Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer Weeks

beer-weeks

I love the trend of entire weeks devoted to celebrating local beer or at least beer in a specific place. This is a terrific development that should be encouraged, and I say that not just because I’m involved with organizing SF Beer Week. With local beer scenes having their own unique personalities and dynamics, each has the potential of being an organic celebration that takes on as many forms as there are places willing to host one. And that means we’re moving away from the relative similarity of the beer festival to more imaginative, inventive and ultimately personal ways of presenting beer to the converted and unconverted alike. But I think the beer week concept, with its reliance on a diversity of events, has the greatest potential of introducing hordes of new people to craft beer who might otherwise not have attended a beer festival. With literally something for everyone, this seems like a great way to reach new people and introduce them to craft beer. The interest is definitely there, and these beer weeks provide an attractive venue.

As far as I can tell, there are now more “official” beer weeks as there are weeks in the year and at least three more “unofficial” ones. That means there is some overlap among the weeks but that seems fine to me. After all, every day is a good day for a beer.

Beer Weeks

  1. Alaska Beer Week (January 11-20, 2013)
  2. Kalamazoo Beer Week, Michigan (January 14-21, 2012) [ blog ]
  3. South Florida Beer Week (January 19-26, 2012)
  4. Cincinnati Beer Week (February 2-9, 2012)
  5. Omaha Beer Week (February 3-12, 2012)
  6. SF Beer Week (February 7-16, 2014)
  7. Lehigh Valley Beer Week (February 11-17, 2013)
  8. Settimana della Birra Artigianale (Craft Beer Week), Italy (February 13-19, 2012)
  9. Omaha Beer Week (February 15-24, 2013)
  10. Arizona Beer Week (February 16-23, 2013)
  11. Grand Rapids Beer Week (February 20-25, 2012)
  12. New York Craft Beer Week (February 22-March 3, 2013)
  13. Saratoga Beer Week (February 23-25, 2012)
  14. Sacramento Beer Week (February 22-March 3, 2013)
  15. Portsmouth Beer Week (February 25-March 5, 2012)
  16. Charlotte Craft Beer Week (March 16-25, 2012)
  17. Colorado Craft Beer Week (March 18-24, 2013)
  18. New Jersey Craft Beer Week (March 25-April 1, 2012)
  19. Nashville Beer Week (March 26-31, 2012)
  20. JAX Beer Week, Florida (April 2-7, 2012)
  21. CBC Week (unofficial*; April 8-11, 2014; Denver, CO)
  22. Bavarian Beer Week, Germany (April 20-26, 2014)
  23. Milwaukee Beer Week (April 20-27, 2012)
  24. Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week (April 20-28, 2012)
  25. Suburban Beer Week 19468, Eastern Pennsylvania (April 23-29, 2012)
  26. Missoula Craft Beer Week (May 1-5, 2012)
  27. Madison Craft Beer Week (May 2-11, 2014)
  28. Tampa Bay Beer Week (May 3-10, 2012)
  29. Quad Cities Craft Beer Week, Iowa/Illinois (May 4-12, 2013)
  30. Eugene Beer Week (May 7-13, 2012)
  31. Seattle Beer Week (May 10-20, 2012)
  32. Long Island Beer Week (May 11-20, 2012)
  33. Frederick Beer Week, Maryland (May 12-19, 2012)
  34. Sanya Ynez Valley Craft Beer Week, California (May 12-20, 2012)
  35. South Shore, Cape & Islands Beer Week Massachusetts (May 12-19, 20112)
  36. Minnesota Craft Beer Week (May 13-21, 2011**)
  37. San Antonio Beer Week (May 13-20, 2012)
  38. American Craft Beer Week (May 14-20, 2012)
  39. Good Beer Week, Melbourne, Australia (May 16-22, 2012)
  40. Albuquerque Beer Week (May 17-27, 2012)
  41. Chicago Craft Beer Week (May 17-27, 2012)
  42. Vancouver Beer Week (May 18-26, 2012)
  43. Central Oregon Beer Week [f.k.a. Bend Beer Week] (May 21-27, 2012)
  44. Las Vegas Beer Week (May 21-28, 2012)
  45. Nevada Beer Week (May 21-June 2, 2012)
  46. Southeast Alaska Beer Week (May 23-29, 2011**)
  47. Paris Beer Week (May 24-June 1, 2014)
  48. Asheville Beer Week (May 25-June 3, 2012)
  49. Tokyo Craft Beer Week, Japan (May 25-June 3, 2012)
  50. Norwich City of Ale, Norwich, UK (May 26-June 5, 2012)
  51. Capital Beer Week, a.k.a. SAVOR Beer Week DC (May 30-June 3, 2011**)
  52. Boston Beer Week (May 28-June 3, 2012)
  53. Philly Beer Week (June 1-10, 2012)
  54. Alabama Beer Week (June 4-13, 2012)
  55. Portland Beer Week, Oregon (June 5-15, 2014)
  56. PDX Beer Week (June 7-17, 2012)
  57. Medford Beer Week (June 10-16, 2012)
  58. Ontario Beer Week (June 17-23, 2012)
  59. Buffalo Beer Week (June 19-25, 2011**)
  60. Oregon Craft Beer Month (July 1-31)
  61. Indiana Beer Week (July 9-15, 2011**)
  62. Ann Arbor Beer Week (July 13-24, 2010**)
  63. Wilmington Beer Week, Delaware (July 14-21, 2012)
  64. Ohio Brew Week (July 22-30, 2012)
  65. Mississippi Craft Beer Week (July 23-30, 2011**) [ Facebook ]
  66. Portland Beer Week, Oregon (unofficial*; July 23-27, 2014)
  67. Kulmbacher Bierwoche (a.k.a. Kulmbacher Beer Week), Germany (July 28-August 5, 2012)
  68. St. Louis Craft Beer Week (July 28-August 5, 2012)
  69. National Capitol Beer Week, Ottawa and Ontario, Canada (August 10-18, 2012) [ Facebook ]
  70. D.C. Beer Week (2) (August 12-18, 2012
  71. Snohomish County Beer Week (Washington; August 17-23, 2009^)
  72. Dayton Beer Week, Ohio (August 19-23, 2011**)
  73. Stockton Beer Week (August 23-26, 2012
  74. Raleigh Beer Week (August 26-September 1, 2012)
  75. Glasgow Beer Week, Scotland (September 7-14, 2012)
  76. Huntsvile Beer Week (September 9-18, 2011**)
  77. Corvallis Beer Week (September 10-16, 2012)
  78. New Haven Beer Week (September 12-18, 2011**)
  79. Toronto Beer Week (September 14-22, 2012)
  80. L.A. Beer Week (September 20-30, 2012)
  81. Bellingham Beer Week (September 20-29, 2013)
  82. Louisville Beer Week (September 21-29, 2012)
  83. Milano Beer Week (September 22-28, 2014)
  84. North Shore Beer Week Massachusetts (September 27-October 2, 2010**)
  85. Humboldt Beer Week (September 29-October 7, 2012)
  86. Cask Ale Week (October 1-9, 2011**)
  87. Orange County Beer Week (October 2-8, 2011**)
  88. Providence Craft Beer Week (October 2-9, 2011**)
  89. Yakima Beer Week, Washington (October 3-7, 2012)
  90. Denver Beer Week (October 5-13, 2012)
  91. Atlanta Beer Week (October 8-16, 2011**)
  92. Detroit Beer Week (October 11-21, 2012)
  93. GABF Week (unofficial*; October 11-13, 2012)
  94. Cleveland Beer Week (October 14-22, 2011**)
  95. Monument Beer Week, Colorado (October 17-22, 2011**)
  96. Baltimore Beer Week (October 19-28, 2012)
  97. Austin Beer Week (October 20-28, 2012)
  98. Sydney Craft Beer Week, Australia (October 22-29, 2011)
  99. San Diego Beer Week (November 2-11, 2012)
  100. Portland Beer Week, Maine (November 4-11, 2012)
  101. Richmond Beer Week Virginia (November 4-11, 2011**)
  102. Syracuse Beer Week (November 5-12, 2011**)
  103. WA (Western Australia) Beer Week (November 9-17, 2012)
  104. Maine Beer Week (November 10-17, 2011**)
  105. Dallas Beer Week (November 12-18, 2011**)
  106. Houston Beer Week (November 12-18, 2011**)
  107. London Beer Week (November 16-20, 2010**)
  108. Newcastle Beer Week, New South Wales, Australia (November 21-28, 2011**)

