Raise a Glass to Lehigh Valley Beer Week
Visit LEHIGHVALLEYBEERWEEK.COM for a full list of events; a mobile-friendly website calendar makes it easy to search by type of event or geographic region. Also check Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The approach of Lehigh Valley Beer Week (LVBW) has more than four dozen bars, breweries, distributors, and restaurants throughout the area brewing with excitement. The rebooted seventh edition of the 8-day celebration, which runs February 16–23, showcases the incredible growth of local brewing since the first event was planned in 2012. “The craft scene has blown up, as well as the whole beer culture in this area,” says Jesse Albertson, founder and returning president of the non-profit organization. “In our first year, there were just three breweries in the Lehigh Valley. Now there’s closer to twenty. It’s crazy.”
Each participating venue hosts independent events throughout the celebration. In the past, beer dinners, tap-takeovers, tours, and tastings have been featured, though Albertson reports that expanded festivities will be even more diverse and creative this year, with a hot wing eating contest, ghost hunt, derby race, bacon and beer pairing, live music and beer pairing, and so very much more. On the final Saturday, the fifth annual Beermuda Triangle Mardi Crawl in Easton kicks off with a parade.
The three original breweries, Weyerbacher, Two Rivers, and Brew Works, will be joined by more recent entries into the brewing frenzy, such as Hijinx, Sage Alley, Lost Tavern, Funk, and Bonn Place. Albertson also notes that the “breweries are busting out their super rare beers.” And Russian River Brewing Compay—a California-based megastar—will make an all-day appearance at Spinnerstown Hotel, which has a busy beer-centric schedule throughout the week.
The official LVBW collaborative brew, Guildy Pleasure III, serves as a centerpiece libation available on tap across all locations. A joint effort with the Lehigh Valley Brewers Guild, this limited edition hazy IPA was crafted in January at Weyerbacher Brewing Co. in Easton with input from 15 member breweries—and plenty of camaraderie. “By combining forces, we can link together and raise awareness about local brewing,” says Albertson, also noting that “collaboration brewing is a huge hot thing in the industry right now.”
As the audience for craft brews now stretches across generations, Albertson emphasizes that “this is a community event, not just for beer nerds.”
