The 15 Best Beer Week Events in San Francisco

The 11th annual SF Beer Week is nearly here, with hundreds of tap takeovers, beer fests, pairing dinners, and other events taking place all over the Bay Area from February 1 to 10. It all starts with the opening Gala, which features more than 125 Northern California breweries — and five special collaboration beers — at Pier 35 on Friday, February 1 from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets ($80) are still available.

From there, sifting through the official events guide can quickly overwhelm, so we’re here to recommend 15 cool events in SF as you plot your beer intake. And don’t miss these beer week events in the East Bay, either.

Saturday, February 2

Doom Bloom Triple IPA Release Party
What: Barebottle’s yearly triple IPA release falls during SF Beer Week — coincidence? of course not — and this year Doom Bloom is a triple IPA featuring prickly pear cactus fruit. Barebottle’s Bernal Heights taproom and brewery is cheerful and large, and given the demographic of the area, it’s family and dog friendly. For the first time this year, you can also buy Doom Bloom in bottles.
Details: 11 a.m. onward, Barebottle Brewing Co. 1525 Cortland Avenue

Sante Aidairius Tap Takeover at City Beer Store
What: Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, Capitola’s legendary old-world-inspired brewer, is rolling through San Francisco, where their friends at City Beer Store will host a tasting. Meet the brewers and taste their wares (without driving down south).
Details: 6 p.m. until close at City Beer Store, 1148 Mission Street

Black Sands Smash Fest 4.0
What: A weeklong special at the Lower Haight’s Black Sands featuring six beers that offer a a fun tasting lesson: All six “Single Malt and Single Hop” ales are made with 100 percent Cascade hops, but all the base malts are different in an experiment that highlights those differences
Details: All week, pay as you go.

Sunday, February 3

Landmark Bike Tour with Fort Point
Details: Take a ride with the Fort Point Brewery team and fans to the many SF landmarks that make up the designs for their cans and inspiration for their beer. It’s a 12-mile guided ride, with the SF Bike Coalition staff in tow. Start at the Dutch Windmill, head to Coit Tower, and stop at historic Fort Point (below the Golden Gate Bridge). Ends at Fort Point’s Ferry Building tap room, where they buy the first round.
Details: Starts at the Dutch Windmill, 1691 JFK Drive, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., $10 ticket, comes with a Fort Point growler and fill, benefits the SF Bike Coalition.

Standard Deviant

Monday, February 4

Mikkeller Spontanseries Bottle Share
What: Mikkeller Bar, SF’s outpost of the cult-favorite brewer, hosts a bottle share in their Tivoli sour room, a chance to taste all of their spontaneously fermented beers at once: That’s Spontanapricot, Spontanlychee, Spontanseebuckthorn, Spontancarrot, and more. A rainbow dress code is “optional but encouraged.”
Details: Flight of 8 for $45 with an advanced ticket (sign up as an individual or group of up to four), 34 Mason Street, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Tuesday, February 5

Russian River ‘Tion Night
What: Russian River may get all the love for Pliny the Younger, their yearly triple IPA release, but their ‘tion series of aged and sour beers (Sanctification, Temptation, etc.) are arguably the more compelling. Toronado serves them and gets a lot of love for doing so, but Pi Bar promises to be a more laid-back scene, and they’ve also got a secret weapon: Pizza.
Details: Pi Bar, 1432 Valencia Street, 3 p.m. until supply runs out

Thursday, February 7

Moonraker Tap Takeover at the Crafty Fox
What: The Crafty Fox, a just slightly under-the-radar beer destination that’s nevertheless one of the best in the city, hosts Moonraker, a super celebrated brewery from Auburn, CA. They’ve got 10 beers on tap plus a selection of cans on sale.
Details: 5 p.m. till close at the Crafty Fox, 1700 Mission Street

Friday, February 8

Drag Queen Bingo at Laughing Monk
What: Laughing Monk Brewery in the Bayview, named for the history of beer-making Belgian monks, invites some nuns into the house: Or, rather, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, San Francisco’s satirical order of sisters in drag. They’ll run charity bingo, raffles, and more, while Pete’s Meats pops up to feed customers.
Details: 7:00 p.m. till 11 p.m., Laughing Monk Brewery, 1439 Egbert Avenue, Unit A

Brut IPA Fest at Magnolia Dogpatch
What: Et Tu brut, a brut IPA fest from Magnolia and friends, is the first (as far as they know) celebration of the new and popular light but hoppy beer style. The creator of the Brut IPA from Social Kitchen and Brewing will be pouring their OG brut, too.
Details: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Magnolia Dogpatch, 2505 3rd Street $30

Speakeasy’s Second Annual Firkin Fest
What: Bayview brewery Speakeasy competes internally to make the best cask beer, breaking off into teams, and you judge your favorite. Live music form Parlor Trick Ragtime Jazz and food from Haley McNicoll’s Food Truck seals the deal.
Details: 1195 Evans Ave, 3 p.m. until close, music from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday, February 9

Local Brewing Co & Tartine Teacake pairings
What: For the second time, SoMa’s Local Brewing Co. is pairing four beers (sours, bourbon barrel-aged, and more) with a flight of Tartine Manufactory teacakes and pastries. It’s like tea time, but with beer instead of tea.
Details: $40 tickets must be purchased in advance, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., 69 Bluxome Street

7 Stills Whiskey Train
What: Seven Stills infamous whiskey train rides again, this time bigger than ever (on both Saturday, February 2 and Saturday, February 9). A banjo band plays while drinkers are driven sipping Seven Stills beer and whiskey to and from the brewer/distiller’s various outposts.
Details: All trains start at Seven Stills’ new 100 Hooper taproom, two three-hour rides available, tickets $85

Queer Night at Toronado:
What: The Lower Haight’s grungiest and best beer bar celebrates diversity and LGBTQ folks in the craft brewing community with Temescal, Humble Sea, Sierra Nevada, Moonlight and The Bruery in the house.
Details: 6 p.m., 547 Hight Street

Sunday, February 10

Bob’s Donuts beer
What: Woods Polk Street Station, one of in a small chain of nano-breweries, is working up something special with their Polk Street neighbors, famed Bob’s Donuts. They’ve made a Belgian quad with Bob’s apple fritters in the beer, and they’ll have mini apple fritters at the taproom so you can try them alongside their beer version. Homer Simpson would be jealous.
Details: 12 p.m. onward, Woods Polk Station, 2255 Polk Street

Kick the kegs at Old Devil Moon
What: Impressive beer and cocktail bar Old Devil Moon will have stockpiled lots of beer over the course of the week, and to do away with it, hosts a night of $5 pours of 20 taps. Sure, it’s a good idea to go to their other events, like a Sour Sh!storm, and a triple IPA throw down, but you’re likely to get some of the dregs of the 70 kegs they tap during beer week
Details: 12 p.m. until close, Old Devil Moon, 3472 mission Street