Beer is a big deal in the Valley. From tastings and tappings to pairing dinners and more, there's a different beer event to attend pretty much every night. Every week, we curate upcoming brew-related goings-on and lay them out for you here. Your calendar will be as full of beer as your belly.
Wednesday, May 23 Firestone Walker Tasting - Taste of Tops 6-8 p.m. Representatives from Firestone Walker Brewing Co. will be on hand to dole out goodies while taps pour Parabola, a barrel-aged imperial stout, and Wookey Jack, a black IPA made with rye. Beers:
- Parabola
- Wookey Jack
Monsterland's Wednesday Beer Pairings - Monsterland 4-9 p.m. Monsterland, the newly opened restaurant in downtown Mesa, kicks off a new weekly special, for which the horror-themed bar and grill will offer a $20, three-course meal paired with three Arizona beers.
Thursday, May 24 Knee Deep Beer Dinner -- Whole Foods Chandler 6:30-8 p.m. Knee Deep Brewing from Sacramento showcases its brews during a three-course beer dinner. The dinner is $25 per person; call 480-821-9447 to RSVP. Courses:
- First course: Spicy cilantro cheese dip infused with Hoptologist DIPA, served with a pretzel crostini
- Second course: Choice of pulled Pork sandwich smothered in Citra BBQ sauce and topped with Citra slaw on an onion roll, or smoked portabella mushroom marinated in Citra sauce, served open-faced on a roll coated in a basil aioli. Side choices: Baked beans, mac and cheese, or cole slaw. Paired with Citra Extra Pale Ale.
- Third course: Handmade Tanilla chocolate ice cream, infused with Tanilla porter
Stouts, Steaks and Pancakes - The Hungry Monk 5 to 8 p.m. The Hungry Monk hosts this fundraiser dinner for the Beers for Brains Foundation featuring three of our favorite things. The food menu hasn't been finalized, but the latest "working" version includes herb-crusted prime rib and cold-smoked rib eye with pancakes and potato cakes, sirloin sliders, blueberry and buttermilk pancakes, and various glazes and syrups made with stout. The food will be served from 5 to 8 p.m., but the beers will be tapped early in the day. Beers:
- Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
- Eel River Raven's Eye
- Great Divide Oak Aged Chocolate Yeti
- Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout
- Marin Brewing San Quentin Breakout Stout
- Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
- Sonoran Inebriator
- Mudshark Morning Buzz
- Firestone Velvet Merlin
- Leinenkugel Big Eddy Russian Imperial
- Odell Bourbon Barrel Stout
- Deschutes Abyss
- North Coast Barrel Aged Old Rasputin
- Nectar Ales Black Xantus
Saturday, May 26 Monastery Beer Fest -- The Monastery 4-9 p.m. During this mini beer fest, the Monastery will have 14 different beers on tap, including some from Mudshark, SanTan and Prescott Brewing. Four-ounce samples will be sold for $1.50 each and $5 for four. There'll also be raffle items, free shwag and live music by the East Side Boys beginning at 8 p.m.
