SF Beer Week Has Transformed into a Statewide Event This Year

Beer week is back and going big this year, expanding from what was once SF Beer Week to a statewide California Craft Beer Week, running February 12 to 21. While beer weeks of yore rolled in lots of in-person events, with fresh release parties and fun food pairings, given the pandemic, the parties have largely gone virtual, and the tastings are canned for takeout. Still, there’s good beer and good food to be had, including mixed boxes of hazies and sours, and pairings from dumplings to doughnuts. Here’s the full list of offerings and activities, which can be filtered for the Bay Area. And here are our picks:

The Kickoff Party

There is a big virtual kickoff party this Friday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. Luminaries from local breweries will be toasting and talking about California influences, style innovations, food pairings, and more. It’s free and live on the site.

Woods Beer

The Beer Boxes

Almanac Beer Co. has a variety pack featuring a dozen different brews, from hoppy IPAs to fruity sours ($100). Plus, they have a few fun virtual events, from cheese pairings to beer yoga.

Woods Beer might just win for the cutest can label with their flying Pugasus porter, featuring a puppy with wings. It’s snuggling up in a big variety pack, that includes a rainbow of brews named after SF neighborhoods.

Sadly, Old Devil Moon is already sold out of the “sour sh!tstorm,” but they still have four-packs of the “crispy bois” lagers ($20) and hazy IPAs ($25). Plus, they’re bringing back the collab with Dynamo and pairing beer and doughnuts ($40).

Food Pairings

Fort Point is partnering with Hong Kong Lounge to bring back their beer and dim sum brunch. Siu mai, hargow, and a custard bun that looks like a piglet come with a mixed six pack ($55). Additionally, they’ve got a cool virtual event where the creative director chats through the history of the six SF landmarks that inspired their can labels ($25).

Harmonic Brewing is taking reservations for outdoor dining, and they’ve got a number of food partners on the calendar, including a particularly exciting double header of croissants and sausages. On Saturday, February 20, Neighbor Bakehouse is bringing brunch midday, and Dear Inga is flipping dogs into the evening.

Local Brewing is partnering with Tartine to do a flight of brews paired with tea cakes. It sounds just sudsy and buttery enough to work. Grab a reservation in advance ($40).

Federation Brewing in Jack London Square is feeling the love with beer and chocolate. Local chocolatier Michael Mischer made a handsome box of beer-infused chocolates, and the brewery is kicking in a four pack ($48).

Gilman Brewing in West Berkeley is not only debuting a new hazy IPA, they are also pairing it with lobster rolls from Cousin on February 18.

Drake’s Barrel House in San Leandro is pairing beer and pie with a side of social justice. They’re featuring Uhuru Foods & Pie, an organization that sells pies through farmers’ markets, and helps support an independent African economy.

Bitter Disappointments

Pliny the Younger, the wildly popular limited release from Russian River, may have gone to online sales this year, but it reportedly sold out in less than 5 minutes.

And the Bay Area Brewer’s Guild also put together a big tasting box, which featured some of the best breweries in SF and the East Bay, but that too is already sold out.