San Francisco Beer Week, presented by the SF Brewers Guild, kicks off tomorrow, February 10th. Don’t let the word week fool you, SF Beer Week is a 10-day long extravaganza. Stamina is definitely the key to surviving any beer week, especially one as crazy and event-filled as SF Beer Week.
East Bay, South Bay, North Bay — San Francisco isn’t the only one getting the action during beer week. So how does one go about choosing which events to go to and which events to pass on?
Being an employee of a Bay Area brewery and a resident with quite the party-girl reputation, many people have been approaching me for advice. What are the hottest, can’t-miss events? And where will The Wench be? (Duh., I’ll be at the hottest, can’t-miss events!)
There are so many great events this year and, whereas I would love to attend every single event on the list, it is physically impossible for me to do so. Here is, however, the list of places that you can most definitely find me during SF Beer Week.
Friday, February 10th
Opening Celebration
Where: Concourse Exhibition Center, San Francisco
Time: 6-10pm
Admission: $55
Sunday, February 12th
The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party
Where: Revival Bar & Kitchen, downtown Berkeley
Time: 2-4pm
Admission: $30 for 3 beer cocktails & light tea party fare
Eventbrite: http://beermixology.com/eventbrite
Summary: This is your chance to experience beer mixology in a most unique setting. The Unbirthday Beer Cocktail Party will feature three unique concoctions crafted using St. George Spirits and Bison Organic Beers. Don’t be late for this very important date!
Monday, February 13th
Brews & Booze Threesome
Where: Thirsty Bear Brewery, San Francisco
Time: 6-8pm
Admission: $25 for 4 beer cocktails & light snacks
Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2843959359
Summary: A sexy cocktail event for consenting adults. Taste a menage-e-tois of local artisanal companies: Bison Brewing, ThirstyBear, & St. George Spirits. Straight spirits and beer tasting also included in price of admission. Additional cocktails available for purchase a la carte.
Wednesday, February 15th
The Three Ring Circus
Where: Elks Lodge No. 3, San Francisco
Time: 6-10pm
Cost: $120
Tickets: threeringcircus.eventbrite.com
Summary: A Brewer’s Dinner and Sideshow Presented by Sean Z. Paxton featuring Speakeasy, Ninkasi, and Shmaltz
Thursday, February 16th
East Bay Brew Fest
Where: Pyramid Ale House, Berkeley
Time: 5-9pm
Admission: $20
Eventbrite: http://www.eastbaybrewfest.eventbrite.com
Summary: Celebrate San Francisco Beer Week East Bay-style by sipping unlimited samples from the best breweries on the east side of the bridge.
Friday, February 17th
Meet the Brewer with Tyler King of The Bruery
Where: Beer Revolution, Oakland
Time: 5-10pm
An Evening with Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Where: The Trappist, Oakland
Time: 6-10pm
(I will be running up and down the street, back and forth between these two events!!)
Saturday, February 18th
Organic Orgy
Where: Thirsty Bear, San Francisco
Time: 4-7pm
Admission: $35
Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2762311147
Summary: An orgy of California organic beers from all of CA’s certified organic breweries with Bison, Butte Creek, Eel River, MataVeza, Napa Smith, Santa Cruz Mountain, Sierra Nevada (Estate Ale), ThirstyBear, Ukiah, Uncommon Brewers. Tray passed appetizers from local organic farms.
Sunday, February 19th
Celebrator 24th Anniversary Bash
Where: Trumer Brewery, Berkeley
Time: 4-8pm
Admission: $50 in advance, $70 at the door
Tickets: http://celebrator.com/anniversary/2012/
Naturally, this list is not the end all be all, and I will most likely make random appearances at several other events during the week. If you are in town and want to join me in my adventures, do not hesitate to shoot me an email: routson@gmail.com or a tweet at me: @thebeerwench! Cheers!
I am proud of all your hard work. I bet it’s gonna be great. I wish I was there to share in the fun.
