What is SF Beer Week?

Beer 'weeks' are ten days -- spanning two weekends -- when members of a craft beer community come together and share craft-centric experiences. They host events, offer special releases and menu pairings, collaborate with neighbors and fellow brewers, curate and serve up seasonal offerings, run fun promotions, promote local artists, bands, designers, food vendors and more, hold contests, competitions, even family-friendly activities and fitness events, like morning yoga, runs and bike loops that explore local beer scenes.

If you're a lover of such experiences, of exploring, sampling and socializing, there's probably something happening during SF Beer Week for you! Many events don't require purchase of alcohol to join the fun, and tastes catered to include:

every iteration of craft beer imaginable - be it lager or ale, hoppy, malty, sour, barrel-aged, gluten-free, pastry, fruity, spicy, blended, wine/beer hybrids, cryo and infused, and much more

food & pairings - multi-course dinners, cheese, chocolate, dessert and all types of pairings, brunches, and more to challenge the palette

entertainment - music, comedy, movies, games, sporting events, arcade

creative & well-being - the arts, humanities, fitness like yoga, runs, rides & outdoors activities

community & diversity - family friendly, educational, causes, social justice, neighborhood activities and giving back

What exactly is happening and when?

SF Beer Week activities and offerings are submitted and posted in advance by participating breweries, craft beer bars, restaurants, bottle shops, retailers and others, making it easy to plan for fun in February.

Listings include various offerings and activities (special beer releases, festivals, tapping parties, educational sessions, discussion panels, meet the brewer events, food & menu pairings, gift & tasting boxes including for Valentine's Day, and more). Listings may be promoting something that is happening live and in person, or online and on-demand; for on premise enjoyment or for take-away.

February 9-18 are the key dates.

Sign up for our mailing list at the bottom of the home page to be notified once listings are posted and for ongoing news.

Have a craft beer-related activity, promotion or offering you'd like posted? Start by reviewing the SF Beer Week Listing Guidelines.

How can I make the most of SF Beer Week?

Planning is important. SF Beer Week offers a few tools to make that easier, including the ability for you to favorite events, and create and share your itinerary (account req'd), to filter and sort by various criteria (activity type, day/time, geography, participants, etc.), and to look up what's happening at a favorite venue.

What beers should I expect?

Expect diverse offerings -- rare, barrel-aged, experimental, new releases, seasonals and more. Listings usually provide details about who is participating, special beers being highlighted, and if beers are collaborations (A LOT of collabs get released just for SF Beer Week). Since events are constantly being added, and updated, check back often. Your best bet is to create an account and favorite the things you want to keep track of. Also, look for world-famous Pliny the Younger on tap at select SF Beer Week events throughout the Bay Area, as Russian River celebrates its 20th year of brewing this special beer.

What does it cost?

There is no single event or ticket for SF Beer Week -- although the SF Beer Week Opening Gala is certainly the place to start, where you'll find hundreds of SFBW releases and Bay Area breweries under one roof, kicking things off for an EPIC evening.

Each listing within SF Beer Week is distinct, and any fees required to attend an event or purchase an offering is determined by the party who submitted the listing. Many activities are 'pay as you go,' meaning free to attend, but you pay for any beer and/or food you consume. Other activities may require an admission fee, advanced reservation, or a ticket purchase. Still other events may offer free food samples or discounts.

Where do I get tickets for events?

If a venue or event host requires advance ticket purchase or reservations to participate in an event, instructions and/or a link to purchase should be included within the listing.

What if I have questions about an event?

Every listing will include a link to the party responsible for the listing (e.g. a venue contact or a host who organized/produced the event); it is that party you should contact with questions.

Are children or dogs allowed at SF Beer Week events?

Policies of the individual venues apply. Please contact the venue directly for specific questions, requests or needs (use the venue links on the listing pages).

What are my transportation options for getting around?

We strongly encourage you and those with you drink responsibly, use ride-sharing services, carpool with a designated driver, or take public transportation.

Check out SF Travel's Guide to Public Transportation, which includes info, links and transportation costs for many Bay Area and City services (BART, MUNI, Amtrak, etc.). Tips: For MUNI times and buses, go to 511.org or you can call 511. For BART -- the Bay Area Transit System -- follow this link for the official site, then visit Beer by BART, a fantastic resource for mapping out your craft beer stops.

We had a [great, bad, so-so, zany] time at an event. Who can we [thank, provide feedback to] regarding my experience?

Events are run by the listing party, so to provide feedback on a specific event, please contact the host, which in most cases is the venue owner. That said, we appreciate hearing from you, and you can send comments and feedback here, and we'll respond directly, and can forward your inquiry to the appropriate parties.

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Who participates in SF Beer Week?

The craft community is a big one and craft beer appeals to a wide range of people. SF Beer Week activities are diverse, and collaboration encouraged across kindred industries that are as creative and as committed to self expression as craft beer itself: the arts, entertainment, food, tech, humanities, and more. That said, if there were a core audience, it would be cadres of active, over 21 individuals (and we do mean "individuals"!) who enjoy sharing passions and focusing on the experiential. If you're an advertiser or prospective sponsor intent on targeting a certain group, contact us to learn about how we can help you connect with the appropriate group.

