San Jose Beer Events 2020

Meet the Brewers Beer Festival at Hermitage Brewing Company (2013)

Simply visiting your local beer spot can be an event in and of itself. But sometimes there are extra special events – new beer release parties, tap takeovers, beerwalks, beer festivals, beer weeks, beer dinners, etc. – taking place throughout San Jose and nearby.

These events help to elevate the local beer scene. And I love the fact that we’ve reached the point where it’s very challenging to keep track of all the special beer-related events going on in the South Bay.

That said, many of the San Jose beer events – as well as those nearby – are listed below. Also included are some quick news items.

Please contact me if I’m missing any.

If you’re especially excited about an upcoming event, consider checking in with the venue or event beforehand to confirm that the event is a go.

Keep in mind that local breweries and beer-centric establishments regularly host and feature other ongoing events and specials, not to mention the growing number of stores that sell good beer.

(Archived: SJ Beer Events 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.)

Jan. 2020

  • Fri., 1/10: 2 Year Anniversary Celebration at State of Mind Public House & Pizzeria.
  • Fri., 1/10, 3-10pm: Rally Hat Release at Strike Brewing Company. ‘Back by popular demand, Rally Hat will be releasing at both taprooms Friday, January 10! This west-coast pale ale returns with a copious dry hopping of Mosaic and Zappa for big tropical fruit notes both in aroma and flavor. Taproom only, available on draft and in 4-packs.’
  • Thu., 1/16: Freshie Alert at Hapa’s Brewing Company. ‘Pesky Penguin is our newest kettle sour! We combined raspberry, blackberry, and boysenberry along with a little milk sugar to give it a tart creamy flavor. We think of a Berry Cobbler when we sip on this during the rainy days of January.‘
  • Fri., 1/17, 3-10pm: Major Haze Release at Strike Brewing Company. ‘Major Haze is back in a Major Way! Our beloved, all Mosaic Hazy Pale Ale hits both taprooms on Friday, January 17th. Vienna malt and white wheat lend to a light, sweet base that lets one of our favorite hops – Mosaic – shine bright. Available on draft and in 4-packs ($16). Be sure to stop by either San Jose or Campbell, as this one doesn’t usually last long!’
  • Sat., 1/25, 2-6pm: TAP’T 2 Year Anniversary. ‘TAP’T Beer & Kitchen is celebrating its two year anniversary with $2 craft beers and prizes! And yes, we mean $2 PINTS (16oz pours)! We’ll also have $2 Mimosas for those of you who enjoy bubbles instead! Earn raffle tickets for every purchase: 1 ticket for each beer or 2 tickets for food items (+1 additional ticket for entrees). Exchange your raffle tickets for cool prizes like stickers, key chains, glassware and tin tackers. Some restrictions may apply and once the kegs kick, they’re gone so come earlier rather than later!’
  • Fri., 1/31, 3-10pm: Piccola Pilsner Release at Strike Brewing Company. ‘What happens when some of San Jose’s finest team up? Join us this Friday, January 31st to find out! We teamed up with our good friends from Santa Clara Valley Brewing to craft our newest release, Piccola Pilsner. This Italian style Pilsner is brewed with Eraclea Pilsner malt grown just northeast of Venice on the Adriatic Coast. It’s hopped assertively with Callista, Perle, and whole cone Tettnang to contribute a wonderfully floral and fruity hop profile. Cold lagering mellowed out and balanced the flavors to create a delightfully crisp and refreshing brew! Piccola Pilsner will be available on draft and in 4-packs to go ($12). Yes to growlers!’

