8th Annual Meet the Brewers Beer Festival at Hermitage Brewing Company

Photo from last year's Meet the Brewers beer fest
Photo from last year’s Meet the Brewers beer fest

This year’s Meet the Brewers beer fest is just around the corner, taking place Saturday, Feb. 18 from 1pm-5pm at Hermitage Brewing Company (1627 South 7th St.).

Now in its 8th year, the beer fest is well run, attracts the greatest number of local breweries to the South Bay and continues to elevate the status of the local beer scene.

I’ve said it before – I believe the Meet the Brewers is the crown jewel of local beer events.

Over the years, I’ve enjoyed comparing notes with other attendees and keeping track of which breweries, brewers and beers generated the loudest buzz.

The current list of scheduled breweries indicates that this year’s event will be the biggest one yet:

  • Almanac Beer Co.
  • Bison Brewing
  • Brewery Twenty Five
  • Calicraft
  • Camino Brewing
  • Corralitos Brewing
  • Devil’s Canyon
  • Discretion Brewing
  • Eight Bridges
  • Elkhorn Slough Brewing
  • Faultline
  • FireHouse Grill & Brewery
  • Freewheel Brewing
  • GearTooth Alewerks
  • Golden State Brewery
  • Gordon Biersch
  • Half Moon Bay Brewing Company
  • Hermitage Brewing
  • Highwater Brewing
  • Hop Dogma Brewing Company
  • Loma Brewing Company
  • New Bohemia Brewing Company
  • Palo Alto Brewing
  • Peter B’s Brewpub
  • Rabbit’s Foot/ Red Branch
  • Santa Clara Valley Brewing
  • Seabright Brewery
  • South City Ciderworks
  • Steel Bonnet Brewing
  • Strike Brewing
  • Tied House
  • Two Coast Brewing Company
  • Umunhum Brewing
  • Uncommon Brewers
  • WildCide Hard Cider

Tickets are $45 and available at the Meet the Brewer’s Eventbrite page.

There’ll be good eats available for purchase courtesy of El Burrito Loco , Brother’s Baby BBQ, Sarah’s Latin Taste, SweetDragon Baking Company and Mission Hill Creamery.

About a dozen SJ Made vendors will be on hand to sell their handmade crafts.

For additional info. – and to purchase tickets – check out the event page.

On a last note, credit to the successful growth of Meet the Brewers goes to Carolyn Hopkins-Vasquez, former director of marketing for Hermitage Brewing and Tied House. She recently shared that her family is moving out of the area. She has done much for the local beer scene, and her departure is a big loss for the community. I – along with many others – will miss her (and her lovely family) greatly. Cheers, Carolyn!

~Andy