SF Beer Week Preview
The first thing you need to know about SF Beer Week is not to get thrown by the name. It’s actually a ten day beer festival taking place throughout the Bay Area featuring breweries from all over Northern California. It’s a great way to expand your beer horizons and discover new beers and breweries. There’s plenty of events in the Silicon Valley featuring beer local breweries. It’s not possible to describe them all here, but here are some of the highlights of during the festival’s run from February 6th through the 15th.
2nd Annual West Coast Craft Can Invitational
February 7th 2:00-5:00 pm
Devil’s Canyon Brewing Event Center, 935 Washington Street, San Carlos, CA 94070 United States
Canned beer once meant funny metallic tasting beer. Things changed when polymer can linings were developed in the 1980’s. That’s good news, since cans keep beer fresher longer than bottles are more easily recycled than bottles. Many craft breweries now package their beer in cans and often take advantage of the cylindrical canvas to display clever and unique logo artwork. At the 2nd Annual West Coast Craft Can Invitation, you’ll get to meet sixteen different breweries selling beer in cans and taste their beers. Maverick’s Brewing, based in Half Moon Bay will be debuting their new Tunnel Vision IPA and do yourself a favor and try some. I’ve been lucky to get a sneak peek tasting of Tunnel Vision, and it’s full of excellent punchy tropical flavors from generous hop additions. San Carlos’s Devil’s Canyon Brewery will be serving a special limited release beer made in conjunction with THCO Chocolates which should also be pretty interesting.
The Beer Walks in Downtown Burlingame and San Jose’s Japan Town
Looking to try some new beers while getting a little shopping done? Then it’s time to take a Beer Walk. The idea is simple. You get a tasting glass and a map of the various beer stops at the participating area stores. Then you walk around to each store and once inside, each brewery fills your glass with a sample. You might find it little awkward at first browsing through a clothing store while sipping beer, but you’ll start get used to it. Part of the fun is wondering into a store you’ve never been into before and discovering both a new place and a new beer.
San Jose’s Japan Town Beer Walk - Check in location Jack’s Bar & Lounge, 167 E. Taylor Street, San Jose, CA, Saturday, February 7th from 2-6pm
Read my blog post from last year's event here.
Burlingame Beer Walk - Downtown Burlingame (Check-in location TBD) – Wednesday February 11th, 6-9 pm
The 6th Annual Meet the Brewers Festival
For those seeking to discover what your local breweries in and around the Silicon Valley are up to, the Meet the Brewers Festival is the place to go. Held on the grounds of San Jose’s Hermitage Brewing, it features over 20 of the areas breweries including Uncommon Brewers, Strike Brewing, Clandestine Brewing, Santa Clara Valley Brewing, Peter B’s, Hermitage Brewing, Tied House, Cambell Brewing, Rabbit’s Foot Meadery/Red Branch Cider, and El Toro. In addition to beer, there will be food trucks from Moveable Feast, and Hermitage Brewing Company Ice Cream made by Treatbot. There will be music, a local artisan showcase pop-up market from SJ Made, and the SJ Cooperative Brewery will be there to talk about brewing your own beer at home.
Tickets benefit CanDoMS, a non-profit dedicated to helping those with Multiple Sclerosis and the Bay Area Brewer’s Guild.
Saturday February 14th, 1-5pm Hermitage Brewing, 1627 South 7th Street, San Jose, CA 95112
There’s plenty of other great SF Beer Week events all over the Bay Area. For a complete listing of all the festivities, check out their website.
