If you’re a fan of booze, good deals and fun events, be sure to clear your calendar for next week as Saturday kicks off both Arizona Beer Week and Arizona Cocktail Week.
Arizona Beer Week: Feb. 16-23
The week-long celebration of craft beer features festivals, specials, seminars, pairing dinners, pub crawls, tours, tastings and meet-the-brewer nights, and kicks off Feb. 16 with the 13th Annual Strong Beer Festival at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix. Designed for the true craft beer lover, the Strong Beer Festival promises to expose fans to new boutique breweries and several Valley restaurants are hosting breakfast specials prior to the festival. Those who are up north this Saturday can follow the Flagstaff Ale Trail, which maps a route through six local breweries.
On Feb. 20 at Tempe’s Yucca Tap room, guests can enjoy some cold Ska Brewing selections while taking in a performance of Breezi and The Deviant Dames. The next day, beer lovers are invited to venture over to Flanny’s Bar and Grill for the 2nd Annual Colorado Firkin Festival, where thirsty fans can try seven different cast-conditioned beers from Colorado, the state that plays host to the annual Great American Beer Festival.
Friday, Scottsdale’s Papago Brewing Co. will be tapping their Brewer’s Specialty Pilot Series as they host their annual Industry Shuffleboard Championships. Desert Eagle Brewing in Mesa will hold a Brews and Blues Festival on Feb. 22 from 3 p.m.-midnight, and Four Peaks will celebrate the grand opening of their new brewery with a Blues and BBQ Festival on Feb. 23. Arizona Beer Week finishes Saturday with the Bikes, Brews, Bloodys and Brats Festival at Handlebar and Grill in Tempe. For a complete list of events, visit http://arizonabeerweek.com/.
Arizona Cocktail Week: Feb. 16-22
Celebrated mixologists from around the nation, including Steve Olson, David Wondrich and Dale DeGroff, will partner with Arizona’s own talent to provide educational seminars, interactive tastings, cocktail competitions, pool parties, pig roasts and more during Arizona Cocktail Week. More than 30 events will take place statewide, including the Splash of Spirits Pool Party, Imbibe ‘n Dine, BBQ in the Park, Tour de Cocktail and much more.
In addition, Arizona imbibers can purchase a $15 Arizona Cocktail Wristband to partake in specials at bars, restaurants and lounges across the state. Throughout the entire week, the Arizona Cocktail Wristband provides access to the cocktails, at special prices ($5 or $10 per cocktail). One dollar from each wristband purchase benefits Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). http://arizonacocktailweek.com/.
Starting Saturday: AZ Beer and Cocktail Weeks
