Block 15’s Bourbon Month Creates an Iconic Experience in Corvallis

February is a quiet time for Oregon’s craft breweries. The winter warmers that got us through the holiday season have all been poured, and we’re still months away from drinking crisp lagers and citrus-tinged IPAs. That’s what makes February the perfect time for Block 15 Brewing to host its annual Bourbon Month celebration at its family of pubs and restaurants around Corvallis.

I attended my first Bourbon Month event in 2024—and realized within a few sips what I’d been missing since the event’s inception more than 15 years ago. It was a guided pairing event, where small bites of specially crafted food items were paired with pours of the brewery’s bourbon barrel-aged Super Nebula stouts. Over the course of a few hours, a friend and I pinballed around Block 15’s Southtown taproom and brewery, where we chatted with the brewers who crafted each of the inventive beers, tried foods that had never before appeared on the Block 15 menu, and learned from experts eager to discuss the barrel-aging process.

The experience was the Corvallis craft beer scene at its best: warm, open, inviting, creative, and curious in equal measure. It’s not every day we get to chat with the people making our ales and lagers while sipping those beers, and it was a joy to learn about their processes and inspirations for each release. Even before I headed back to my hotel room for a post-tasting nap, I was already making plans for another February road trip down from Portland.

If you’re considering your own Bourbon Month odyssey this year, here’s a look at what makes the Block 15 event so special and what to look forward to in 2026.

Bourbon Month has been a Block 15 tradition since the brewery launched in 2008. It started partly as a way to bring visitors into the pub during a quiet time of year and today celebrates its signature spirit with food-and-beer pairings, exclusive pours of small-batch bourbons, curated dinners with the Block 15 team, and other fun offerings—such as a passport and stamp book that rewards visitors who sample most of the available bourbons with a party and exclusive merchandise. 

When I started attending Bourbon Month, I knew next to nothing about bourbon—but Block 15 and Caves Corvallis made it easy to learn with a stamp book and tasting notes that broke down the scent, taste, and finish of each spirit. There was a giddy delight in having that light-bulb moment where I realized, “Oh, so that’s what I’m tasting!”

The guided pairing was what brought me to Corvallis for Bourbon Month to begin with—and it set the tone for a fun adventure that my friends and I still talk about years later.

Over the course of two hours, we enjoyed a feast for the senses while walking around Block 15’s Southtown taproom and brewery. It was the official unveiling for Block 15’s lineup of Super Nebula stouts, each of which are aged in bourbon barrels and conditioned on different ingredients for full, rich flavors. One highlight in 2024 was the Super Nebula Breakfast with Willett—which had been aged in Willett bourbon barrels and infused with beans from a Corvallis coffee roaster.

Above and beyond the beers, we sampled light bites in a sun-drenched dining room, worked our way through the brewery itself to additional tasting stations, and enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at the brewing process from Block 15’s top brass. Chief Operating Officer Ian Hutchings, for instance, talked with gathered groups about Block 15’s barrel-aging process and how the bourbon flavors impact each Super Nebula variation that gets released each winter.

The events themselves are a big part of what makes Bourbon Month so special—but I’d argue the heart of the month-long celebration is how it acts as a crash course for the popular spirit.

For starters, more than a dozen specialty bourbons can be sampled at Block 15's downtown pub and at Caves Corvallis, a European-inspired bistro next door. Those are curated each year in collaboration with Alex Goodwin, former manager at Block 15, who’s been selecting specialty bourbons for years and brings a variety of influences to each annual lineup; you never know when you’ll try classic selections you’ve been sipping since college, harder-to-find bourbons, or new pours from up-and-coming distilleries. (A few are even held back for special releases throughout Bourbon Month, so there’s always something new to sip.)

Opportunities to learn about bourbon don’t end there. In 2026, some of Block 15’s fun, yet educational nights out include a six-course dinner designed to pair with the brewery’s barrel-aged stouts, as well as a five-course dinner with bourbon and bourbon barrel-aged beer pairings. As part of each dinner, diners get to learn about why the pairings were chosen, how each spirit brings out flavors in the accompanying food item (and vice versa), and what goes into crafting such complex beers.

Whether you’re a bourbon newbie or have a collection of top-shelf spirits at home, chances are good you’ll find your new favorite pour and learn something from the friendly experts at Block 15. It’s a rare opportunity to connect with the popular spirit that’s meant so much to Block 15, for so long, and to celebrate with memorable fare and well-balanced beers. The fact that brewers and managers lead the way adds to the annual event’s considerable charm. It’s become an iconic event in Corvallis each year—and for good reason.