I sure do wish I had a bi-coastal existence, I’d be there in a flash. I guess I’ll have to live it all vicariously through you, the Wench! Look forward to your posts.
Who gives a shit? You’re just another dumbass who thinks they know a thing or to about beer. Pleas tell me what qualifies you to be a self proclaimed beer geek worth following? Have you brewed? Probably not. Just because you live in SF and drink PtE does not mean you know anything about beer. As a matter of fact I bet you can’t name 20 breweries outside of CA. Or even know what hopback is. Rookie.
Wow, there are a lot of beer festivals going down in the SF area. I need to move!
Joshua,
It has come to my attention that you wrote a rather distasteful comment on my site. Here is my answer:
Who gives a shit? You’re just another dumbass who thinks they know a thing or to about beer.
Dumbass is a pretty harsh word, don’t you think? And since you feel the need to question my knowledge about beer, I will happily give you a list of names in the beer industry of very knowledgeable people who can attest that I do, in fact, know more about beer than 99.9% of the world. In fact, I passed the written portion of the Certified Cicerone, awaiting a retake on the tasting. I’ve also been a speaker and presenter at major beer events, including the Great American Beer Festival. Not to mention, the Brewer’s Association has and still does commission me to write articles for their website, so I’m pretty sure that I know a thing or two about beer.
Pleas tell me what qualifies you to be a self proclaimed beer geek worth following?
The Internet is a free realm, darling. Anyone is free to do as he or she wishes. Just as I am free to blog, people are free to follow. I don’t tell people to like me or follow me, they do it by choice. So, my advice to you, is to not follow me.
Have you brewed? Probably not.
Oh my, this is when things get a bit nasty. For the record, I do brew, commercially. I work for a craft brewery, and I’ve done everything from mill in, mash out, and I’ve spent more hours cleaning and filling kegs that you will probably ever get to do in your lifetime. I’ve co-designed and brewed my own recipes with 3 breweries — all of which were successful. In fact, one of my beers was so successful it is being packaged this spring. Next time you write comments attacking people, you sure as hell better do your research.
Just because you live in SF and drink PtE does not mean you know anything about beer.
Pliny the Younger is an excellent beer. Hate all you want.
As a matter of fact I bet you can’t name 20 breweries outside of CA. Or even know what hopback is. Rookie.
I grew up in New York, and have lived in Ohio, Florida and Washington states. I’ve traveled to all the major metropolises for beer events and conferences. I’ve been to more breweries than most people will ever visit in a lifetime.
In closing, if you are going to attack someone publicly on their own website, you sure as hell better know what you are talking about. Now who’s the rookie, rookie?
You are going to be busy!! Also…you know more than the average beer nut and a lot brewers too from what I have seen. I admire your hard work and dedication to make it in a very male centrist professional area. Craft beer girls rock and keep up the good work!!
Boom! Josh got destroyed!
He must be crabby because he misses his other snobby trolls at BeerAdvocate
while the site is down.
Direct the haters here: http://justuf.me
In the infamous words of NBA Jam…”BOOM-SHAKALAKA”
Ashley: Thank you for always providing us with researched and double-checked information on trends, news, and flavor profiles in the brewing world. Your attention to detail both in your writing and your facts is a pleasure in this “anyone can write on the web” world we live in. At first glance, you could easily be mistaken for the “dumb blond stereotype”. After a minute of hearing you talk about your favorite subject, brewing, your depth of knowledge is evident. It is a pleasure reading your blog. Please keep up the good work. – Barry Frangipane, Author
Has @Josh seriously never heard of you? Did he just happen to finally stumble across your site and decide to troll it?
Josh – Craft beer doesn’t need people like you. We prefer a positive, collaborative, discussion-filled world full of tasty, tasty beverages to a negative, combative, trolling world full of Haterade.
You attacked one of the more knowledgeable people in the field. I love the sweet smell of humble pie & crow! You accuse them of being a rookie, but have clearly been living under a rock yourself. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO REDEEM YOURSELF! Go read more books on craft beer! Attend festivals! Meet people and get involved! Use this to realize the error of your ways and become a beer GEEK instead of a trolling beer snob.
