Astoria Has Come Up With a Unique Plan to Hold Its Annual Pacific Northwest Beer Cup

Let’s just say that it involves a bingo card and a pub crawl.

Buoy Beer Company's brewpub in Astoria. IMAGE: Sam Gehrke.
By Andi Prewitt

Not all beer events are canceled this year.

The Astoria Downtown Historic District Association has come up with a clever way to hold the annual Pacific Northwest Brew Cup during the pandemic without jamming hundreds of bodies together in a single space.

Instead of hosting the event on the waterfront next to the Columbia River Maritime Museum, participants will sample beer by taking a walking tour of the town.

All you have to do is pick up or download a map of the breweries, cidermakers and taverns that are pouring one or two special Brew Cup-only beverages. Once you hunt down your drink, mark off that you've tried it on one of the provided bingo cards. After you get a bingo, a 2020 Brew Cup glass is yours to take home—along with a well-earned buzz.

So far, there are 10 venues signed up for the event, including almost every brewery in Astoria. The Brew Cup runs Sept. 15-30.

Related: The Oregon Brewers Festival Has Been Canceled Due to the Coronavirus.

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