Welcome to the 2008 Holiday Ale Festival

The winter season holds many gifts for beer lovers in the form of big, bold ales designed to fend off the cold chill of a long winter's night. Each year, the Holiday Ale Festival annually gathers up dozens of these winter warmers for a joyous five-day celebration. As a result, this quintessential Portland event has earned a reputation as the premier winter beer tasting venue on the West Coast.

Held in the heart of downtown Portland, the Holiday Ale Festival keeps attendees warm and dry under a large clear top tent that covers Pioneer Courthouse Square while allowing for views of the city lights. Gas heaters create a cozy ambience under the boughs of one of the region's largest decorated Christmas trees.

More than 40 potent winter ales are featured at this year's event, all of which are created specifically to bring warmth and cheer to the holiday season. These aren't beers you'll find in the supermarket - our brewers have put together special recipes just for the Holiday Ale Festival. From Belgians and Barleywines to Porters and Stouts, these beers are rich, robust and full of complex flavors.

Come hoist a pint and toast to the spirits of the season. We look forward to seeing you at the Holiday Ale Festival...Cheers!

Sunday Brunch

The 5th Annual "Beer and Brunch" event will be held Sunday, December 7th, 2008 from 10am to 12pm and will include at least four special Belgian brews not available at the regular Festival along with a European-style Brunch. Tickets are limited, so register early! [ more ]

Safe Driving & Comfort for Charity

The Holiday Ale Festival encourages responsible drinking and provides complimentary handcrafted Crater Lake Rootbeer for designated drivers. A coat/bag check will also be available this year for just $2 / item.

Proceeds will support the Children's Cancer Association. [ more ]

Primary Sponsors

FestFacts

Free admission into the venue!

To taste the beers, the purchase of an initial $20 tasting package is required, which includes a souvenir mug and 10 beer sampling tickets. [ more ]

The Beers

The winter brews featured at the event have been specifically selected to bring warmth and cheer to the holiday season.

The beers are rich, robust and full of complex flavors. They range from Winter Warmers, Scotch Ales and Stouts to IPAs, Belgians and Barleywines. [ more ]

Special Beer Tappings

Starting Wednesday we go deep into the cellar and bring out a few rare and vintage beers that are, in many cases, limited to just a single keg. This year we'll have vintage 2005 Samichlaus Bier, two vintages of the infamous JIM, ... [ more ]

Need an audio boost to get you in the holiday mood? What better than the 2008 Holiday Ale Festival Radio Spot... [ Listen ]