Apparently Joshua is a little upset about the pace of his potty training. Buck up young man, you’ll get it eventually. In the meantime, ask your Mom to put some extra bleach in the load with your tighty whiteys. That should get those unseemly stains out.
@Josh
For starters, she can spell “Please” correctly, and knows the difference between “to” and “two.”
Josh needs to learn “a thing or to” about proper grammar.
My mind is completely blown that someone would waste their time writing that. If anything, look at the attention that goofball has garnered for your site!
I am disconcerted by the troll, but never discouraged. Keep up the excellent work wench, as we in Beervana miss you whenever you are not in town! I can’t even think about how lucky you are to have your drive and passion for this industry. We are all happy to have you!
Josh, could you come across as any bigger a tool? Survey says no. Why would you say such things? That was way out of line and cruel. It’s hard to imagine anyone being so hateful, especially toward someone who you don’t know. Fuck head!
Ashley,
That was tastefully handled well for a person attacking you.
Well done.
TB
Boom! Little boy got jacked up.
PtE is Pliny the Elder. PtY is Pliny the Younger. DUH Ashley! Dumbass
Somebody just got Wench-Slapped.
Seems this little argument could/should be resolved over a beer.
@Mario. Mother F*er. Obviously I have PtY on the brain
Boom. Headshot. The weirdest part is I can’t figure out what made Joshua so upset in the first place. I’ve have thought you had insulted his mom somewhere in a post, but… nothing…
Hmmm…I wonder if there’s a flavor profile of some craft brew that goes well with crow.
Dear Josh;
You’ve obviously not followed the Wench for very long. She makes me realize how much I have to learn about brewing and I’ve been brewing for 20 years.
Relax mate; she’s the real deal.
DEB
Jeez Ashley, I bet you can’t even name all 5 ingredients in beer.
Great response Ashley. Normally I’m of the opinion “don’t feed the trolls”, because that usually just leads to pissing contests.
But if you can kill ‘em with facts, go for it!
Internet trolls are the worst.
@Josh. Hey pretentious little fucktard, I bet it’s hard getting a tasty adult beverage in your mom’s basement. I find your clearly sexist attitude toward women in the craft beer industry to be a vapid commentary on your lack of education, lack of prowess when it comes to beer (other than some fine Natty Lite), lack of sense and lack of a girlfriend. Now, junior, when you have read the entire Oxford Companion to Beer, please come back and make an enlightened statement about beer, brewing, the industry, and those who are deeply engrained in it. Have a nice fucking day.
Thanks DEB
Lol owned. I like someone who can both outline a coherent argument AND absolutely stomp on someone at the same time. Did anyone find that response both hilarious and..a bit arousing?
So funny. Too bad that dude didn’t have the balls to put a link or any profile. Josh was probably just trying to get your attention because he needed a Valentine’s date and was going to take you to a cool beer bar. Just one theory.
Wow, how unfortunate. People like that always make me worried about things I post on our site. Yeah, I’m no expert, but never claim to be, but I always hope that this community would stay a positive one instead of some sort of ‘geekdom’ contest where inevitably no one is the winner. I have always seen Ms. Wench as an inspiration not just to the craft beer community, but to the FEMALES of the craft beer community. In an area dominated by men, it is amazing to have an incredibly knowledgable voice come from a female.
In the spirit of being positive, I hope that we all take this a chance to work towards continuing to educate the community on etiquette, respecting others opinions, and striving towards the greater good of all that we drink for: awesome beers!
Hey, Josh, go back to your frat hall with all your lite ice drinkin’ buddies and stick to what you do best, bein’ a douchebag. Beer Wench, you keep doin what you do! Kudos!
Wow what a narcissistic little prick he was. Even in Down Under we appreciate Wenchie’s work & enjoy reading her articles. I myself find them very informative & educational.
