The popular SF Beer Week isn’t taking the year off, in principle that is.
The multiple-day festival, born in 2003, has morphed into California Craft Beer Week in 2021. SF Beer Week’s organizer, the Bay Area Brewers Guild, is joining forces with like-minded brewers’ guilds from around the state to produce the virtual event "bringing community and local craft beer scenes to you."
A teaser announcement on the California Craft Beer Week website promises:
- Fun activities to benefit and shore up our communities
- Special releases, virtual events, collaborations and more
- Take-away packages and pairings for celebrating at home
- Specialty craft tasting and gift boxes, shipping across the state
- Battle of the Guilds featuring regional releases, local fundraising and friendly beer-loving competition
Many craft beer fans typically mark SF Beer Week on their calendars well in advance. Throngs turn out for tastings, events and SF Beer Week’s signature Opening Gala, packing hundreds of beer aficionados into Pier 35. There, long lines form for some of the Bay Area’s most popular breweries, most often highlighted by Russian River Brewing Company’s release of Pliny the Younger.
The brewery, one of many thousands across the country impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, recalibrated this year’s release of the popular Triple IPA and opted not to do their popular in-person Pliny events.
Bay Area bars and restaurants have said SF Beer Week tends to be their highest-grossing period of the entire year, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The virtual California Craft Beer Week runs February 12-21.
SF Beer Week is scheduled to return in 2022.
Related
