Hermitage Brewing Company Hosts 6th Annual Meet the Brewers Festival on Feb. 14

The quintessential local beer event takes place this Saturday, Feb. 14, 1-5pm, as San Jose’s Hermitage Brewing Company presents their 6th annual Meet the Brewers beer festival as part of SF Beer Week. Hermitage is located at 1627 S. 7th St.

It’s certainly one of my favorite events of the year, and I’ve made sure to attend every one since 2011. And what timely coincidence that the beer fest takes place on Valentine's Day.

Once again, Moveable Feast will provide food trucks, and SJMADE will host a local artisan showcase.

There will be live music and 25 participating breweries pouring over 50 beers, including San Jose breweries Clandestine, Gordon Biersch, Hermitage, Santa Clara Valley Brewing and Strike.

Carolyn Hopkins-Vasquez – Director of Marketing for Hermitage and Tied House – takes great pride in this local aspect. “From our music acts to food trucks to SJ Made and the breweries, everyone is connected to this area, which makes the event really special. Because of the explosion of the craft beer scene, we also have some new breweries that many guests may not have tried. Lots of the beer poured at this festival are not available on the mass market, which sets us apart from other craft beer festivals.”

For the first time, the event will be held under a large festival tent in their private lot, as well as in parts of the brewery area.

Tickets are $40 if purchased in advance and $45 at the door on Saturday for any remaining tickets. For more information, including to purchase tickets and to see the complete list of breweries, visit the Eventbrite page.

Proceeds will benefit two non-profits: the Can Do MS organization and the Bay Brewers Guild.

Note: I strongly recommend purchasing tickets in advance as recent Meet the Brewers events have sold out. I also think that the picture perfect weather forecast (75 degrees at last check) will add to the popularity of this event.

SF Beer Week is Here! Check it out With the "Japantown Beer Walk"

                                                       JAPANTOWN BEER WALK-

                            LOCATION: SAN JOSE'S JAPANTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD

                                                             FEBRUARY 8TH, 2014

                                                                 TIME: 2PM - 6PM

SF Beer Week is here yet again, starting off its opening Gala on February 7^th 2014, at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco. The San Francisco Brewers Guild and associates sponsor this week-long event as a collaborative effort between local breweries and participating cities throughout the Bay Area. As it states on their website, “Our purpose is to restore and preserve San Francisco’s brewing heritage, and unite those who make local beer with those who love it”; it couldn't be done in a better fashion than its week’s worth of events and activities dedicated to the craft of brewing. The contagious spirit of this eventful week and its rising fame--putting together as many as 500 events--has reached into neighboring cities, and has made its way into San Jose’s Japantown. Participants in association with the festivities have made this ongoing tradition hit its 6^th year in the Bay Area, and for San Jose’s Japantown Beer Walk it marks its 3rd year with beer tasting sweetness at every unique destination.

As it grows in popularity there is an ongoing effort between organizations to bring awareness to this cool tradition located near the heart of Downtown San Jose. I had the pleasure of participating last year for the first time. Joining me was a good friend and we had an inebriating experience walking from establishment to establishment, tasting what seemed like a good amount of quality beer. Which now reminds me; it might be his turn to buy the tickets this time around, and I should recommend dinner a little closer to the event than his house down the street. Not that the Bar-B-Q was bad (the slow cooked ribs were delicious), but I’m definitely looking forward to some sushi, or a teriyaki chicken bowl between destinations. There are a variety of great restaurants, and parlors in the neighborhood in which to dine and snack at, and it’s a good idea to take a little extra cash for any on the spot purchases you might have an itch for.

There are plenty of attractions that bring this beer walk together and if the weather permits, it should be a great one to join in on this weekend. You can take a nice long stroll with your dog to visit the many Art Galleries in the neighborhood, and if your sitter isn’t available to watch the kids; than at least one parent can enjoy the beer while the other shops at one of the many establishments and boutiques that will be open that day catering to the event between 2-6pm. Registration starts at Jack’s Bar at 12pm.

Between the many breweries that participated last year and will be participating this year, I would have to say it will be hard to predict what will grab my attention. Many will be participating and there are vast choices at the local liquor store now; all with different names, different alcohol content, and cool looking labels. So, what I will do this time around is write down on a Jacks Bar napkin my favorite brewery and the reasons why. I will challenge you all to do the same, and if you can, send it out that day on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook with the hashtag #beerlist, to see if we all can maybe agree on a favorite to remember for next time we’re at Bevmo. For the sake of the companies and destinations participating in the Japantown Beer Walk be sure to hashtag their names on your pictures and posts, and don’t forget to include cool hashtags like #japantownbeerwalk #sfbeerweek #SJcheckthisout #thisbeerisawesome….A few hours later… #ilostmyphone #waitimonmyphone #takingacab

But please people, drink responsibly. There is a need for this city’s citizens to take matters into the hands of sober good friends, family members, or at the very least cab drivers willing to drive you and your party around. Also, enjoy the many festivities presented throughout the Bay Area running until February 16^th, 2014. For more information with locations, events, and activities running throughout the Bay Area go to http://www.sfbeerweek.org/schedule/. You can find a list of breweries, locations, and buy your tickets in advance for the Japan Town Beer Walk at www.thebeerwalk.com, or at Jack’s Bar located at 167 E. Taylor St., San Jose CA for $30 ($35 the day of). Check out http://sfbrewersguild.org for a more in depth look at what’s brewing around Northern California, and be sure to remember not to drink and drive.