Celebrate SF Beer Week Close to Home – Marin IJ Article
Since 2009, SF Beer Week has been raising pints and spirits and celebrating the creativity, craftsmanship and passion of the Bay Area’s independent brewers. This year’s 10-day, two-weekend festival runs from Feb. 21 through March 2 and is packed with rare tastings, bold pairings, live music and plenty of reasons to raise a glass. Marin’s beer enthusiasts can choose from a lineup of events close to home or easily venture north on SMART trains and shuttles for SMART’s Tracks to Taps.
Pond Farm Brewing Co. will participate in both kickoff events as well as host several events at its indoor-outdoor brewery and taproom at 1848 Fourth St. in San Rafael. Pair your brews with Girl Scout cookies on Feb. 22 or compare 15-plus California guest beers from the Bay Area, Los Angeles County, Orange County and San Diego brewers guilds at noon Feb. 23 during the taste-and-pay-as-you-go Battle of the Guilds competition. Find more about Pond Farm at pondfarmbrewing.com.
SF Beer Week is produced by the Bay Area Brewers Guild, a nonprofit trade association representing independent craft breweries across the greater Bay Area. All proceeds support the guild. Find the list of participants and full event schedule at sfbeerweek.org.
Tracks to Taps: Hop on the SMART train and make the most of “FeBREWary” with brewery tours, tap takeovers, beer tastings and limited-edition releases at dozens of Sonoma County breweries just a short walk or shuttle ride from a SMART station.
This month’s brewery events near the San Rafael end of the line can be found at downtownsanrafael.org/fe-brew-ary. Plan your trip north at sonomamarintrain.org/TracksToTaps for SMART schedules, fare details and directions to nearly 40 wineries and breweries between Larkspur and Windsor.