It’s time to get your drink on. The 16th annual SF Beer Week returns to the bay from February 6th through the 15th featuring different varieties of local and international craft beers from Hefeweizens to Barley Wines. And we’re not talking about the crap you drink at Football games, don’t even mention the words Budweiser or Coors at any of these events, you'll probably get punched in the face. Beer week is all about the craft brews, beers that take extra time and care to create and years to perfect. So put on your drinking boots, tell your boss your coming in late and check out the best events Beer Week has to offer - all happening right here in SF.

Monk’s Kettle SF Beer Week Kickoff Reception
Saturday, February 7th
12:30-2pm
Cost of Entry: Free

Monk’s Kettle has already made a name for itself as one of the go to places for craft brews, which makes it the perfect place to kick off SF Beer Week. Monk’s Kettle has created a special draft list for Beer Week featuring all California Breweries – many of them from the Bay Area. SF Brewer’s Guild President, Rich Higgins, will also be making a presentation. So come down and enjoy some great local brews and happy hour prices.

Incredible Adventures – Bay to Breakers Brew Pub Tour
February 7th-15th
11am-8pm
Cost: $59
Buy Tickets

This is a great opportunity to learn about some of the great award-winning breweries in SF. This all day tour features at least 3 breweries plus a stop at a local alehouse. The tour itinerary changes each day to provide a unique experience for everyone. The alehouse schedule is as follows:

Feb 7 City Beer Store
Feb 9 Toronado Pub
Feb 11 Thirsty Bear Brewing Company OR the Page bar
Feb 12 Rogue Ales Public House OR Magnolia Pub & Brewery
Feb 13 Speakeasy Ales & Lagers
Feb 15 Celebrator @ the Convention Center, Oakland

Chuey Brand’s Beer to Breakers
Sunday, February 8th
10am-5pm
Cost: $10 Donation
(Donation gets you a bracelet featuring drink specials and comp’d food & drink along the way)
RSVP

Not to be confused with our previous event, Chuey's Beer to Breakers requires a little bit of exercise…and a bike. There’s nothing like a sponsored event encouraging drunk people to ride their bikes across SF. Described as a “bike tour celebrating San Francisco Brewing”, the ride begins at 933 Treat Avenue at 10am. The itinerary for the event goes as follows:

10am – 10:45 Registration at 933 Treat Avenue, SF, CA 94110
11am - START ride departs from 933 Treat Ave
Beer to Brakers will make its way from the Mission through Potrero Hill passing by Anchor Brewing. Riders will have an option to take a longer warm up ride that will take them past Speakeasy before making the ride BRAKES downtown.

1st BRAKE 11:30-12:15
Hosted by Gordon Biersch
$2 Beers & Complimentary Snack Plate

2nd BRAKE 12:20- 1:15pm
Hosted by 21st Amendment
21st Amendment will open its Beer Garden featuring Brew Free or Die IPA & Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Can Special.

Ride by Thirsty Bear and riders will have an option of doing a loop past San Francisco Brewing Co.

3rd BRAKE -PICNIC in the PARK 1:45pm -4:00pm
Featuring craft brews from Magnolia & Thirsty Bear & Commemorative Beer 2 Brakers’ homebrews with picnic basket of snacks.

FINISH- 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Hosted by Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant
Park Chalet will be offering Happy Hour specials $3 pints & $5 appetizers in their outdoor garden.

East Coast/West Coast Slam with Dogfish Head and 21st Amendment
Monday, February 9th
6-9pm
Cost: $50 (includes 4 course meal with beer pairings)

A classic battle of East vs. West. Come to 21st Amendment to see Dogfish’s Sam Calagione and 21st Amendment’s Shaun O’Sullivan pair Dogfish Beers with West Coast foods and 21A Beers with East Coast foods in this East vs. West showdown. The price of admission includes a 4 course meal with the beer to go with it. Register early as this event is sure to sell out. Call 21A for reservations at 415-369-0900.

Park Chalet Beer Trivia Night
Monday, February 9th
7-9pm
Cost of Entry: Free

Think you know your shit about beer? Test your beer knowledge at Beach Chalet during Beer Trivia Night. Brewmaster Aron Deorsey has come up with some good questions, so you better bring your A game. Compete for prizes and impress your friends, all while drinking some killer craft brews.

Cask & Quesos Night at Thirsty Bear Brewing Company
Wednesday, February 11th
5-11pm
Cost: $35 (includes cask conditioned ales and international cheeses)
Buy Tickets

Thirsty Bear, a local SF Brewery specializing in organic ales and their great tapas menu, brings you Cask & Quesos Night featuring some of the best cask fermented ales in the Bay Area paired with international cheeses. Many of the casks are brewed by members of the SF Brewers Guild including Beach Chalet, 21st Amendment, Magnolia Pub, Gordon Biersch, SF Brewing Company, Speakeasy, and of course Thirsty Bear. In addition, the brewers will be on hand to discuss the process of ‘Real Ale’, and to answer many of your questions regarding this time-honored tradition.

Got Wood? A Barrel-Aged Beer Night at 21st Amendment featuring Elysian Brewing
Thursday, February 12th
6-9pm
Cost of Entry: Free

21st Amendment hosts ‘Got Wood?’ specializing in wood and barrel aged beers from Elysian Brewing in Seattle. The event features Elysian’s Jackfrost, their Winter Ale that has been aged in Jack Daniel’s barrels and Oakfrost, the same Winter Ale aged in French Oak barrels. 21st Amendment will also feature its barrel aged Lower De Boom Barley Wine and an oak-aged cask of Hop Crisis Triple IPA.

Wood and Barrel aging allows beer to take on some of the characteristics of both the wood and whiskey that has been previously fermented in the barrel. This brings out a slightly sweet, toasty taste and higher alcohol percentage. The results are a great brew with unique taste that will knock you on your ass.

Gordon Biersch Bavarian Breakfast
Friday, February 13th
12 noon
Cost: $30 (includes beer and food)

Head to Gordon Biersch on Friday the 13th (getting wasted should help you superstitious people out there get through the day) for a Bavarian Beer Breakfast. The event is hosted by three Gordon Biersch brewers who will be showcasing four different Hefeweizen beers plus five other German lagers. There will be brewery tours, polka music, sausages, cheeses, pretzels, radishes, mustards & of course, BEER.

Meet the Brewers of the SF Brewers Guild at Speakeasy
Friday, February 13th
4-8pm
Cost of Entry: Free

If you ever wanted to meet the brewers from the finest SF breweries, come to Speakeasy on Friday the 13th. The SF Brewers Guild consists of Beach Chalet, Gordon Biersch, Magnolia Pub, SF Brewing Co, Speakeasy, Thirsty Bear and the 21st Amendment. The event will feature food, beer and music as well as brewery tours at 4pm and 5pm.

Toronado Barley Wine Festival
Saturday, February 14th
11am to Close
Cost of Entry: Free

Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a nice, dark, 10.5% abv Barley Wine. This event is for serious beer drinkers only. Head out to Toronado Pub on Valentine’s Day for this SF Beer Week tradition. The Barley Wine Festival first began in 1994 and is the original SF Beer Week event featuring the best Barley Wines around. The 16th annual Toronado Barleywine Festival begins at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and continues until the beer runs out the following Sunday, February 22nd.

That’s it for us, but only the tip of the iceberg of all the SF Beer Week Events. For a complete list of events in SF, as well as the entire Bay Area, check out sfbeerweek.org.