South Bay Beer Happenings for May 2013 and Beyond
Below is a list of craft beer and related events taking place throughout Silicon Valley in the near future and beyond.
Friday, May 3, 2013: At 5 p.m., a cask of El Dorado Single Hop IPA from San Jose’s Hermitage Brewing Company will be tapped at Tied House Brewery and Café in Mountain View as part of their monthly Firkin Fridays. The El Dorado IPA is the latest addition to the Hermitage Brewing Single Hop Series.
Saturday, May 4, 2013, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: As part of the American Homebrewers Association “Big Brew” event celebrating National Homebrew Day, the Silicon Valley Sudzers homebrew club will do a brewing demonstration at the MoreBeer! homebrew supply shop in Los Altos. Club members will brew a clone of Russian River Brewing’s Pliny the Younger Triple IPA.
Saturday, May 4, 2013: O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub in San Jose hosts their monthly beer club event. This month’s featured brewery is Hangar 24.
Monday, May 6, 2013, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Wine Affairs in San Jose hosts their weekly beer tastings with “Cinco de Mayo spicy beers” featuring Ballast Point Thai Chili Wahoo Wheat, scheduled to be tapped at 4 pm. There will also be spicy treats from Rogue, Mikkeller, and Cambridge Brewing. $10 per person or free for beer club members.
Friday, May 10, 2013: San Jose’s Santa Clara Valley Brewing debuts their inaugural beer, Electric Tower IPA, on tap at Rose and Crown English Pub and Restaurant in Palo Alto.
Saturday, May 11, 2013, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Following their second public event held last month, the group behind the San Jose Co-operative Brewpub initiative, up to 179 member-owners at last count, hosts their third ongoing information and membership drive. This time, the SJ Co-op Brewpub group has selected Café Stritch in downtown San Jose for the event location.
Saturday, May 11, 2013: Starting at 1 p.m., Wine Affairs in San Jose hosts an “Undercover Shutdown Party.”
Monday, May 13, 2013 – Sunday, May 19, 2013: This week has been designated American Craft Beer Week, also known as “the mother of all beer weeks.” A number of South Bay brewpubs and bars will offer specials and host events to commemorate this week.
Saturday, May 18, 2013, 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Gordon Biersch celebrates their 25th anniversary with a “Gordon Biersch Big Bands and BBQ 25th Anniversary Bash.” An all-ages event that the whole family can enjoy, admission is $10 and includes a commemorative glass and six tastes of Gordon Biersch brews. There will be live music and plenty of food, root beer floats, and more Gordon Biersch beers to purchase.
[Update received May 3, 2013: The following Brew Benefit event has been indefinitely postponed.] Sunday, May 19, 2013. The South Bay debut of Brew Benefit takes place. Presented by Dishcrawl, this event will feature local breweries and restaurants with proceeds helping a local non-profit. Brew Benefit participants will explore downtown San Jose through beer at six different restaurants and bars, sampling 12 different locally made beers. Stay tuned for more information.
Saturday, June 1, 2013, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.: The next installment of the popular and well-coordinated Beerwalk series takes place in downtown Mountain View. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $30 online.
Sunday, July 28, 2013 – Saturday, August 3, 2013: The First Annual Silicon Valley Beer Week will take place this week and will feature five days of hosted events throughout the valley.
Saturday, August 3, 2013: The Summer KraftBrew Beer Fest serves as the closing event to the inaugural Silicon Valley Beer Week.
Keep in mind that there are other South Bay establishments that host ongoing events and specials, namely Harry’s Hofbrau, Poor House Bistro, Jack’s Bar & Lounge, Original Gravity Public House, SmokeEaters, and Wicked Chicken, as well as the many South Bay breweries and stores that sell good beer.
[This post was shared on Examiner.com.]