BEER WEEKS: THE BEST OF CRAFT BEER
As I’m writing this, San Francisco Beer Week is halfway over; tons of amazing events have taken place, and more are in the works. So where did the concept of a “Beer Week” come from, and why are more and more beer tourists flocking to these destinations to participate every year?
The answer to the latter part of the question is simple - if you’re a beer enthusiast, a “Beer Week” in any city lays out a plethora of events with local breweries. All the specialty batches, one-off’s, and collaborations you could imagine - highlighting the best of the local scene. Last weekend, I went up to the Rare Barrel in Berkeley, where they were serving three different dry hopped sour ales and several collaboration beers with fellow Bay Area brewer (and hop Gods), Cellarmaker, and the highly lauded Sante Adairius from Capitola. Needless to say, I was blown away by these offerings - the Rare Barrel is already coming out with some of the most progressive sour ales on the market, and collaborating with these two breweries made the event that much more special. The brewing community does everything in its power to create meaningful events geared towards their fans, and it pushes the industry forward in every way imaginable. Beer pairing dinners, “meet the brewer” events, tap takeovers, festivals, educational seminars, and charitable events all take place over the region in the name of beer.
A modern “Beer Week” is the product of the brewers in the local community, and is usually planned by the local Brewer’s Guild. The San Francisco Brewer’s Guild was founded in 2004, and since then, San Francisco Beer Week has grown to accommodate over 800 events in the span of nine days. Other prominent beer weeks throughout the state include Sacramento Beer Week February 27 - March 6, Los Angeles Beer Week September 20 - 28, and San Diego Beer Week November 6 - 15. Other beer weeks that are starting to gain momentum are Silicon Valley Beer Week in late July and early August, Santa Cruz County Beer Week in August, and OC Beer Week in late June. Honestly, there’s never been a better time to be craft beer enthusiast in this state than right now.
MONTEREY BEER WEEK: LAUNCHING JUNE 7 - 15
Yes, Monterey is jumping on the train with a beer week we can call our own! Endorsed by the Monterey County Fair Heritage Foundation, Monterey Beer Week will feature events from every restaurant, bar, brewery, homebrew store, and bottle shop throughout the county that supports craft beer. This will not only encourage the local beer industry to collaborate, but will also spawn interest in our local food, art, and culture. The culminating event of the week is the Monterey Beer Fest, happening on Saturday, June 15, 2015. We hope that our first beer week can offer a dynamic range of events, attracting locals and tourists alike in the effort to bring recognition to Monterey County as a destination...Read More
