Weekly Beer Calendar Update: April 26 - April 30

Five days to close out April and bring on May flowers, Mothers Day, Goat Races, and a whole bunch of other great reasons to drink great beer around the Philadelphia region.

But first...

Check out the entire April 2012 calendar over here. If I'm missing any that you feel should be on here, don't hesitate to let me know.

Brewery Promos and Samplings
@Bell Beverage, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Fri. 4/27 - Friday Night Tasting (4:00pm-6:00pm; $Free tasting samples of Spring beers with Joe Sixpack)

@Brauhaus Schmitz, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Thu. 4/26 - Master Brewer Hans-Peter Drexler Meet & Greet (7:00pm-10:00pm; $PAYG to meet Drexler and have choose from several Schneider Weiss beers on draft and a wooden-barrel of the Nelson Sauvin Weizenbock! Chef Nolen will feature several delicious dishes.)

@Craft Beer Outlet, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Fri. 4/27 - Beer Sampling (5:00pm-7:00pm; $Free tasting samples of Stoudt's beer)

@Goshen Beverage, West Chester, Pa.--- Fri. 4/27 - Beer Sampling (4:00pm-6:00pm; $Free tasting samples of Miller 64)

@Khyber Pass Pub, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Mon. 4/30 - Smuttynose Night (4:00pm-10:00pm; $PAYG for eight drafts from the Smuttynose "Short Batch" series including #13 Noonan Black IPA and #10 Oak-aged Belgian Stout. Cult classics such as Gravitation will also be making an appearance alongside other "Big Beer" ales like the Wheat Wine Ale and Farmhouse Ale for the event. Shoals Pale Ale will be on tap as well.)

@The Farmers' Cabinet, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Fri. 4/27 - Evil Twin Showcase ($PAYG to hang out with the Danish brewer/owner Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø and drink from at least 22 of his beers on tap like Yin, Yang, Soft Xmas, Xmas in a NYC Hotel Room, Freudian Slip, Biscotti Break, Ale 404, Hop Flood, Katz Pis, Monk Suffers, Ron and Beast Ryan, Nurse Pepper, Sodermalm Hipster Ale, Disco Beer Red Cap, Soft Dookie, Weird Grape, Melvin Brew, Femme Fatale, An Uncommon IPA, Imperial Biscotti, Phat Porter, “Soured” Bikini Beer and at least a firkin or two of cask-conditioned beer)

@Weyerbacher Visitor Center, Easton, Pa.--- Fri. 4/27 & Sat. 4/28 - One-off release (Fri. 4:30pm-7:00pm & Sat. 12:00pm-3:00pm; $Free tastings of the latest 40-bbl one-off batch of Victor, an IPA clocking in at 5.8% ABV and 42 IBUs.)


"Takeovers", Debuts, Festivals, and other noteworthy events
@4 Fun Bars of the 19468--- Mon. 4/23-Sun. 4/29 - Suburban Beer Week 19468 ($PAYG and see individual bar websites for all the details: Craft Ale House; French Quarter Bistro; Lucky Lab Tavern; Railroad Street Bar & Grill)

@City Tap House, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Fri. 4/27 - Goose Island Tap Takeover (5:00pm; $PAYG to root for the Phillies over the Cubs, enjoy eight Goose Island Beers on draught including Matilda, 312 Urban Wheat, & Sofie, and win a chance at Cubs vs. Phillies tickets for Sunday, April 29 game at 1 p.m.)

@Cricket Lane, Ardmore, Pa.--- Sat. 4/28 - Cricket Crafts and Brew Fest (2:00pm-8:00pm; $PAYG for ten local craft beers, live music all day, craft area for kids, local craft vendors selling specialty items, and a variety of hand-crafted food choices from local restaurants. This outdoor event will be located on Cricket Avenue in Ardmore, between Cricket Terrace and West Athens Avenue.)

@Manayunk Brewery, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Sat. 4/28 - 14th Annual Brew Fest (1:00pm-5:00pm; $25/$45 for a craft beer tasting event featuring two dozen breweries and over 50 craft beers all outside on the banks of the Schuylkill River. Tickets will be available at the door the day of the event.)

@Pinocchio's, Media, Pa.--- Thu. 4/26 - Dogfish Head Tap Takeover ($PAYG for at least a dozen Dogfish Head beers on tap including the likes of Noble Rot, 120 Minute IPA, World Wide Stout, and Dogfish Head’s version of their collaboration with Victory and Stone— Saison du BUFF.)


Food and Beer events
@Black & Blue, Easton, Pa.--- Sat. 4/28 - Shelton Bros. Beer Pairing Dinner (5:00pm-7:00pm; $65 for a five-course meal paired with Jolly Pumpkin La Roja, Kapuziner Weisse, De Struise Witte, Achel Extra, and DeRanke Guldenberg. We’ll finish with De Struise Black Damnation III on tap.)

@Fireside Tavern, Strasburg, Pa.--- Thu. 4/26 - Tröegs Beer Dinner (6:00pm; $50 for a five-course meal paired with Sunshine Pils, Dreamweaver Wheat, Troegenator Doppelbock, Flying Mouflan, and Nugget Nectar)

@For Pete's Sake Pub, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Thu. 4/26 - Suds & Sliders with Sierra Nevada (6:00pm-9:00pm; $PAYG for Torpedo, Summerfest, Pale Ale, and Ovila Dubbel on tap. Pork, chicken, and beef sliders from the kitchen.)

@State Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, Pa.--- Sat. 4/28 - PA Flavor 2012 – The Ultimate Beer and Food Pairing (1:00pm-5:00pm; $20/$50/$75 to sample from 40 Pennsylvania breweries along with 20 PA Preferred food producers and 20 PA Preferred restaurants and be able to purchase take home items from all food producers.)

@The Farmers' Cabinet, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Thu. 4/26 - Italian Beer & Local Cheese (6:30pm-10:00pm; $PAYG for bottled offerings from Italian brewer Birrificio del Ducato and local cheesemakers Birchrun Hills and Calkins Farms. Beers to include (flights available) L’Ultima Luna, L’Ultima Luna '09, La Luna Rosa, Nouva Mattina, Sally Brown Baracco, Chimera, Via Emilia, and Verdi Imperial Stout on draft)


Homebrewing, Charity, and Education
@Keystone Homebrew, Bethlehem & Montgomeryville, Pa.--- throughout Apr. '12 - Beer Making, Cheese Making, and Wine Making classes (See website for all the class details)

@The Farmers' Cabinet, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Sat. 4/28 - Gypsy School (1:00pm; $40 to get a personal tour from Evil Twin brewer/owner Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø through his portfolio of interesting and diverse beers. The price includes samples of 7 beers and offer you some cheese, meats, etc, to fittingly wash down the beer. This will be structured as a classroom with interactive dialog and plenty of opportunities to ask questions.)

@Yards Brewing Company, Philadelphia, Pa.--- Fri. 4/27 - All About Ales — The Science of Beer (7:00pm-10:00pm; $35 to interact with the Yards brewers as they explain the science of the brewing process and the chemistry behind some of their favorite brews. In the tasting room, explore some great beer and food pairings and find out from taste experts the chemistry that makes them go together. Dr. Marcia Pelchat, Monell Chemical Senses Center, will also be participating.)