Prepping for Beer Week

Last year we were practically paralyzed by Philly Beer Week, the ten-day celebration of all things beer in Philadelphia and its surroundings. This year we’re promising to not let the hundreds of events, thousands of beers and 200+ venues overwhelm us. And here’s our basic game plan, hopefully it help you out too.

Accept it, you can’t even get to a tenth of the events but don’t let that get you down.
You can have a successful Beer Week without leaving your neighborhood. Check out the Philly Beer Week guide that is being produced by Philadelphia Weekly. The guide breaks down participants by neighborhood.

Hit at least one big event
Sure you can stay in your neighborhood but that would wind up looking like all the rest of your weeks. Hit a special event like the Friday night Opening Tap, the first Saturday’s International Great Beer Expo at the Navy Yard or the following Saturday’s Zythos America with over 75 Belgian beers.

Do something outdoors
Last year Beer Week didn’t really take advantage of the June weather but that won’t happen this year. The With Love Beer Garden at the Four Seasons will be open each weeknight of Beer Week from 4 to 8 p.m. It’ll be the spot to pick up guide books, merchandise and last-minute details before heading out for the evening. Each night a different local brewer will be featured at the garden. But that’s hardly the only outdoor venue; Varga Bar will host its Pints & Pin-Ups block party, the Food Trust’s Night Market will come with a beer garden and Silk City will host events throughout the week in its fun beer garden.

Eat, drink and be merry at a dinner event
New this year is a series of The Chef, The Brewer and The Farmer Dinners. Marc Vetri, Jose Garces and Terence Ferury headline a roster off great dinners. But those are hardly the only food events, we as always recommend Scott Schroeder’s Founders beer dinner at SPTR.

Try something new
Look for New Product introductions from one of your favorite breweries or something that’s never been poured before. For instance Monk’s Cafe will be pouring a brand new beer from Monastery of Christ in the Dessert, America’s monastic brewery.

Do Something Weird
There’s no shortage of weird and wacky events during Beer Week. It all starts with the Hammer of Glory tour through the city. And then there’s “Beer-lebrity” boxing at Kite & Key, the Gong Show at Standard Tap and mechanical bull riding at Percy Street Barbecue . But the oddest event that has caught our eye, Brews and Bowties presented by the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce held at the exclusive Raquet Club. The June 9th event promises to teach all who attend how to properly tie a bow tie. How proper, how odd.

Utilize technology
Check out PhillyBeerWeek.org frequently for updates and this year, download the mobile phone app for both iPhone and Android.

We’ve also set up a Beer Week Tumblr where we’re posting all the cool flyers people have created for Beer Week.

If technology just isn’t your thing grab the dead-tree Beer Week guide that was in the June 1st Philadelphia Weekly. It’ll keep you informed beyond Beer Week.

Drink lots of water and maybe mix in a run
Drinking plenty of water while you imbibe is always good advice. But if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, why not a beer-themed run. the Dock Street to Dock Street run on the last day of Beer Week will at least sweat out some of the previous week’s over-indulgence. Once you reach Dock Street Brewery, rest assured there will be more beer.

This is just our first glance at Philly Beer Week. We’ll of course be covering the ten-day week exhaustively.