100 Beer People Spoke. We Listened.
Two weeks ago, we shared a survey through this newsletter and our Guild social media accounts. We were very pleased with the response: about 100 of you took the time to provide feedback, and most of your answers were thoughtful and detailed.
Overall, your feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
• 84% of you rated your experience as good or excellent
• Two-thirds of you discovered new breweries during Beer Week
• 85% of you said Beer Week made you feel more connected to Bay Area beer culture
Those numbers tell us something important: Beer Week isn’t just back—it’s growing again.
In your comments, many of you thanked the organizers and volunteers for their hard work, for keeping the energy and excitement high, and for making Beer Week fun. Just as encouraging, many of you said you’re already looking forward to next year!
Now that the overwhelmingly good news has been covered… we want to devote this issue of the Brew Deck to addressing some of your most common critiques, concerns, and questions. Because nothing gets better by talking about how great it already is.
Event Variety
Many of you shared thoughts about the kinds of Beer Week events you'd like to see.
Unsurprisingly, these preferences were as eclectic as the beer-drinking community itself. Some respondents felt events should focus exclusively on local breweries. Others wanted more participation from breweries outside the region or events featuring imports. Some asked for more educational programming, while others hoped for more casual gatherings with a wider range of food options.
In many ways, this diversity of perspectives reflects the point of Beer Week: a beer-centric celebration broad and multifaceted enough to offer something for everyone.
At its pre-pandemic peak, sfbeerweek.org listed nearly 1,000 individual events. We will need time to build back to that scale, but we are pleased to report that this year’s 329 listings were more numerous than last year, with greater diversity in both programming and geography. We expect to be able to say the same again next year.
It’s also worth noting that the Guild directly produces only one event: SF Beer Week Fest. The rest of the calendar is created by the breweries, bars, restaurants, and retailers who choose to participate.
If you have an idea for an awesome Beer Week event in 2027, consider bringing it to your favorite brewery or pub. If they need convincing, you can tell them that 86,341 people visited sfbeerweek.org this year to look over the listings!
Event Listings & Calendar Timing
Speaking of those listings, the most frequent critique we received was that the calendar was posted too late.
The short answer is: we agree, and we are already working to ensure that initial listings go live earlier in 2027.
A few factors influenced this year’s timing. First, because Super Bowl LX was taking place in the Bay Area, we were advised that securing meaningful press attention before that event would be extremely difficult. As a result, we launched the Beer Week calendar roughly twelve hours after the Super Bowl concluded.
Second, prior to 2020, Beer Week was anchored by several large tentpole events produced by breweries and retailers. Those events often had their dates and relevant details locked in months in advance, which allowed us to publish an early (if still sparse) calendar well ahead of the week itself. Sadly, many of those events no longer take place, and some that still exist now occur outside the Beer Week window. In these cases, we are actively working to bring them back into the fold.
Finally, it’s important to remember that the Bay Area Brewers Guild remains largely a volunteer-driven organization. While the success of Beer Week 2025 allowed us to hire a part-time Executive Director last August, and we always bring in contractors to support the website and social media leading up to Beer Week, most of the work behind the scenes is still done by people volunteering their time or working on it as a second (or third) job.
This reality was a major factor in the Guild’s decision a few years ago to move Beer Week to late February. Asking a volunteer-led organization to produce an event as complex and multifaceted as Beer Week in the short window between the holidays and early February simply wasn’t sustainable.
Encouragingly, two consecutive successful Beer Weeks represent an important step toward the Guild being better resourced in the future.
SF Beer Week Fest
Several responses mentioned missing the large indoor Opening Gala, particularly because it took place at night and could accommodate more breweries. A few of you also asked why one specific brewery or another was not present at SF Beer Week Fest.
The short answer is logistical: space constraints prevent us from even accommodating all of our BABG member breweries.
Our previous gala venues could have hosted hundreds of breweries. At TJPA’s Salesforce Park, the capacity is closer to 45 breweries. Today, we have 75 dues-paying members. Spots at the fest are offered to member breweries on a first-come, first-served basis, and it’s important to note that breweries donate both their beer and their labor to participate. Some understandably choose to invest those resources elsewhere.