Feb. 2020

  • Fri., 2/7 – Sun., 2/16: SF Beer Week 2020. There’ll be many, many special beer events taking place throughout the region.
  • Fri., 2/7, 3-10pm: SF Beer Week Kickoff Party at Strike Brewing Company. ‘Friday, February 7th, join us as we kick beer week off with a bang with a triple release! 1) BBA Big Wall (2019) – The first ever release of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Big Wall. Our award winning imperial stout spent a year in Four Roses bourbon barrels and gained some incredible bourbon, oak, and vanilla character. We’ll also be tapping chocolate, coffee, and vanilla variants throughout the week! Available on draft. 2) Moonshot Hazy DIPA – One of our favorite hazy double IPAs of the year returns as well. Citra and Kohatu are complemented by fruity yeast flavors for incredible pineapple and mango character. Available on draft and 4 packs. 3) Off-Speed IPL – This one-off, taproom only release combines two of our favorite things: lager, and excessive dry hopping. Nelson Sauvin, Motuere, and Citra create delicious flavors reminiscent of berry, grape, and stone fruit. Available on draft and 4 packs. Crepe Em Coming will be at the SJ Taproom providing delicious eats from 5-9. Make sure to come hungry, nothing pairs better with Chicken Katsu than a beer!’
  • Sat., 2/8, 12-11pm: 2nd Anniversary Party at Clandestine Brewing. ‘It’s our second anniversary at our location on South First Street. Like last year, we’ve decided to dedicate the occasion with a variety of strong beers. We’ve got hazy double IPAs, Belgians, Stouts and a whole lot more. For the celebration, we’ll be pairing with Wrenfoods for some amazing treats.’
  • Sat., 2/8, 12-10pm: Barleywine Day at Strike Brewing Company. ‘Join us at both taprooms on Saturday, February 8th, as we pay tribute to the magical liquid known as Barleywine! We will be tapping four variants across two different vintages to dance across your palate: 2018 DH, 2018 Bourbon Barrel DH, 2019 DH, 2019 Vanilla DH. Quantities are extremely limited, growler fills not available. 2019 DH will be available for purchase in 22oz bottles ($10/ea).’
  • Fri., 2/14, 3-10pm: Grapefruit Seltzermetrics Release at Strike Brewing Company. ‘Need a small break from beer? Cutting back on gluten? We got you covered. Friday, February 14th, we unveil our new hard seltzer, Grapefruit Seltzermetrics! This grapefruit zest infused seltzer is sure to refresh and help you make it through those last few crazy days of SF Beer Week. Available on draft at both taprooms, this is a small release that we don’t expect to last long! Sara’s Latin Taste will be at the brewery serving up amazing Argentinian eats from 5-8. Our seltzer is made in a facility that also processes wheat.’
  • Fri., 2/15, 11am-10pm: Sour Saturday, Brunch, and Tacos at Strike Brewing Company. ‘Join us Saturday, February 15th, at the San Jose taproom for one of our favorite days of the year – SOUR SATURDAY! This year we will be opening up at 11am to kick things off with brunch featuring Crepe Em Coming. Enjoy a beermosa crafted by our one and only JuliAnn alongside some special SFBW themed crepes! We will also be tapping THREE special sour releases: 1) Weird Uncle Chuck – Our spontaneous mixed fermentation ale conditioned on Kumquats makes a return. Locally harvested yeast and fresh SJ grown kumquats make this a true home team sipper. 2) Farm Team #7 – Sour Ale conditioned on Passion Fruit and Blueberry. 3) Stone Finger (2016) – Wine Barrel Aged Saison conditioned on cherries. Brewed initially in 2016, conditioned in a wine barrel for a year, and cellared since, this beer is sure to steal the show with it’s complex mix of funk and sour. Enjoy a late brunch with Crepe Em Coming and tacos from El Taco Loco in the evening!’
  • Sat., 2/22, 11am-9pm: Hapa’s 3rd Anniversary. ‘Help us celebrate our third birthday! We’ll have live music, food trucks, and delicious beer! We’ll also be releasing two special brews for the occasion. Cheers!’

Mar. 2020

  • Sun., 3/1, 12pm: Stoutfest 2020 at Stanley’s Sports Bar. ‘… We will be featuring barrel-aged beers from several West Coast breweries, including Bay Area gems, Drake’s and Original Pattern. Hang out and win prizes with an afternoon filled with games like mini-trivia and bingo while we tap multiple rare or exclusive beers.
  • Thu., 3/5, 2-8pm: Taplands 4th Anniversary Celebration. ‘Join us as we celebrate 4 years of connecting amazing people with great craft beer. It’s also the perfect time to celebrate being named 2020 Great American Beer Bar in California by craftbeer.com (based on votes from our customers!).’We’ll have 4 Taplands beers on tap for $4 each! We will also be raffling off some of our new swag so get there early.
  • Sat., 3/14, 12-11pm: NuBo’s 5th Anniversary Party. ‘Sometimes it feels like it’s been five decades. Sometimes like five days. But five years ago (almost), we opened our doors in Pleasure Point with a couple beers on tap. We have lost count of how many 🍻 we have made, much less consumed, and we’re better off for it. We do it for the ❤️ of beer, and for the ❤️ of Santa Cruz, our New Bohemia! Help us celebrate our anniversary weekend, March 14. Our music and food friends are getting ready to put on a show and feast, and we are brewing the beer. Watch here for more details.
  • Sun., 3/29, 1-4pm: 7th Annual BrewFest at Sports Basement Campbell. ‘Join us for tastings from local breweries such as Strike Brewing Co., Hapa’s Brewing Company, Surreal Brewing Company, Sufferfest Beer Company, Sierra Nevada, Dr Hops Kombucha Beer, and more! Each ticket includes a commemorative cup in partnership with Klean Kanteen. The fun doesn’t end with beer! There will be tasty treats and music. Ticket proceeds go to support Girls on the Run of Silicon Valley!’

Apr. 2020

May 2020

June 2020

July 2020

Aug. 2020

Sep. 2020

Oct. 2020

Nov. 2020

Dec. 2020