We’re halfway through OC Beer Week, so today I’ll be talking about what it is, when it is, where it is, and how you can participate!

In short, it’s a week long craft beer celebration throughout Orange County, CA. Many of the local breweries hold special events (including tap takeovers at local restaurants and other venues), releasing special beers, and of course, the OC Brewers Guild sends the week off in style with a giant beer festival to conclude the festivities.

Why not take some time this week to explore some of the 40 breweries in OC, and the amazing beers they have to offer—I mean, do you really need one more reason to go out for a beer?

Similar “craft beer week” events happen all over the country, especially in April and May. If you’re not local to Orange County, then research your area to find out what breweries around you do to celebrate craft beer!

Dates: April 21-28, 2018

Events you can attend:

Third Annual Orange County Brewers Guild (OCBG) Invitational

• Date: Saturday, April 28, 2018
• Time: 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Location: Newport Dunes
  1131 Back Bay Dr.
  Newport Beach, CA 92660
• Tickets:
  • General Admission: $65 if purchased online (link below), $80 at the door
  • VIP Admission: $75 (admittance at 3:00 pm)
  • Designated Driver: $20
• Ticket includes: Unlimited beer tastings from your favorite OC breweries (100+ beers to choose from!), commemorative festival glass, water, live entertainment
• Buy tickets on Eventbrite

First Class Pizza IPA Fest

• Date: Wednesday, April 25, 2018
• Time: 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Location: First Class Pizza Woodbury
  6420 Irvine Blvd.
  Irvine, CA 92620
• Beers on tap:
  • Noble Ale Works: Because You’re Worth It, Big Whig
  • Bottle Logic: An Elegant Beer For A More Civilized Age IPA
  • Unsung: Metaplex, Cygnus Loop
  • Chapman Crafted: Have A Nice Life
  • Beachwood: Citraholic
  • Artifex: So Choice IPA, Orange You Different Hazy IPA
  • Stereo Brewing: Astral Plane Hazy IPA, Childhood’s End DIPA
  • Tustin Brewing Co.: Old Town IPA
  • The Good Beer Company: Monopoly On Truth
  • Offshoot Beer Co.: Taste that Taste NE DIPA, One (1st Anniversary) NE IPA
  • Karl Strauss: All The Single Hazies

Tustin Brewing’s OC Beer Week Beer Dinner

• Date: Thursday, April 26, 2018
• Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Location: Tustin Brewing Co.
  13011 Newport Ave.
  Tustin, CA 92780
• Price: $50 per person
• Includes: Prix fixe menu with beer pairings for each course. Reserve your spot ahead of time, seating for this event is limited.

Special Limited Beer Release at Stereo Brewing

• Date: Friday, April 27, 2018
• Time: 4:00 pm – 10:30 pm
• Location: Stereo Brewing
  950 S Via Rodeo
  Placentia, CA 92870
• Beer Details: To be announced; but trust me, once you find out what they’re putting on tap, you won’t want to miss it!

You can also visit the OC Brewers Guild website, where they’ve posted a calendar with a more complete list of events.

So this week, go out, enjoy a local craft brew, and appreciate all that Orange County has to offer!