Foolish Josh. I’d like to think he’s learned his lesson but he probably won’t ever, Pity though because more people are talking about him than SF beer week, which I WISH I could get to! Ah well have to wait until GABF!
Great job Ashley. Effin’ Clown Shoes!
Josh,
You missed your mark by a mile. If you’re going to pull the trigger, make sure you know what you are shooting at.
Since you choose not to list your credentials, here are mine. I am a beer geek/nerd/enthusiast, home brewer, home brew shop employee and most recently commercial brewer. I refuse to claim that I know everything (although I can spell please and know the difference between to and two), I am always learning, and I listen before I speak.
I have had the extreme pleasure to get to know Ashley personally over the last year or so, and in that time, I have learned a lot from her. She is incredibly passionate about the craft beer community and looks for every opportunity to learn more from any one she can. She is an incredible advocate for the craft beer industry and looks for every chance she can to help the community grow.
She gets to know people in the business, and I don’t just mean by association, or at events. She gets to KNOW people. Who they are, what they are about, what makes them tick, and she pushes that knowledge out to the masses so they can get to know them as well. If she gushes about Pliny, you can be damn sure that she has probably had a lengthy conversation with Vinnie Cilurzo about that beer. Or any other beer and brewer she is fond of.
I have never known her to speak disparagingly about others in the community, even if she doesn’t agree with their opinions. She takes the broader view. She is well respected in the craft beer community for her efforts and passion. I have never once heard anyone speak disparagingly of her. Not once. People seek her out for her opinions and view points. That is pretty rare.
She has the skills to pay the bills. She has worked in way more facets of the craft beer industry (which she elucidated on), and even the wine industry, than I can ever hope to touch. Yet she does not flaunt this experience or brag about herself. If there is something she can not speak to intelligently, you can bet she will be on the phone/e-mail/text message with someone who does in short order to learn what she does not know. If in a conversation, she can share something with you that you may not know, she does so willingly and with a passion to share her experience. It’s never condescending or lecturing, she just wants to share.
In the end, she does not need me to defend her. She is quite a capable lady in this regard. Tougher than many men I know. Regardless, I throw this out there, because like a great many people in the craft beer community, I have a great deal of respect and admiration for her as well as for what she does for this community because she truly loves it.
There is a sci-fi/fantasy book by Joel Rosenberg I read many, many years ago. In it, there is a character, Walter Slovotsky, who has a great many proverbs that he slings about. The one that has stuck with me two decades later goes something like this:
“When you know not where of you speak, your mouth is best used for chewing.”
Good advice in your case I think.
Sincerely,
Duke Geren
Wow Duke… thanks
I love you 
Unfortunately in the online world we live in today, Josh is considered a winner because we are all talking about him/her/it. Flamers and Trolls comment on posts just to get a rise out of people when in turn they are the people no one talks to in the first place, and frankly, no one wants to talk to them. He belongs on Beer Advocate forums and nothing too social, like actual verbal discussions or commenting on blogs.
I say to Josh, good on you man, for promoting the stereotype of the 2011-2012 forum troll and bashing a well credited and much respected woman of craft beer.
To Ashely, as a blogger on the east coast I can easily debunk any of “Josh’s” bashings toward you. We all have haters and while you, me and beer bloggers alike are promoting community, some people perceive it as selfishness I guess. We don’t have time to stop for haters. Let them be heard, respond once, and let your dedicated readers do the rest.
Cheers and have fun this week!
Brian
Seacoast Beverage Lab
But do you “even know what a hopback is?” That’s the knockout blow.
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Just stumbled on this….pretty much all I can say is WOW. We have never met but we hang in some of the same places at different times. I have always wanted to meet you and talk with you. This guy has found his 15 minutes of fame, that’s for sure. Your reply and all the following comments were on the mark. Some people are just asses.
Hoping to meet you someday….probably at Beer Rev!
Jade
Jade — I’ll be at Beer Rev tonight! (March 14th)
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