America’s craft beer movement began in the San Francisco Bay Area, with Anchor Brewing’s rescue by Fritz Maytag in 1965 and the founding of New Albion Brewing in 1976. Craft beer has since grown into the Silver Age of American brewing, with over 1,400 small craft breweries operating today.
Published: February, 2009
Northern California by itself has more than most states, and enjoys an unrivaled reputation for the quality and diversity of its craft beer. SF BEER WEEK will be a 10-day celebration of that legacy, showcasing the Bay Area’s brewing heritage with as many as 150 events from February 6-15.
The 9th Annual Double IPA Festival will kick off the week at The Bistro in Hayward on Saturday, February 7. Many of the award-winning beers featured there will pop up around town throughout the week. The following Saturday, February 14, brings the 16th Annual Barleywine Festival to the venerable Toronado in the Lower Haight. It’s the gold standard for barleywine events, and will feature over 50 barleywines from around the country. The big finale for SF BEER WEEK festivities happens at the Oakland Convention Center (Marriott Hotel), at the Celebrator’s Best of the West Beer Fest on Sunday, February 15th. The event will commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Celebrator Beer News magazine, and more than 50 breweries will pour their favorite brews for the occasion. This well-anticipated occasion is sure to bring the week’s events to a close with a big, raucous finish.
In between these anchor events, there will be an event for every mood, whim, and allotted drinking hour.
Among them are bike tours, book signings, demonstrations, panel discussions, music, films, and loads of food and drink at just about every great establishment in the entire Bay Area. There will also be beer dinners, cheese and beer pairing events, other gourmet food events savoring our world-class cuisine, meet-the-brewer evenings, homebrewing demonstrations, and even a museum exhibition exploring the history of Bay Area brewing. Visit www.sfbeerweek.org for more information, or use the twitter account at twitter.com/sfbeerweek to find out where to go.Furthermore, this inaugural SF BEER WEEK just happens to coincide with the 7th Annual Strong Beer Month as the brewers of the 21st Amendment and Magnolia Pub and Brewery once again bring you an astounding range of memorable brews to lift the winter doldrums. You can visit both breweries, try all twelve beers and keep the special commemorative glass. Commemorative t-shirts are also available. These festivities begin February 1; special kegs and casks of vintage and barrel-aged beers will appear throughout the month. The special beers and glasses will be available from February 1 until they run out.
