Celebrate beer week with suds, foam and fun

There's San Diego Beer Week in November, San Francisco Beer Week just ended and now it's El Dorado County's turn with Sacramento Beer Week events spilling over and into the foothills for the third year.

Sacramento Beer Week stretches from Friday, Feb. 24 through Sunday, March 4.

Kick things off with a classy beer pairing dinner at Sequoia, pop out to a few mid-week tastings and round out the week with a beer run canned food fundraiser.

Beer weeks have become increasingly popular around the country with countless craft breweries popping up with their continuously evolving variations on beer.

There are currently 23 styles of beer recognized by the Beer Judge Certification Program — a non-profit organization formed in 1985 "to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer." Each of those styles can have several subcategories so that's a lot of different takes on beer.

Educational happening

Sacramento Beer Week aims at encouraging area residents to learn about what's new in brew while also celebrating a drink that humankind has enjoyed for centuries.

The following events are happening in El Dorado County and nearby Folsom. For more information visit sacramentobeerweek.com.

Friday, Feb. 24

• Placerville Brewing Company will introduce their first ever Dark Horse Porter for Beer Week and brewer Steve Meylor will also tap an aged 2006 barleywine that he's quite proud of ... and he should be because it's delicious. There will also be a couple of other special aged barleywines on tap throughout the week and a celebration barbecue next weekend. Placerville Brewing is located at 155 Placerville Drive for more information call 530-295-9166.

• The second annual Brewers' Dinner at Sequoia begins at 6:30 p.m. This unique event pairs beers made right here in El Dorado County with a six course menu created to pair with each brew. Try beer from El Dorado Brewing Company, Gold Hill Brewery, Jack Russell Brewing Company, Old Hangtown Beerworks and Placerville Brewing Company. The menu created by head chef David Bagley will showcase the flavor subtleties of the different brews. Find the Sequoia at 643 Bee St. in Placerville. Call 530-622 5222 for reservations.• The Brick Oven Pub in Placerville is bringing in specialty kegs starting Friday that will be on tap throughout beer week. Stop by and see what's pouring at the restaurant and brew pub located at 2875 Ray Lawyer Drive or give them a call at 530-622-7420.

• Nugget Market of El Dorado Hills, 4500 Post St., will host beer tasting with Bison Brewing from 5 to 6 p.m. and Boston Beer Company from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tasting flights are $3.

• Folsom's Lockdown Brewing Company will have an evening of music and good beer with The Zanardi Trio from 8 to 11 p.m. Lockdown's tasting room is located at 718 Sutter St., Suite 200. For more information call Lockdown at 916-358 9645.

Saturday, Feb. 25

• The Folsom Hop Rodeo is likely to be one of the more popular beer week events. The "rodeo" takes place at Samuel Horne's Tavern whose owners describe the event as a "full day of the stickiest, hoppiest beers we could find. We will be featuring tasting flights all day of the 12 hop monsters we have lined up. A one stop shop for your Lupulin fix. So saddle up and head on over to historic Sutter Street – chaps optional!!!" Samuel Horne's restaurant and tap house is at 719 Sutter St. in Folsom. For more information call 916-293-8207.

• Whole Foods Folsom is also featuring hoppy beers Saturday at its beer garden tap-takeover dubbed "The Hopfest." Whole Foods Folsom is located at 270 Palladio Parkway. For more information call
916-984-8500.

Sunday, Feb. 26

• Sam's Sunday Sipper at Samuel Horne's will explore the emerging art of beer mixology. The tavern's staff will be launching a beer cocktail menu featuring concoctions that merge beer, spirits and some surprise ingredients. Stop by, sample the new menu and talk to the beertenders about honing your own beer mixology skills.

• Beer Lover Sunday at The Cellar Wine Bar in El Dorado Hills features happy hour pricing on all nine draft beers from 2 to 8 p.m., including Delirium Tremens and a selection from Dogfish Head. Find the The Cellar at 3907 Park Drive, Suite 110. Call 916-933-3103 for complete details.

Monday, Feb. 27

• Compare beer styles at the Belgian vs American beer tasting at The Cellar Wine Bar in El Dorado Hills where participants will taste four different styles of Belgian and domestic beers and decide who does it best. Taste a total of eight beers for $15 between 6 and 8 p.m.

• Meet brewer Jamie Mastin of New Belgium Brewing Company at Samuel Horne's Tavern where he will lead attendees in a tasting session to help build tasting and evaluation skills. According to staff at Samuel Horne's, Mastin is one of the best in the business at bringing a wonderful balance of knowledge and entertainment to a beer seminar. The event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. The cost is $25 and includes four New Belgium beers and tasting glass. Space is limited, RSVP at 916-293-8207.

Wednesday, Feb. 29

• Try regional craft beer at BevMo! in Folsom with samples of Sudwerk Brewery beers and a member of their Brew Crew on hand to answer questions. Taste the creations from this Davis brewery between 4 and 7 p.m. BevMo! Folsom is at 2595 Iron Point Road. Call 916-817-2596 for more information.

• Test your beer knowledge with Sam's Beer Trivia at Samuel Horne's Tavern where participants will be quizzed about everything beer. To add to the beer excitement Sam's will have beer from Sierra Nevada all day  including Bigfoot, Ovila Quadruple, Kellerweiss and more. Trivia begins at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 3

• Placerville's own Old Hangtown Beerworks will be at The Brick Oven Pub from 6 to 9 p.m. with award-winning craft beer to taste and a chance to meet brewer Michael Frenn in person. Try the Mineshaft Stout; Lotus Pale Ale; Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Hoppiness Red IPA; The New Zealand Pale and more.

• Beer lovers will be mighty thirsty after the Yes We Can Beer Run for the Hungry hosted by Historic Old Folsom and Anderson Valley Brewing Company. It's not just a fun run, it's a pub crawl too. Participants must bring a canned food donation. The finish line will be at Whole Foods Folsom. Starting at 11 a.m. runners are to meet on Sutter Street between Riley and Wool. At 11:45 a.m. the route will be announced and the run starts at noon with 20-45 minutes between pub stops. Follow @avbc on Twitter for special BeerRunAVBC updates.

• The second annual Funk and Sour Festival will begin at 11 a.m. at Samuel Horne's Tavern with a day of tasting flights featuring sour beers. Sam's will be pouring 16 draught beer selections and a special wooden cask of New Belgium Brewing Company's Love. Breweries secured so far include Russian River, Jolly Pumpkin, Allagash, New Belgium, Anderson Valley, Mad River, The Bruery and Lost Abbey.

• BevMo! in Folsom will be hosting Mendocino Brewing for a special tasting event. Enjoy a variety of Mendocino Brewing beers and chat with a member of the brewery from 4 to 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 4

• Close your Beer Week festivities with Old Hangtown Beerworks at The Wine Smith in downtown Placerville. The brewer will be pouring local favorites and a few trial brewskis between 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sample nano-brew with food pairings. For more information call 530-622-0516.