01:24 PM

10 hoppy highlights of Sacramento Beer Week 2014

Austin Blaze

As seen (and tasted) in the Feb/Mar issue of Sactown currently on newsstands, Sacramento is in the middle of one America's most impassioned beer renaissances. The fifth annual Sacramento Beer Week, which commences tonight with a local Brewers Showcase and concludes March 9 with 100 regional breweries converging on Capitol Mall, celebrates both the city's robust beer heritage and its bright future as a brewing hotbed. Read on for 10 of this year's SBW highlights, featuring a selection of beer tastings, food pairings and other hoppy happenings. Cheers!

Sacramento Brewers Showcase

Tonight: Beer Week kicks into gear at the California Auto Museum with the Sacramento Brewers Showcase. The largest local beer bash in Sacramento history, this event will feature 27 local brewers, 100 local beers (many brewed specifically for the showcase), live music, and classic cars (including current exhibitions “Cars of the Stars” and “Going Green”). $40 ($50 for VIP tickets) 5-7 p.m. California Auto Museum. 2200 Front St. 442-6802. sacramentobeerweek.com

Firestone Walker “Meet the Brewer” Event

Feb. 28: Four-time World Beer Cup champion Firestone Walker Brewing Company serves up a few rare selections from their extensive barrel-aging program. Meet Barrel Master Jeffers Richardson and enjoy barrel brews like Stickee Monkee, Double DBA and Winter Wookie Jack. 2:30-3:30 p.m. Samuel Horne’s Tavern. 719 Sutter St. Folsom. 293-8207. samhornes.com

Sacramento Beer Train (Sunday, March 2, 2:00-5:00)

March 2: Hop aboard the Sacramento River Train for a brew-tiful three-hour journey between West Sacramento and Woodland. Enjoy live music from musical guest Six Shooter Sunrise and beer tasting from Speakeasy, River City, Track 7 and Two Rivers. Standard ticket includes souvenir glass and 8 tasting tickets (VIP packages include 10 tickets). $45 ($65 VIP). Sacramento River Train. 400 North Harbor Blvd. West Sacramento. 1-800-866-1690. sacramentorivertrain.com

Allagash Pairing Dinner

March 3: The acclaimed East Coast brewery teams up with Sacramento chef Michael Tuohy to bring you an unforgettable five-course menu of dinner and drink. The meal pairings will feature Allagash White, Midnight Brew, Interlude, Hugh Malone and James Bean. Limited to 50 guests. $55. 7 p.m. Lowbrau. 1050 20th St. 706-2636. brownpapertickets.com

Mardi Gras at The Shack

March 4: The Big Easy comes to Sactown next week. Celebrate Fat Tuesday in true Bourbon Street fashion with authentic Cajun and creole food, beer from New Orleans’ own Abita brewery, and live jazz from the Crescent Cats. Costumes are encouraged. 5-9 p.m. The Shack. 5201 Folsom Blvd. 457-5997. eastsacshack.com

Cider and Charcuterie

March 5: Beer Week’s Farm-to-Fork favorite pairs local Two Rivers cider (made form local, organic apples) with artisan meat and cheese samples from Sacramento’s The Cultured and the Cured. Stop by for a sip and a snack with Two Rivers’ cider master Vince Sterne. 3-7 p.m. Hock Farm. 1415 L St. 440-8888. paragarys.com

Rare Beer Night

March 6: Enjoy the rarest of the rare at Pangaea. This sit-down dinner strategically pairs rare and seasonal beers with a full, multi-course meal by chef Robb Venditti. Pangaea’s previous rare beer events have featured offerings from the Belgian brewery Cantillon, Cascade Brewing in Oregon and Russian River Brewing’s ultra-rare Pliny the Younger Triple IPA, among others. Call or visit Pangaea to reserve a ticket. $90. 6 p.m. Pangaea Two Brews Café. 2743 Franklin Blvd. 454-4942. pangaeatwobrews.com

IPA Day

March 8: Hop lovers, look no further. Capitol Beer & Tap Room will have a heap of India Pale Ales on tap all day long. Get your fill of IPA, DIPA, TIPA, BIPA, WIPA, and any other IPA variant you could possibly imagine. If it’s hoppy, it’s here. Capitol Beer & Tap Room. 2222 Fair Oaks Blvd. 922-1745. capitolbeer.com

Sour Power

March 8: Pucker up for Boneshaker’s sour beer spectacular. Choose from a selection of 10 sours, including Anderson Valley, Crazy Mountain, Drake’s special releases, New Belgium, RR Temptation, Tahoe Mountain and even Boneshaker’s own house brew. Boneshaker Public House. 2168 Sunset Blvd. #104. Rocklin. 259-2337. boneshakerpub.com

Beer Poetry Night

March 8: Ever written a sonnet for your favorite stout? A lager-centric limerick? Join Sacramento Poetry Center at New Helvetia Brewing Co. for a beer-themed poetry reading where all bards of brew are welcome to share their work. 8-10 p.m. New Helvetia Brewing Company. 1730 Broadway. 469-9889. newhelvetiabrew.com