EVER SINCE DENVER’S GREAT AMERICAN BEER FESTIVAL appeared on the scene in 1982, beer fests have been instrumental in spreading the gospel of craft beer. For curious drinkers, the events offer an educational smorgasbord of breweries and beer styles. But when the festival ends, so does the craft-beer education. Where else in town can drinkers purchase a pint of that IPA they adored?
At Philly Beer Week, “Ben Franklin” gets ready to swing the Hammer of Glory—the festival’s official keg-tapping mallet.
“Festivals are a great introduction to beer, not a beer scene,” says Josh Schaffner. He’s the director of New York Craft Beer Week, one of dozens of beer-centric “weeks” in North America. These collaborative, community-rooted celebrations bring together a city or region’s taverns, restaurants, brewers, and beer lovers, who curate craft beer–focused events such as beer-pairing dinners, double IPA fests, pub crawls, and canoe trips to breweries.
Sure, microbrew meccas such as Philadelphia, Chicago, and Seattle stage their expected revelries, but there are also festivities in lesser-known beer cities such as Syracuse, Baltimore, and Cleveland. “There’s even an Alabama Beer Week,” notes beer writer Jay Brooks, who helps run San Francisco Beer Week, “and there’s not a lot of craft beer in Alabama.” Yet.
Craft Beer Weeks
The dates for the beer weeks may change. Contact organizers for current info.
AMERICAN CRAFT BEER WEEK, MAY
The Brewers Association’s national craft beer week grew out of the longer-running craft-beer month.
Alabama
ALABAMA BEER WEEK, JUNE
Launched in 2010, events were held in Huntsville, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Mobile, and Birmingham, home to the Magic City Brewfest at the historic Sloss Furnaces.
Alaska
ALASKA BEER WEEK, JANUARY
The festivities have included Belgian-beer dinners, vintage tastings of Alaskan Brewing Company’s lauded Smoked Porter, and, in Anchorage, the Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival.
Arizona
ARIZONA BEER WEEK, FEBRUARY
Begun in 2011, the statewide blowout included a canned-brew festival at Phoenix’s Mad Chef Gastropub, beer brunches, and an official beer for the week.
California
SACRAMENTO CRAFT BEER WEEK, FEBRUARY
Find beer-centric scavenger hunts, Belgian-beer tastings, and a locally brewed IPA fest.
SAN DIEGO BEER WEEK, NOVEMBER
The SoCal city pulls out all the stops with a rare-beer breakfast, lunches with brewmasters, and festivals at local breweries such as Green Flash.
SAN FRANCISCO BEER WEEK, FEBRUARY
The Bay Area offers strong beer paired with strong sausages, group bike rides, and a double IPA festival.
Colorado
DENVER BEER FEST, SEPTEMBER
denver.org/denverbeerfest/default.aspx
Dovetailing with the GABF, the week’s events include rare-beer tastings, the Colorado Beer Ice Cream Festival, and bus tours of local breweries.
Georgia
ATLANTA BEER WEEK, MAY
For its kickoff in 2010, the week featured beer-pairing dinners, Dogfish Head-sponsored bocce ball tournaments, and a Belgian beer fest.
Illinois
CHICAGO CRAFT BEER WEEK, MAY
For its first year in 2010, the organizers offered specially brewed beers, canoe trips complete with brewery pit stops, and a road race that finished with a tour of Half Acre Beer Company
Indiana
INDIANA BEER WEEK, JULY
brewersofindianaguild.com/beerweek.html The highlight of the week is Indianapolis’s Indiana Microbrewers Festival, which features dozens of the state’s—and the nation’s—best brewers.
Kentucky
LOUISVILLE CRAFT BEER WEEK, SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER
During the inaugural 2010 week, events included a cask-ale fest, beer brunch, and Volksfest, featuring barrel-aged brews and a homebrew competition.
Maryland
BALTIMORE BEER WEEK, OCTOBER
Homebrew tastings, Maryland Oktoberfest (enter the beer-belly competition!), and blind taste tests set Baltimore’s celebration apart.
Massachusetts
BOSTON BEER WEEK, MAY/JUNE
Produced by the website Beer Advocate, the week is anchored by the East Coast’s largest beer bash, the American Craft Beer Fest.
Michigan
DETROIT BEER WEEK, OCTOBER
Take a bike tour of the Motor City’s historic and current breweries, go on a pub crawl, or hit the Detroit Fall Beer Festival.
Minnesota
MINNESOTA AMERICAN CRAFT BEER WEEK, MAY
Founded in 2010, the week includes brewery tours, special-release beers, and brewer-run tastings.
Mississippi
MISSISSIPPI CRAFT BEER WEEK, JULY
The must-hit event is Jackson’s Top of the Hops Beer Fest, featuring 150-plus beers and educational seminars.
