Several San Diego coastal breweries and restaurants will be among more than 100 vendors countywide participating in San Diego Beer Week Friday through Sunday, Nov. 6 to 15, in the region’s seventh annual celebration of all things brewed.
The 10-day event consists of more than 500 beer-centric events held at locations around the county plus two bookend events hosted by the San Diego Brewers Guild showcasing its festival (often referred to as Guild Fest), beer week’s official opening two-day event held at downtown’s Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier and The Beer Garden, the week’s closing event held at the Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla.
Visit sdbw.org/guild-festival for all ticket options and pricing. Additional information about all SDBW events can be found at sdbw.org/schedule. For more information about San Diego Beer Week, visit sdbw.org or the Facebook page or follow @sdbeerweek for Twitter updates. For information about the San Diego Brewers Guild organization and upcoming events, visit sandiegobrewersguild.com.
Here is a peek at who’s doing what from Point Loma to La Jolla:
• Sixth annual Mission Bay Brew-cation: Friday, Nov. 6, 6 to 10 p.m., Mission Bay Ballroom, 1710 W. Mission Bay Drive. An evening of culinary delight in honor of the event.
• Adrenalina Skateboard Marathon Official After-Party: Saturday, Nov. 7, 5 p.m. to midnight, Amplified Ale Works, 4150 Mission Blvd., No. 208. The pause that refreshes following the 26.2-mile skateboard race on Fiesta Island.
• The Lost Abbey Beer Lunch: 2 to 4:30 p.m., OB Warehouse, 4839 Newport Ave. in Ocean Beach. Five-course beer lunch for $65 per person.
• Green Flash/Alpine/Ballast Point at SD Taproom: Monday, Nov. 9, 3 to 11:30 p.m., 1269 Garnet Ave. A slew of creations from these brewers will be available ranging from sours to barrel-aged imperial stouts to award-winning IPAs. Brewers/reps will be around from 5 to 9 p.m.
• Red, White & Brews: Wednesday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day, from 7 to 10 p.m., 3105 Ocean Front Walk. Admission is free with a “tap takeover” from Lagunitas and live music from Ryan Hiller.
• Stone/Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey at San Diego Taproom: noon Nov. 14, SD Taproom, 1269 Garnet Ave. These two San Diego juggernaut breweries will be digging deep into their beer cellars to create a draft list not to be missed. Breweries/reps will be present from 3 to 7 p.m.
• San Diego Cheese and Beer Festival: 1 p.m. start, Nov. 14, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, Liberty Station, 2816 Historic Decatur Road. Attendees can select up to 12 cheese and beer pairings. There will be live music, themes and fun games.
• Fall Brewmaster’s Dinner at Rock Bottom La Jolla: Saturday, Nov. 14, 6 to 9 p.m., a four-course beer-paired dinner. Cost is $40.
• Pints & Paddles for a Cause: Sunday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m. start, North Cove/Paradise Point Resort & Spa, 1404 Vacation Road. Splash around and sip good beer for a great cause benefiting a nonprofit that leads wounded veterans to recovery through kayak and paddling programs. The day kicks off with a two-mile race and recreation paddles around Mission Bay’s Vacation Isle, launching from North Cove. At the finish, paddlers receive a special pint glass to use at Barefoot Bar & Grill’s “Pints For A Cause” after-party.
• Classes hosted by Hoppy Yoga will be held Sunday, Nov. 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Culture Brewing Co. Ocean Beach, 4845 Newport Ave. This is an all-levels yoga class followed by a craft beer social. Cost is $20, which includes flight, pint or pour of your choice.
• Beer fans will gather at the Arroyo Terrace of Torrey Pines Lodge, 11480 N. Torrey Pines Road, Sunday, Nov. 15 from noon to 3 p.m. at a beer garden bringing together the best of 24 San Diego breweries and 12 local chefs to celebrate the craft beer movement with a food-pairing event. According to a recent study by the Brewers Association, the economic impact of the craft brewing enterprise continues to grow substantially – in 2014, the craft brewing industry contributed $55.7 billion to the U.S. economy and more than 424,000 jobs. California tops the list of states that contributed to that number, with a total of $6.9 billion, and 50,279 full-time jobs sustained. Craft beer tourism has been an important component of that growth as millions of visitors explore the region to experience San Diego’s dynamic craft brewing industry, which last year attracted thousands of out-of-town guests and accounted for 6,900 room nights booked.
This is the only week of the year when the city’s many breweries come together to offer festivals, tastings, dinners, pairings and much more to a devoted audience of craft beer fans, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the best of San Diego’s brewing culture at the same time.
“It’s been an incredible year for San Diego breweries, bringing home an impressive 19 medals from the Great American Beer Festival, and this year’s (celebration) is primed to be the most well attended yet,” said Kevin Hopkins, president of the San Diego Brewers Guild. “The destination event provides us with a powerful platform to share what’s new in San Diego beer with visitors from both near and far.”
Last year’s Guild Fest events sold out for the first time in the history of the event, with more than 3,000 beer aficionados in attendance. This kick-off event features unlimited craft beer samples, food for purchase from popular local food trucks and restaurants and music from local bands.