Ashley's, 338 S. State, is celebrating Michigan Beer Month. Are you? David Bardallis | Contributor

Summer’s almost half over, and if you’re like me, you’re wondering where the time has gone. Stores are already marking down and moving out inventory for the warm months and setting up back-to-school and fall displays. If it weren’t for the fact football season’s also starting soon, it would be enough to depress your sun-loving correspondent.

Luckily, we still have many more weeks of warmth ahead of us as well as many more great local beer events to help you beat the heat. Some humble suggestions follow, in your Week in Beer.

Friday It’s a special Michigan Beer Tasting night from 5-7 p.m. at Whole Foods Cranbrook, 990 W. Eisenhower Pkwy., with rare beers from Arbor Brewing Co. in the spotlight. On tap will be Aged Sour Velvet Hammer Anniversary Ale, Bourbon Barrel Aged Espresso Love with Chipotle and Vanilla, and Hell Comes to Hoptown Brown Ale. The rest of Arbor’s current beer lineup will also be available in bottles. Don’t miss this chance to try some great rare and local beers at $3 a glass, even!

Tuesday Like oysters? Like beer? Wanna help Louisiana fishermen whose livelihoods have taken a hit from the Gulf oil spill? Jolly Pumpkin has the event for you: Three JP and North Peak ales — Archangel Summer Wheat, Weizen Bam, Oro de Calabaza — paired with three kinds of fresh oysters. Live music, live shuckin', and an auction round out the event, with proceeds benefiting Friends of the Fishermen. 6-8 p.m. at the Jolly Pumpkin CafÃ© & Brewery, 311 S. Main. $15 for three pairings. See the official Facebook page for more details and to RSVP.

Wednesday At 6 p.m. at the Corner Brewery, 720 Norris St., Ypsilanti, the monthly Rat Rad Release (aka special small-batch brew) takes place. This time around, it's Perpetual Tootsie Porter, a robust porter that received a dosage of Tootsie Rolls every couple minutes throughout the boil. The result: a 5.5 percent ABV candied concoction that sounds like it could make for a nice dessert.

If you're around Old Town Tavern, 122 W. Liberty St., at 6:30 p.m., you may want to drop in and say hi to Laura Bell, marketing director of Bell's Brewery, who will be visiting for a pint or two. (If you miss her here, at 9 p.m. she'll be at Ashley's, which is busting out a couple special Bell's beers in addition to the seven already on tap for Michigan Beer Month.)

Beginning at 9 p.m. at Bar Louie, 401 E. Liberty St., Arcadia Ales is in the house for a promo event, and their Hopmouth Double IPA, Whitsun Wheat Ale, and Sky High Rye Ale will all be on tap, as well as a special cask of secret deliciousness. All told, Bar Louie is featuring 20 taps of Michigan beer as part of the Second Annual Michigan Beer Cup challenge between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, a friendly competition organized by Ann Arbor-based Rave Associates. Don’t forget Wednesdays all drafts are $3, so you have no excuse not to come out and do your part for the cause.

Notes on the Napkin

Tickets are on sale now for Let’s Go Brew: The Battle of Ann Arbor’s Finest Beers , a fundraiser organized by the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology’s Pat Maloy Scholarship Committee and the M Club of Detroit. The event takes place at 8 p.m. Aug. 14 at Jolly Pumpkin CafÃ© & Brewery. A $50 ticket (a portion of which is tax deductible) includes the following awesomeness: a cook-off and beer pairing prepared by chefs from the Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery, Grizzly Peak Brewing Co., and Jolly Pumpkin; a silent auction of sports memorabilia; and a special tasting of yummy Jolly Pumpkin brews. Attendees will have the chance to vote for their favorite beer and food pairing, and the winning restaurant will be awarded the Maize & Brew Cup. Space is limited; call 734-647-2689 to order your tickets.

, a fundraiser organized by the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology’s Pat Maloy Scholarship Committee and the M Club of Detroit. The event takes place at 8 p.m. Aug. 14 at Jolly Pumpkin CafÃ© & Brewery. A $50 ticket (a portion of which is tax deductible) includes the following awesomeness: a cook-off and beer pairing prepared by chefs from the Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery, Grizzly Peak Brewing Co., and Jolly Pumpkin; a silent auction of sports memorabilia; and a special tasting of yummy Jolly Pumpkin brews. Attendees will have the chance to vote for their favorite beer and food pairing, and the winning restaurant will be awarded the Maize & Brew Cup. Space is limited; call 734-647-2689 to order your tickets. Don’t forget to pick up your Michigan Summer Beer Festival tickets at your favorite local brewpub — as it does every year, the event is sure to sell out and time is running short!

tickets at your favorite local brewpub — as it does every year, the event is sure to sell out and time is running short! And speaking of, the list of beers and breweries at the festival is finally available on The Mash, the Michigan Brewers Guild blog. As always, it looks like an awesome lineup.

David Bardallis is a freelance writer and editor, blogger, bon vivant, and man about town. Visit his website, DavidBardallis.com, to engage his services or read his latest. Email your beer-related thoughts to annarborbeer@gmail.com, follow @dbardallis on Twitter, or join the "All the Brews Fit to Pint" Facebook page.