Mmmmm beer”¦

Those that know me personally know that I do enjoy the occasional strongly hopped malt beverage. Give me a hop-laden IPA and I’ll be a happy camper. Or perhaps a nice brown ale. An Irish red. An imperial stout. Even a lager. A pils if that’s all that is around ”“ it’s certainly better than nothing.

It’s tough to beat a good beer (or two) consumed with good friends.

And now, we get a week FULL of beery goodness!

Arizona Beer Week ”“ February 19 ”“ 26 (I guess it’s an 8 day week. I’m good with that)

Yes sir! ARIZONA BEER WEEK! The Arizona Craft Brewers Guild is holding the inaugural Arizona Beer Week from February 19 through the 26th.

What the heck is AZ Beer Week?

It’s “Arizona’s Official Statewide Celebration of Craft Beers”! From the site:

Grab your mug and join us for the 1st ever, official Arizona Beer Week, a statewide celebration of craft beer that includes participants from Greater Phoenix, Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott, Tucson, Bisbee and every brew-loving ”˜burb in between. Over 150 independent events are on the horizon, including beer tastings, beer-pairing dinners at restaurants, beer seminars, METRO Light Rail pub crawls, home brewer confabs and whatever else beer lovers across the state decide to do in homage to their favorite sudsy adult beverage.

Well zippity do dah, over 150 independent beer events. It’s beer nirvana.

The 11th Annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival (PDF) kicks off the week on Saturday, February 19th from 1:00 ”“ 5:00pm at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix. The 500 VIP tickets are sold out, but you can still buy general admission tickets online. This event always sells out. Get your tickets now.

What does a ticket get you? A commemorative tasting mug and 15 tasting tickets — each good for one 4-ounce beer. I’ll do the math for you; that’s 60 ounces of premium beer. The problem is going to be deciding which 15 to taste out of the 165+ beers that will be there”¦

Can’t make the Strong Beer Festival? Don’t be (too) sad. Remember, there is a ton of stuff happening during Arizona Beer Week. Check the schedule here!

What happens after Beer Week? Why the one and only Great Arizona Beer Festival on Saturday, March 5 at Tempe Beach Park.

Good grief. Those folks that aren’t from around here are going to think all we do is drink beer”¦

Enjoy Beer Week. But be careful out there folks. Clearly drinking and driving is an awful idea. Drink responsibly. Use a designated driver. Ride the light rail. Be safe. Have fun!