And these beer weeks have been announced, but without a firm date:

And one more is rumored to be starting, but I have no information yet, and that’s San Jose Beer Week, which more likely will be known as “Silicon Valley Beer Week.”

If you know of a beer week that’s missing from this list, please drop me a line. Thanks. There are also at least two more lists of beer weeks, one at the Beer Festival Calendar and BeerWeek.com.

There are also other types of beer weeks, more celebratory in nature, like holidays rather than a series of events. Here are the ones I’ve come across. Please drop me a line if you know of any others.

Weekly Beer Holidays

  • 3rd Week of February: Community Pubs Week (UK; sponsored by CAMRA) [now retired]
  • Last Week of February: National Pubs Week (UK; sponsored by CAMRA)
  • 2nd Week of April: National Cask Week (UK)
  • 3rd Week of August: Ranger Beer Week (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
  • 2nd Week of December: Lager Beer Week
  • 2nd Week of December: Organic Beer Week (UK)
Footnotes:

* The three “unofficial” weeks are during other beer events that last nearly a week. The main events spawn side events that rival the primary reason people go to these festivals or conferences. So in that sense, they’ve become beer weeks all their own, even though they’re not organized as such. These are often more for the trade, that is people with some involvement in the beer industry. This also makes them bad weeks for a community beer week to take place, because too many brewers and media would be unable to attend, so I think it’s good to block them out for that reason, as well, at least in terms of planning other beer weeks.

** 2012 or 2013 dates have not yet been announced.

*** Estimated dates.

^ Last known date.

Note: The top graphic was adapted from the New York Craft Beer Week logo. I hope they won’t mind.