12 must-see, must-sip events at the 2023 SF Beer Week

After all the strangeness of the last three years, February brings the return of San Francisco Beer Week in all its pre-pandemic glory, with the addition of at least one great idea that surfaced last year.

The festival, which runs Feb. 10-19 at venues across the Bay Area, kicks off once again with five regional galas, rather than one giant party. Pandemic-era concerns about crowds prompted the regional approach last year, but the results proved so popular, they’re doing it again.

The East Bay contingent can celebrate the launch of SF Beer Week at 21st Amendment in San Leandro, while North Bay beer lovers congregate at Pond Farm in San Rafael at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 10. The next day, the San Francisco festivities kick off at noon at Barebottle at Salesforce Park; there’s a coastal party planned for 5 p.m. at Other Brother in Seaside and a Silicon Valley celebration at 6 p.m. at Guildhouse in San Jose. Tickets ($65) can be purchased via sfbeerweek.org/kickoffs.

In addition to general gala hoopla, you’ll be able to sample the new collaboration beer, This Beer Creates Opportunity. It’s an 8.5-percent ABV Hazy Double IPA created by members of the Bay Area Brewers Guild’s diversity, equity and inclusion committee, which includes Drake’s Brewing Co., Hella Coastal, HenHouse Brewing, Humble Sea Brewing, Dokkaebier and S27 Alehouse & Brewery. The collaboration beer, which was brewed at Drake’s, is part of an effort to create a more diverse craft beer industry, with proceeds destined for a Guild Scholarship Endowment at UC Davis to create opportunities for the next generation of brewers.

The beer was brewed with London Tropics yeast with Simcoe, Bru-1 and HBC 586 hop varieties. As of now, it’s still in the tank, meaning nobody’s sampled it yet, but the brewers say we can expect a super juicy, double hazy IPA with notes of passion fruit, guava, mango, lychee, citrus and fresh-cut pineapple. It certainly sounds tasty.

Other dates you’ll want to add to your calendar include one of the original beer week marquee events, the 23rd annual Double IPA Festival at The Bistro in Hayward. The hoppy festivities, which will feature unlimited pours of more than 80 DIPAs, plus food trucks and live music, runs from noon to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 11. Tickets ($80 or $100 for VIP access at 11 a.m.) are available online and on site.

Valentine’s Day falls midway through the week, bringing several suitably sweet events, including a Barebottle dessert night with Socola Chocolatier featuring barrel-aged flights and a truffle-inspired Socola Stout (prices vary). Drake’s Dealership is hosting a six-course beer dinner ($140), complete with edible aphrodisiacs. And you’ll have your choice of two Woods locations for a candlelit date night (prices vary) that includes oysters, freshly brewed Raspberry Smooch and sparkling Woods Pet Nats wine.