Ah. Beer. It's one of life's greatest pleasures.
That being said, not all brews are created equal: There is a whole lot of watered-down, mass-produced crap -- it's like the fast-food version of the beer world. It's tasteless, and you'll feel ashamed as soon as you're done.
Craft beer, on the other hand, is pure pleasure. It's distinct, delicious, a celebration of all things good.
American Craft Beer Week starts today, and we have the deets on all the special brew events in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Tuesday
Due South Keg Night
The Boynton Beach brewers are mixing things up for Thursday night; they've created a special beer just for the folks at the Blind Monk. Starting at 4 p.m., the West Palm spot is tapping Summertime Lager and infused it with Coconut, Pineapple, and Cranberry.
Funky Buddha Beer Dinner
What happens when you mix one of South Florida's favorite breweries with one of the area's greatest (or only) Italian gastro pubs? Happy taste-buds, obviously. On Tuesday at 6 p.m. Hullabaloo is hosting Funky Buddha for a beer dinner.
Cigar City Tap Takeover
Riverside Market is going all out with the Cigar City on Tuesday night. Starting at 7 p.m., it'll be featuring a special array of brews for the five year anniversary of the the brewery and the Market. The brews include Puppy's Breath, Humidor American Sour, Homemade Apple Pie, Mixed Berry Berliner Weiss, Humidor IPA, White Oak Jai Alai, Florida Cracker, Tocobago Red, Jai Alai, and Maduro Brown. Also available will be the Secret Stash bottle collection.
Stone Brewery Feature and Cheese Pairing
Cheese goes well with everything. On Tuesday night, it's all about the sweet, sweet combo of great cheese and craft beer. From 7 to 10 p.m., the Keg on Sixth is hosting Stone Brewery for a tasting of beer and the best dairy product on the planet -- aside from ice cream, obviously.
Randall Night with Blue Point
The Brass Tap in Coral Springs is pulling out the randall again. On Tuesday from 7 to 10 p.m., it's serving Blue Point Toasted Lager with whiskey oak chips.
Wednesday
Terrapin Tap Takeover
Tryst is going to the turtles on Wednesday. The Atlantic Ave. gastro pub is hosting a Terrapin Tap Takeover with some of the brewery's best beers. Expect to see Barrel Aged South Monks Revenge, Firkin of RecreationAle with Lime and Coconut, Moonray Chocolate Orange Weizenbock, Pineapple Express, Hopzilla, and Maggie's Peach Farmhouse Saison.
Special Bottle Release
The bottles are coming out at the Brass Tap Pembroke Pines on Wednesday. At 7 p.m., it'll be pulling out the Dogfish Head 120, followed by the Founders KBS at 8 p.m.
Ommegang Night
World of Beer - Clematis is honoring the famed New York brewery on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. And a rare case of Ommegang's Cooperstown Ale will be featured as part of the event.
An Evening with Cigar City Brewmaster Wayne Wambles
All Total Wine classroom stores (Boynton Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Wellington) are sampling Cigar City core and special release brews starting at 7 p.m. Brewmaster Wayne Wambles will broadcast live from the brewery, giving a tour as guests sample the beers.
Thursday
strong>Ommegang Night
World of Beer - Coconut Creek is honoring the famed New York brewery on Thursday night at 7 p.m. And a rare case of Ommegang's Cooperstown Ale will be featured as part of the event.
Funky Buddha Night
World of Beer - Clematis is celebrating the creations of Funky Buddha Thursday night starting at 7 p.m. It's tapping a wide selection of standards and special releases, including More Moro Blood Orange IPA, Pina Colada, No Crusts, Don't Tell Reece, and special randall infusions.
Founders Night
The Michiganders are on display at Laser Wolf on Thursday night. From 7 to 10 p.m., the Fort Lauderdale beer bar is serving KBS on draft as well as Bourbon Barrel Red's Rye, Curmudgeon, and more.
Wynwood Firkin Night
The 954 is meeting the 305 on Thursday night. The Brass Tap Pembroke Pines is bringing the first-ever Wynwood firkin to Broward at 7 p.m.
