A Week To Look Forward To

Every so often I get tired of all the gloom and doom that pervades the media and 'Net. It seems that one can't go more than five minutes without hearing about some looming catastrophe, social injustice, or TEOTWAWKI.

Fortunately, I have a week full of enjoyable events to distract me.

San Antonio Beer Week Kicks Off

From May 10 -18, San Antonians have the opportunity to support and sample local brewers, brewpubs, growler stations, and craft beer friendly stores and bars through a mecca of entertaining, social and local events. So, grab your folding chairs and a pint glass and join in on the fun and entertainment.

San Antonio Beer Week Opening Ceremony

The week begins with the ever-popular Firkin Fun Pub Crawl.

Take Monday off and join the Firkin Fun Pub Crawl bus that starts at Blue Star Brewing Company with coffee and breakfast tacos before a fun-filled day of visits.

That's my kind of pub crawl - one that starts in the morning (with breakfast tacos, no less) and lasts all day.

Other fun events can be found on the San Antonio Beer Week Facebook page, including, but not limited to:

Brewing Art

Paint. Drink. Have Fun. Pinot's Palette provides all the art supplies and the artist instructor to walk you through step by step, so you spend an evening creating memories with your friends and go home with your own masterpiece.

Crawfish Beer Boil

Our crawfish boil is going to be kickass as we will be boiling the crawfish in BEER!

Beer and Bingo

Make sure to study up on your beer knowledge because we'll have beer trivia in between bingo rounds.

'Cue and Brew

4 courses will be served, all featuring Ranger Creek beers as ingredients and as pairings. Each course will be paired with a different beer...

Girls Pint Out

Ladies, put on your cocktail dress and grab your date! This night will be highlighting the wide range of beer cocktails."

Come And Taste It

Meet Texas’ best winemakers and craft brewers...

I'm not overly excited about meeting the brewers - I'd rather spend my time enjoying the fruits of their labors - but I love the creativity displayed in the logo for this event.

For those of you who don't get it, the first battle of the Texas Revolution occurred when Mexican troops tried to confiscate a small cannon used by the town of Gonzales to protect itself against Comanche raids. The Texans response was to arm themselves and resist. Below is the flag under which the Texans fought.

Anyway, back to Beer Week. One of my favorite local brews also combines Texas history and beer. It is named after the Cradle of Texas Liberty.

Yes, it's Alamo Beer. It can trace its heritage back to 1884.

Once upon a time, a long, long, time ago, there was a beer called “Alamo”.   The year was 1884 and the brewery was Lone Star Brewing Company.  The good citizens of San Antonio loved this locally brewed beer made with the best barley malt, saazer hops and Texas rice.  Then in 1918 came prohibition and the supply of “Alamo” dried up along with all the other beers across this nation...

So there you have it. A short course in Texas history, coupled with a week of guzzling responsibly enjoying Texas beer.

So much to do, so little time...