at craft breweries throughout the state, culminating with the Oregon Brewers Festival.

The Oregon Brewers Festival was founded in 1988 as an opportunity to expose the public to microbrews at a time when the craft brewing industry was just getting off the ground. Today, that industry has succeeded, especially in Oregon, a state that has more craft breweries per capita than anywhere else in the nation. Oregon's beer production grew at a rate of more than 16 percent in 2006, employing nearly 4,000 workers.

The Marriott Portland City Center is the festival's host hotel. Reservations can be made directly at www.marriottportland.com or call 800-228-9290. For visitor information or other hotel reservations, visit www.travelportland.com or call 1.87.PORTLAND (1.877.678.5263).

For more information about the Oregon Brewers Festival or Oregon Craft Beer Month, visit www.oregonbrewfest.com or call 503-778-5917.