Beer and Food Pairing
Sometimes you need a bit of grub to soak up the gallons of brew you're pouring down your gullet. On Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Whole Foods Market in Boca Raton is hosting a beer and food pairing. It's a $5 donation to attend.
Due South Brewing Tap Takeover
The Boynton Beach brewery is taking over the taps at Das Biergarten on Thursday night. From 6 to 10 p.m., the garden of beer will be offering 16 selections from Due South.
Friday
Trailer Trash Can Bash
The Original Fat Cats is starting early on Friday. At 4 p.m., it's hosting a trailer trash themed event (yes, wear your redneck best) with a wide array of national brews by the can. Rare drafts, like Funky Buddha Blueberry Cobbler, Founders Curmudgeon, Red and White from Dogfish Head, and Cigar City White Oak Jai Alai, will also be featured for the event. The event includes live music, craft brew swag, and, obviously, boatloads of beer.
Avery Night
On Friday from 7 to 10 p.m., The Brass Tap Pembroke Pines is featuring the beers from Avery. Selections include New World Porter, Maharajah Imperial IPA, Samael's Old Aged Ale, and Avery IPA.
Founders Night
The Grand Rapids brewery is taking over the Vega Lounge on Friday night. From 7 to 10 p.m., a number of Founders brews will be on tap, including KBS.
Ommegang Night
World of Beer - Wellington is honoring the famed New York brewery on Thursday night at 7 p.m. And a rare case of Ommegang's Cooperstown Ale will be featured as part of the event.
Saturday
Brews & BBQ Fest
Starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, the American German Club are hosting a craft beer and chicken and rib cook-off, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Quantum House. Several brewery reps will be onsite while teams compete against each other for judges' approval. The club will be selling food, as well. The cost to attend is $8 for ages 13 and up. Kids are free. Call 561-967-6464.
American Craft Beer Pub Crawl
Taking place from 1 to 5:30 p.m., the Shops of Pembroke Gardens is hosting a crawl. Several locations in the center are offering discounts and complimentary four ounce pours of crafts for $25 in advance, $35 at the door. Guests will receive a pint glass, coozie, and raffle ticket for a chance to win prizes, including a Magic Hat bike.
Terrapin
Tap 42 is hosting the Georgia brewery on Saturday, with a selection of brews starting at 7 p.m.
Night of 1,000 IBUs
Riverside Market is honoring the hoppiest brews in the US on Saturday night. Starting at 7 p.m., it's offering Dogfish Head 120, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, Bourbon County Barley Wine, the Illinois IPA ,and Ogden on draft.
Sunday
Das Biergarten Disc Golf Tournament
Get active while drinking on Sunday. Benefitting the Club of Palm Beach Disc Golf, the tournament includes one round of disc golf, a mulligan, CTP Challenge, Putting Challenge, shirt, disc, lunch and of course, three American Craft Beers. Check-in is at 9 a.m. It takes place at PGA National Disc Golf Course (North Lake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens). The cost to attend is $35 for non-members, $30 for members.
Visit palmbeachdiscgolf.com.
Om Brew Yoga
Achieve inner peace before drinking beer this Sunday at Funky Buddha Brewery. Shelah Davis is hosting an hour-long yoga session at 11:30 a.m. (Registration is at 11 a.m.). For $15 gets you a spot in the class followed by a pint of whatever brew you want.
ACBW Pig Roast
The Sybarite Pig is going full-on luau (sort of) on Sunday afternoon. Starting at noon, the Boca Raton spot is featuring 100 percent Florida Brewed Drafts from Cigar City, Due South, Wynwood, Tequesta, and Funky Buddha, and East Coast Vs West Coast Craft Beer Buckets. The all-day event includes reggae music and a roasting pig, of course.
Game of Thrones Beer Dinner
End your week as you usually do, with some Game of Thrones. On Sunday at 7 p.m., Biergarten in Boca Raton is hosting a Ommegang dinner to showcase Game of Thrones Fire and Blood ale and other special brews. It's $50 for a five-course meal. Visit eventbrite.com/e/game-of-thrones-beer-dinner-tickets.
Follow Sara Ventiera on Twitter, @saraventiera.
Follow @CleanPlateBPB
