PORTLAND, Ore. — What started as a surprise 80th birthday party for
world-renowned beer writer Fred Eckhardt is coming back around in its
third year as a fundraiser in the memory of fellow beer scribe,
Michael Jackson, also known as the Beer Hunter.
More than 15 rare and unique beers created by some of Oregon’s most
celebrated breweries will be on tap at FredFest 2008. The event will
take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 — the actual
date of Eckhardt’s 82nd birthday — at Hair of the Dog Brewing, 4509
SE 23rd Avenue in Portland.
The beer menu is still being firmed up, but brewers are promising to
pony up something special for the event. The number of beers for
FredFest will increase from last year, according to co-organizer and
chief beer wrangler Preston Weesner. Some of the breweries that
already have committed to the event include: Hair of the Dog (with a
special keg of Jim 07), BridgePort, Deschutes, Widmer, Hopworks Urban
Brewery, Rogue and Firestone Walker.
Attendees will be treated not only to a rare assortment of
hand-selected beers, but also light fare including pastrami cured with
Hair of the Dog Fred ale and a birthday cake — complete with a round
of “Happy Birthday” — for Eckhardt. Cheeses, chocolate, candy and
even cereal will be offered in abundance so attendees can experience
some of Eckhardt’s famed beer-and-food pairings.
Cost for the event is $50 in advance and includes a souvenir glass,
free ticket for a raffle of bottled specialty beers and four hours’
of sampling, sipping and story-telling with Eckhardt.
Admission is limited to 200 attendees. Judging from previous years,
the event is expected to sell out quickly. Tickets are available
through Pay-Pal. E-mail fredfest@comcast.net to purchase tickets.
Additionally, this year, a silent auction featuring bottles of rare
beers running in conjunction with FredFest, allowing Fred fans across
the country to be a part of Eckhardt’s birthday and the FredFest
celebration and fundraiser.
As always, proceeds from FredFest and the related online auction will
go to a charity of Eckhardt’s choice. This year, Eckhardt named
Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon, the local affiliate chapter of the
National Parkinson Foundation, as the featured charity in memory of
his longtime friend and fellow beer writer Michael Jackson, who died
in 2007 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