Can anyone submit a listing?

An event or offering should be submitted by the licensed party responsible for the sale and/or hosting of the activity, typically a bar, restaurant, or other venue, or a brewery when an event is happening in its tasting room. Hosts must be licensed to serve alcohol on their premises, or be a nonprofit that has obtained a temporary license (e.g. special event permit) from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to serve alcohol at its events on rented premises. Likewise, any online offering must be sold by an appropriately licensed party operating within the law.

What businesses typically participate?

Major participants are independent craft breweries, venues of all types (restaurants, craft bars, retailers, etc.), community partners, distributors who often help organize as well as deliver the goods, and similar businesses. Brewers in particular try to make the rounds to meet and greet as many people as they can.

My business has never participated before. How do we get involved?

Hosts interested in participating in SF Beer Week usually come up with activities by collaborating with the breweries whose products they carry directly or via their distributor partners. The Listing Guidelines is your friend here, too, offering ideas and creative spins on events, offerings or other activities you could hold during beer week.

For even greater exposure, consider sponsoring SF Beer Week, the best way to get extra attention for your beer week activities to a vast audience, or even targeted group, of craft beer lovers. Contact us to find out about available sponsor opportunities.

What type of activities may be submitted?

SF Beer Week is a curated experience, so all listings must meet certain criteria, and are subject to approval. See the Listing Guidelines to learn about what can and cannot be submitted. Note: Independent breweries must be central to any SF Beer Week listing, and any submitted activities and their participants must also be in full compliance with the CA Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Again, refer to our guidelines for details.

What are listing options?

A host can list an event (happening on a specific day and time) or a promotion (available any time on two or more days of SFBW, like special flights, menu pairings, etc.). Before selecting a listing type, please review the Listing Guidelines carefully to fully appreciate the differences, including how each presents on the SF Beer Week site. Note, SF Beer Week is a curated experience. All submissions are subject to review and approval, and internal classification.

What is the cut off for submitting a listing?

Event submission extended thru midnight on Thursday, February 8. Submitting listings early provides greater exposure, access to cool marketing materials, and longer lead times to promote. It also means your listings show up when people make their beer week plans -- and many do ahead of time!

I submitted a listing but it's not showing up. Where is it?

It may take up to a week for a listing to be processed. If you've submitted one and don't see it posted beyond that timeframe, and received no communication from us (check spam first), please contact us. In general, SF Beer Week reserves the right to reject any listing, for any reason, although you would be contacted in such an instant.

You edited my listing. What gives?

SF Beer Week is a curated experience, intent on promoting quality activities for a greater user experience (which in turn benefits hosts by maximizing engagement and making listings are more appealing). Everyone benefits when the information presented conforms to a consistent look, feel and tone. It's also essential that events comply with the CA Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Therefore all submissions are subject to review, modification and approval, strictly at our discretion, and may be edited to ensure a concise, informative and pleasant read. For these reasons, only material changes may be made to a listing after it has been approved and published.

How can I raise the profile of my listings?

All listings collectively benefit from massive SF Beer Week promotion, which includes extensive marketing, social media and partner campaigns, targeting local, regional, national and international audiences, plus amplified outreach through hundreds of participants, including 150+ craft breweries. Beyond that exposure, consider sponsoring SF Beer Week, a great way to get even more attention, along with other perks and beyond-VIP treatment, not to mention boasting rights as a leading supporter of the Bay Area's craft beer community. Contact us about opportunities today.

Can I distribute information or products at an SF Beer Week event?

No. Distribution of materials at an SF Beer Week event is restricted to authorized parties, such as the venue, a participating brewery, or the Bay Area Brewers Guild. If you wish to distribute materials or be involved in an event in some more active way, contact us.

Why do I have to list at all?

SF Beer Week (SFBW) is a registered trademark and a service provided by the Bay Area Brewers Guild. Connecting any activity, business or person to SFBW, or promoting either of them as taking part in SF Beer Week, without express permission of the Bay Area Brewers Guild, is a violation of the law, and whether intended or not, an affront to the spirit of SFBW. SFBW represents a marketing collaborative whereby members of a community come together, contribute, co-promote and collectively benefit from each other's participation by raising awareness of the Bay Area's amazing local communities and craft beer scenes. Together, we create significant promotional and economic energy (rising tide lifts all boats). There's a reason SFBW is historically the biggest craft beer sales period of the year for participating businesses.

If you don't register and list here, yet promote yourself, your business or your activity as being part of SF Beer Week, you are riding the coat tails of your neighbors and peers without paying fair share (listings fees help to underwrite the extensive time, effort, materials, website development and other significant costs we incur to make SF Beer Week happen, including providing marketing kits of substantial value to registered hosts). It's wrong, and you risk legal action and being called out by the community for freeloading. Don't do it.

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