(Press Release)

PORTLAND, OR—Attendees of the 9th annual FredFest, slated for May 4, 2014 at Hair of the Dog Brewery and Tasting Room, will see some changes from past years’ events.

FredFest 2014 celebrates the 88th birthday of Fred Eckhardt, the Dean of American Beer Writers, whose first work on beer styles predates many of the craft brewers and beer lovers who will be in attendance.

Fest-goers will still be able to enjoy rare and unique beers, raise money for local charities, sing “Happy Birthday” to a celebrated beer icon and pet puppies at the same time.

But this year, the event, held at Hair of the Dog Brewery and Tasting Room, 61 SE Yamhill, in Portland, will be held in two sessions. The first session runs 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the second session runs 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The beers will be the same at both sessions. Only 300 tickets are available for each session, and cost is $60 each in advance at hairofthedog.com/goodboy/  Cost includes a tasting glass, access to a rare collection of hand-curated beers, light fare and, of course, birthday cake, complete with a round of the “Happy Birthday” song for Fred. Cheeses, chocolate, candy and even cereal will be offered in abundance so attendees can experience some of Fred’s more infamous beer-and-food pairings. And, of course, attendees will enjoy sampling, sipping, singing and storytelling with Fred.

This year’s event will feature creative brews from approximately 20 breweries, all vying to best answer the perennial question, “What Would Fred Drink?” (WWFD?)  Keep tabs on the list as it continues to grow at fredfestpdx.com/the-beers.

About FredFest:

While it started as a surprise 80th birthday party for the world-renowned Portland beer writer, FredFesthas become a significant fundraiser for the nonprofit organizations that FredFest selects each year. This year’s fundraising recipients include:The Hair of the Dog “house” charity, Guide Dogs for the Blind; International Medical Corps, in memory of Mark Wilson, the husband of Hair of the Dog’s Wendy Sprints, and the Oregon Brew Crew’s OSU Bob McCracken Scholarship, for Fermentation Sciences students.

FredFest is all volunteer-driven, which means that 100 percent of this year’s net proceeds from FredFestwill be donated to those charitable organizations.  Dubbed “the littlest big-beer festival in the world — or at least in Portland,” FredFest has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Eckhardt’s selected nonprofits in the past eight years of its existence.

About the Charities:

Guide Dogs for the Blind is more than an industry-leading guide dog school; they are a passionate community that serves the visually impaired. With exceptional client services and a robust network of trainers, puppy raisers, donors and volunteers, they prepare highly qualified guide dogs to serve and empower individuals who are blind or have low vision. All of our services are provided free of charge; they receive no government funding. (Several Guide Dogs, including a couple of puppies being socialized, will be on hand, er, paw, to represent Guide Dogs for the Blind.)

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. Since its founding, International Medical Corps has delivered $1.4 billion worth of assistance to millions of people in 70 countries around the world.

The Bob McCracken Scholarship Fund supports students at the Oregon State University Fermentation Science program under the direction of Dr. Thomas ShellhammerThe Oregon Brew Crew is one of the oldest and largest home brewing clubs in the United States. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and advancement of home brewing and beer appreciation. (All three ofFredFest’s organizers have been Oregon Brew Crew members.)