The region’s biggest beer celebration is set to kick off in Tampa and St. Pete this weekend. Tampa Bay Beer Week is a 10-day extravaganza of ales (and lagers, and ciders) hosted annually as a way to celebrate the incredible beer culture of Tampa Bay. The non-profit event is marking its 10th anniversary this year and festivities take place throughout the area, beginning this Friday, March 4th.

In addition to being a great excuse to drink beer, Tampa Bay Beer Week adds a festival feel to dozens of area breweries and beer houses with specialty beer releases, big parties, unique collaborations and great deals for beer drinkers. The purpose of the week-plus of beer drinking is to showcase the people who drive the industry in the area, and to connect locals to an array of craft brews and the people who make the,.

Events include everything from food pairings and brewery debuts to comedy shows and drunken Shakespeare. The highlights are the Florida Brewers Guild Craft Beer Festival in Tampa this Saturday, King State’s Lagerfest at the new Brutalist Beer brewery in St. Pete on the 10th, the 2nd Annual Dortmunder Day at St. Pete’s Grand Central Brewhouse, and Cigar City’s Hunahpu Day in Tampa, its biggest annual celebration marking the release of the highly-anticipated brew.

Festivals, rare brews and food pairings stand out

More noteworthy events in St. Pete include Cider Sunday at Green Bench Brewing, Barrel Aged Beer Day with Cycle Brewing at the St. Pete Shuffleboard Club, a rare beer party at Independent Bar, and the annual Foeder For Thought at Green Bench. Check out the full list of events here.

Want to head over to Tampa? Check out the Hop King Invitational at Tampa Bay Brewing Company, All About Foam at BarrieHaus, Coppertail Brewing’s bottomless brunch, Cigars and Stouts at Independent Bar & Café, a video tour of the New Belgium brewery at the Epicurean Theater, and the Tampa Bay debut of Ology Brewing.

Elsewhere in the Bay, look out for the 1-year Anniversary party at Pye Road Meadworks in Odessa, Sinister Sensation Day at Cueni Brewing, a beer and junk food pairing at Motorworks Brewing and the massive Arkane in the Membrane celebration at Arkane Aleworks.

TBBW connects beer drinkers to brewers

Tampa Bay Beer Week is a collaborative effort run by a volunteer board, designed to showcase the Tampa Bay area as an emerging and vibrant craft beer destination and to advance the local and international craft beer culture.

While the Beer Week is the flagship activity, the organization has also started the “Tampa Bay Ale Trail,” an incentive based beer passport program that features more than 75 local breweries. It’s a fantastic way for imbibers to explore the incredible array of craft breweries in Tampa Bay.

Learn more about the organization and find more details on events and programs at TampaBayBeerWeek.com.

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