The second annual Houston Beer Week kicks off this year on an auspicious date: 11/11/11. That's when the big craft beer festival will celebrate its sophomore year with a kick-off happy hour at Ziggy's Downtown, from 5 to 7 p.m. The restaurant will be offering $2 appetizers and $1.75 Lone Stars, but it wouldn't be true to the spirit of Houston Beer Week if you didn't enjoy a craft draft instead, for only $3.
The purpose of Houston Beer Week, after all, is to celebrate and promote craft beers in a state that doesn't exactly make it easy for small breweries to survive.
Local craft beers from breweries like 8th Wonder, Karbach, No Label, Saint Arnold and Southern Star will be featured in special dinners and happy hours all week long, while craft beers from around the state and the nation will be fêted at the big Monsters Of Beer Charity Festival on Saturday, November 12.
This year, HBW organizers hope to expand the offerings at the Monsters of Beer festival to accommodate 50 breweries, 100 beers and 3,000 guests. Guadalupe Plaza Park and its beautiful view of the downtown skyline will host the festival, which costs $35 in advance or $45 at the door. Net proceeds will go to benefit the Live It BIG charity.
But that's far from the only big event planned for Houston Beer Week.
The next day, Whole Foods Montrose is hosting the Night After Monsters party for those beer lovers who couldn't get enough of the stuff -- and who are willing to pay extra for a seriously unique experience. Famous brewmaster Mikkel Borg Bjergsø of Mikkeller Brewery in Denmark will be making his first ever appearance in Houston, and he's bringing his beer with him. Tickets are $100 for the Night, but the cost includes an incredible sampling of rare beers that can't be duplicated: After all, some of the beers -- like the Mikkeller BooGoop -- are one-off collaborations that will never be brewed again.
Even more events will be announced throughout the week. Beer dinners and tastings are taking place all over town and at every price level; here are the ones that are already on HBW's calendar:
