Over a decade ago, three-dozen Oregon breweries opened their doors on a Saturday in February for the first-ever Zwickelmania, a free statewide craft beer celebration that allowed visitors to tour Oregon breweries, meet the brewers and sample beers. About 4,000 craft beer fans took part in the inaugural event, which was designed as a way to promote Oregon’s craft beers and the brewers who make them.

This year, the 11th annual Zwickelmania will span two different weekends to accommodate an estimated 120 breweries that will participate around the state. Over 60 Portland Metro area breweries will kick off the event on Saturday, Feb. 16, while breweries across six more Oregon regions – Central Oregon, Eastern Oregon, Mt. Hood/Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Coast, Southern Oregon, and Willamette Valley – will welcome guests the following Saturday, Feb. 23. More than 30,000 visitors are expected to attend the free event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.

For the first time, 37 breweries from across the state have teamed up to craft a Zwickelmania beer. Collab West Coast IPA is a 500ml, limited-run bottled beer that will only be available for purchase at participating breweries starting on Zwickelmania. Proceeds from sales of the beer benefit the Oregon Brewers Guild, which supports breweries, suppliers, education and collaboration.

Zwickelmania is named in honor of the zwickel, a screw valve that mounts on the outside of fermentation or conditioning tanks and allows brewers to sample the beer inside for quality assurance and control. Similarly, Zwickelmania offers a unique opportunity to taste beers where they were produced and interact with the brewers who created them.

Visit the Oregon Brewers Guild Zwickelmania event page for a regularly updated list of participating breweries and cities in Oregon’s seven brewing regions, as well as maps, brewery listings and itineraries that can be viewed online or printed out. Follow the event @OregonCraftBeer on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, using the hashtag #Zwickel19.