Thompson's Enters Bumble Blue Pale Ale to 17th Annual Hillsdale Brewfest

Good luck! The world needs more quality pale ales just now!

From the release:

20 McMenamins brewers present 20 beers in competition at the historic “Battle of the Belt”

PORTLAND, Ore.—On Saturday, February 20, 2010, the notorious “Battle of the Belt” rages for the seventeenth time at Hillsdale Brewery & Public House (1505 SW Sunset Blvd.). McMenamins’ Hillsdale Brewfest is a day-long event featuring twenty original brews such as Au Pear Porter, Whatawit, The Elvis Conspiracy and The Viper, along with food specials, revelry, merriment and – most important – a competition for the coveted Belt. The Hillsdale Brewfest is free to attend, begins at 11 a.m. and is open to guests of all ages; those 21 and over may taste the ales.

Twenty of the finest ales from McMenamins’ breweries are sent into battle, their brewers vying for bragging rights, the notorious championship belt and a berth in the annual Oregon Brewers Festival. Patrons order “trays” of beer, arranged from lightest to darkest – each of the two trays offers ten 4-ounce samples and costs $8.75. It is our guests’ duty to decide who deserves the coveted title. With seventeen ales from Oregon and three from Washington, these beers cover the spectrum of brew styles – from hefeweizen to oatmeal stout, barleywine to smoked amber ale and beyond. Each taster casts one ballot that lists his or her top three choices.

The victorious brewer at this year’s Battle of the Belt will represent McMenamins at the 23rd Annual Oregon Brewers Festival in downtown Portland on July 22–25, 2010. For more information, visit www.oregonbrewfest.com.