San Diego Beer Week is huge and on the horizon. There are more events than one person can possibly attend so I decided to talk about some highlights for me. The official list of events can be found here. There’s even a handy online planner you can create for yourself here. This article is in no way a complete list of the events available, these are my favorite sounding events. Each day I’ll recommend something that will be expensive and amazing as well as something that’s free (other than what you eat/drink) and amazing. One of the good things about beer week is the variety of events allows you balance this long, long week with your wallet.
Thursday, 11-6. Beer Week Eve gets the super long week started! My favorite of the night is Rare Local Taps at Ritual. Cuvee de Tomme leads an impressive tap list head first into the 10 day week!
Friday, 11-7. If I didn’t have a day job to hold down I’d be the first one at Brew Your Own Beer Brunch, for $50 you get to brew a beer with the brew master at Karl Strauss, enjoy snacks and beer along the way and walk away with a bottle of Peanut Butter Porter.
If you’re doing beer week big you cannot miss the Rare Beer Breakfast at Stone, well worth the $65 price point.
Uhh Brian, I don’t want to throw down that kind of money on day one man. No worries, I’ve got you covered. Hit up Beer Run 2 at Urge and enjoy some beers from the Pacific North West that don’t often make if down here. No cost, just pay for what you drink!
The hallmark event of San Diego Beer Week, the Guild Festival, gets started and has it’s VIP night.
Saturday, 11-8. Want to put some action into your beer week? Check out Bikes, Brews & Brats from your friends at Green Flash. $50 and an awesome bike rider through our city.
Council will be releasing two wild IPAs I’ll have to try.
The Guild Festival hits it’s stride; if you ever wanted to see every San Diego craft brewery in one place, this is the event for you. This is the event of beer week, especially for anyone from out of town.
QUAFF night at Downtown Johnny Brown’s. San Diego has an amazing homebrew scene as well, come meet some brewers that started out in their home and made it to the big leagues!
Sunday, 11-9. The event I’m helping with, The World’s Biggest Bottle Share is going to rock 30th St. For $20 you get a tshirt, a glass tasting glass, shuttle rides up and down 30th to 8 great sharing spots and the chance at some seriously solid signatures tastes. I can’t tell you exactly what beers are in the signature tastes but I promise you the ticket price includes extreme value. Once you get your ticket, be sure to sign up for a signature taste and let me know you’re coming! Come have a beer with me and hundreds of your soon to be friends!
Be the first to taste Firestone’s 18th anniversary beer in San Diego. Stone’s got you covered if you’re obsessed with this great brewery from the North.
The 6th annual Green Flash Smoke Out at Carnita’s. This event features rare beers from Green Flash, awesome smoked dishes from Hanis and an NFL game out in the Pig Pen. Pro tip: the World’s Biggest Bottle Share shuttle gets you really close to Carnita’s; if you’re a gamer, you can totally do both events!
Don’t want to rush the Bottle Share? End your share time at Ritual Tavern or Waypoint and you’re mere blocks from my favorite restaurant, Urban Solace. Let’s celebrate Novemberfest with Chef Matt! Yes, if you’re a super pro you can do all three of these great North Park events.
Monday 11-10. Are you the one that’s awake before everyone? Learn to cook with beer at Sessions Public, warning, this starts at 6am.
Want to meet Jeff Bagby and some Stone heavy hitters? Have brunch with them!
Societe meet the brewer at OD Noodle House! BTW, inside information, Societe will be running full tap takeovers at Societe every night of beer week, make sure you jump in on this rare occurrence.
Love those big coffee stouts (who doesn’t)? Get more in depth with Stone and Beer U
Tuesday 11-11. Can you believe you survived thinking about half of beer week? One big word of advice about all these awesome events, water, seriously, drink a glass of water for every beer you drink and then drink two more glasses of water before you go to sleep. You need to remember this is a marathon, pace yourself.
Council releases their bourbon barrel aged quad.
Check out Full Table at Benchmark. Take the best table beer in town and spin it off into a dozen versions? Yes please!
Come try Intergalactic’s first sours, hopefully three of them.
Local Habit’s Brewmaster’s Dinner with Coronado. 6 courses, several beers, brewmaster insights and it’s all included for $65.
Wednesday 11-12. Battle of the IIPAs goes down at Urge. Taste 5 double IPAs blindly and pick your favorite. If you’ve never done a blind taste challenge I recommend you do!
Pizza Port showdown at Sublime Ale House sounds awesome. 4 different beers from four different Ports battling for supremacy!
So you’re sitting there after reading almost 900 words going, ya, ya, ya but I wanted to do something actually special this year. Here is that thing! Master Pairing: Stone and Avery Vintage Dinner. It’s $100 but you an amazing 5 course meal, each course paired with a vintage beer from Stone and Avery, yes that’s 10 vintage beers at least.
Alesmith Grand Prix starts. I’ll be there sometime Wednesday night!
Thursday 11-13. Seven Grand Barrel Aged tap takeover, get your wood on!
Going big? Check out For the Love of Pork dinner at Stone featuring amazing beers from Monkey Paw!
Drink some great Stone with the man himself, Greg Koch’s coming to Neighborhood and bringing a big bag of beer with him.
Friday 11-14. Ballast Point Bloody Beer Brunch sounds good to me but I’ll be working like a chump.
Tyson’s Big Ass Barrel Night at O’Brien’s is a beer week staple that you need to go to if you haven’t.
Meeting of the Guilds will be packed and awesome. Taste your way through 15 beers representing the best these 3 guilds have to offer and choose who goes home with the coveted Golden Keg.
Saturday 11-15. Check out Vertical Beer and Cheese pairing at Thorn St. and be the first to taste their new sour!
Waypoint Brewmaster Dinner with Cascade, sounds freaking great.
Russian River Brewing barrel aged sours and radness at Neighborhood.
Sunday 11-16 (finally).The hallmark beer week ending event is The Beer Garden. 24 breweries and 12 chefs throw down at Torrey Pines, it will be amazing.
Donuts, coffee and stout, all at the same time at Benchmark!
Victory at Sea day at Hamiltion’s is another packed but awesome event!
There’s a breakdown of what I find interesting this year. I will not make all these events, I probably won’t even make all the events I say I’m going to. Beer week has a way of evolving and changing courses once it gets started. Don’t lock yourself up too much, give your self some wiggle in your schedule in case something crazy comes up. Here’s some links to some posted schedules of amazing places I fully support, and if you’re an establishment that has posted a schedule email me the link!