Now is the time for a semi-local brew road trip. Pick a couple of friends, find a designated driver, promise him or her a growler of choice – beer to go, fresh from the brewery tap – for the end of the trip, and visit one, two or all of the mouthwatering breweries just west of Sacramento. Road trip! Starting from home, you might want to first hit up your favorite growler stop, though this all depends on where you plan to spend the night. Don't let it get warm! Track 7, Hoppy and Berryessa all have growlers. Toss a cooler stocked with ice in your trunk for growlers and 22-ouncers that you pick up along the way. Did you remember to find a designated driver? Be sure to do so – and not just

The third annual Sacramento Beer Week (SBW) is nearing, and the week will start off with a bigger bang than ever. Friday marks the official start of SBW and already Saturday, beer enthusiasts from all around will gather for the Sacramento Brewers Showcase and the Capital Beerfest at Cal Expo. The Brewer’s Showcase, previously held at the Crocker, will be held at the Cal Expo Pavilion this year and will begin at noon on Saturday, Feb. 25. Tickets are $20, or $55 when paired with the Capital Beerfest. The Beerfest, also located at Cal Expo, will begin at 3 p.m. and will feature over 80 breweries. Tickets can be purchased online or at various businesses in Sacramento, at Samuel Horne’s in Fo

Following the hot summer months of pilsners, pale ales, IPAs and golden ales, beer lovers are now preparing their palates for the tastes of fall and winter ales. This weekend, local beer enthusiasts will come together for a late summer afternoon of drinking great beer, fundraising for charity and enjoying Sacramento’s picturesque river views. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 17, Discovery Park will host the 17th Annual California Brewers Festival. The Saturday afternoon event is the perfect way to prepare for Oktoberfest and the beautiful canopy of trees at Discovery Park will surely be the perfect setting. The day’s activities, besides beer tasting, will include food venders, l

Sacramento Beer Week culminated with The Capital Beerfest, held at Cal Expo on Saturday. Upon entering the exposition hall, there were professional brewers, organizations of home brewers and several distributing companies present, with volunteers buzzing around with a camaraderie that can only develop while working a beer festival. Beer drinkers and enthusiasts of all ages were there enjoying the event to the fullest. The only downfall was the weather. It was so nice outside that everyone was wishing they could be sipping outside rather than inside a hall. The VIP session began at noon and was terrific in the fact that the brewers pulled out all the stops and brought out their best from