Missouri
ST. LOUIS CRAFT BEER WEEK, APRIL/MAY
Attend symposiums on brewing, play beer bingo, and explore the St. Louis Microfest, the city’s largest craft-beer tasting event.
New Hampshire
PORTSMOUTH BEER WEEKEND, MARCH
The celebration of New Hampshire brews is headlined by tastings of rare Smuttynose vintages and the annual release of Portsmouth Brewery’s Kate the Great imperial stout.
New York
BUFFALO BEER WEEK, MAY
buffalobeerweek.com Past events have included extreme-beer tastings, homemade sausage and craft-beer pairings, and brewery showcases.
NEW YORK CRAFT BEER WEEK, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
The Big Apple goes all out with cask-ale festivals, IPA tastings aboard yachts, and bashes inside four-star restaurants.
SYRACUSE BEER WEEK, NOVEMBER
greatbrewers.com/festival/syracuse-beer-week
The city features sampling sessions from upstate breweries such as Middle Ages and Empire, along with the Uber Beer Festival.
North Carolina
CHARLOTTE CRAFT BEER WEEK, MARCH
The Hop-a-Palooza IPA event, rare cask-ale tasting, and bars dedicating their taps to North Carolina’s terrific beers help Charlotte shine.
RALEIGH BEER WEEK, AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
Launched in 2010, the inaugural week offered rare cask ales, beer cocktails, and a forum featuring brewers from Brooklyn Brewery and Terrapin Beer Co.
Ohio
CLEVELAND BEER WEEK, OCTOBER
Enjoy one-off collaborative brews, the Son of Brewzilla Homebrew Competition, and a fall-beer festival.
OHIO BREW WEEK, JULY
The Athens-based week features the Brew BBQ Cook-off Competition, meatball-eating contest, and, oh yeah, lots of great Ohio beers.
Oregon
OREGON CRAFT BEER MONTH, JULY
Launched as a week in 2005, the bash mushroomed into a monthlong celebration the ensuing year. Expect gobs of special beer releases, dinners, and fests, including Portland’s legendary Oregon Brewers Festival.
Pennsylvania
PHILLY BEER WEEK, JULY
From pig roasts to beer-pairing seminars, festivals, and meet-the-brewer pub crawls, Philly offers it all.
Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE CRAFT BEER WEEK, OCTOBER
facebook.com/profle.php?id=100001547380154
Beer dinners and brewer visits culminate in the enormous Beervana Fest, hosted at the historic Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet, in nearby Cranston.
Texas
AUSTIN CRAFT BEER WEEK, OCTOBER
The Texas bash has featured collaborative beers, unusual cask ales, and special vertical tastings of Saint Arnold Brewing Company’s Divine Reserve beers.
SAN ANTONIO BEER WEEK, MAY
Beer-pairing dinners, pro-am brewing competition, and a bus pub crawl highlighted the first bash in 2011.
Virginia
RICHMOND BEER WEEK, NOVEMBER
Craft-beer release parties, beer-themed movie screenings, and Belgian-beer dinners rounded out the city’s first week, in 2010.
Washington
SEATTLE BEER WEEK, FEBRUARY
Past events have included the Tour de Pints bike ride, Iron Brewer competition, and a brunch featuring Brettanomyces-soured beers.
SNOHOMISH COUNTY BEER WEEK, AUGUST
Area breweries, such as Diamond Knot and Big E brew special beers for the week.
Washington, D.C.
D.C. BEER WEEK, AUGUST
Organized by chef Teddy Folkman and beer distributor Jeff Wells, this week’s events have included a craft-beer cruise down the Potomac River and an oyster fest with Rogue Ales.
DC CRAFT BEER WEEK, MAY
On Tap magazine orchestrates this event, featuring beer dinners and meet and greets with brewers.
Wisconsin
MADISON CRAFT BEER WEEK, APRIL/MAY
The inaugural 2011-event offered a cask-ale festival and loads of exotic ales from New Glarus Brewing.
MILWAUKEE BEER WEEK, SEPTEMBER
The famous brewing city’s events have included Oktoberfest bashes and a beer-sampling session at the Harley-Davidson Museum.
Canada
ONTARIO CRAFT BEER WEEK, JUNE
ontariocraftbrewers.com/craftbeerweek/index.php
Past highlights have included a “field to firkin” farm tour, a tasting event of Ontario’s canned craft beer, and tapas paired with beer.
TORONTO BEER WEEK, SEPTEMBER
Pub crawls, meet-the-brewer nights, and beer dinners were featured during the first week, in 2010.
VANCOUVER CRAFT BEER WEEK, MAY
The 2010 launch featured a multivenue beer-dinner “crawl,” a homebrew competition, and the Hoppapalooza bitter-beer event.