We feel this is a small price to pay for all the park offers as a venue. Attendee feedback strongly favored the Salesforce Park location over our past venues. Guests consistently told us they appreciated the atmosphere, comfort, flexibility in food options, the venue's picturesque setting, and the overall experience.
Weather remains a wildcard in February, and we may explore other venues in the future. If we do, they will need to offer the same qualities: welcoming spaces, good acoustics for music, easy access to a wide variety of food, clean restrooms, and comfortable places to gather and connect.
Salesforce Park currently delivers all of that in a gorgeous public setting with some truly extraordinary views.
Inclusion & Representation
We did receive a few responses calling for greater focus on gender inclusivity and on uplifting people of color in the industry, with more events that highlight the diversity of the Bay Area’s Beer People.
We appreciate that feedback, and intend to take it seriously.
We were thrilled to see the teams from Crafted For Action and Draught Season participating at SF Beer Week Fest and at the Black Joy Parade the following day. We will work to ensure organizations like theirs play an even larger role in Beer Week 2027.
In the past, this Guild has been a leader in inclusion within this industry. We produced initiatives such as the Inclusion Beer Project, the This Beer Creates Opportunity collaboration (which helped fund a scholarship at UC Davis), and a series of collaborative beers and activations during Beer Week 2024 led by our DE&I committee.
We are proud of the meaningful work done in this area before, and rebuilding the capacity to do so again is absolutely a priority.
Looking Ahead
At its best, Beer Week feels like a shared civic project, not an internal industry marketing program. When it works well, it is because the Bay Area’s breweries, bars, pubs, and restaurants come together with the broader beer community to coordinate calendars, align messaging, and strengthen the season's overall impact.
Our goal is to grow Beer Week into a cultural fixture that feels exciting, welcoming, and worth marking calendars for. If we had a vision board, it would include genuine regional phenomena like SXSW in Austin or Beaujolais Nouveau.
The feedback you shared helps us keep improving, refining, and building toward that goal.
So thank you again for taking the time to respond, for showing up during Beer Week, and for continuing to support the independent breweries that make the Bay Area one of the world's great beer regions.
We’re already looking forward to raising a glass with you again next February, and we’ve got plenty more in store for you before then. Stay tuned!
🍻 Upcoming Events Featuring Our Member Breweries
🎉 Public Events This Week!
Friday, 3/20—Hit Elite x Match Point Brewing Tennis Clinic at Memorial Park Tennis Courts
(Albany, CA| 6:30-8 PM)
Level up your game with Coach Adi’s Hit Elite intensive Tennis Clinic, followed by a well-earned pint at the Match Point Brewing taproom. 🍻🎾
Tickets & More Info –> Tennis & Beer in Albany!
Saturday, 3/21—Golden Hour Social at Drakes Dealership
(Oakland, CA| 5-9 PM)
Sunset vibes supplied by DJ Malachi, plus caviar and oysters to close out Oakland Restaurant Week!
More Info –> Golden Hour in Oakland!
Saturday, 3/21—Humble Sea Brewing's 9th Anniversary Grand Prix!
(Santa Cruz, Pacifica, Alameda & San Francisco, CA)
Humble Sea is releasing five limited-edition collaboration brews for its 9th Anniversary and hold celebrations at each of their six locations!
More Info –> The Big Celebration In Santa Cruz!
Sunday, 3/22—Record Fair at Other Brother Beer Co.
(Seaside, CA| 3-8 PM)
OB's Annual Record Fair is the place to find (or vend) vinyl treasures
Vendor Sign-Up –> Sell Your Records in Seaside!
📅 Save the Dates
Thursday, 3/26—Immersive Album Release Premiere at Shapeshifters Brewery & Cinema
(Oakland, CA| 7 PM)
Girl Swallows Nightingale (GSN) is the mythic art-pop universe created by Oakland artist Marica Petrey, offering a fully immersive experience — cinematic screening, live music, dance, and theatrical performance.
Get Your Tickets & More Info –> Girl Swallows Nightingale album release experience