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For the beer lovers who can't resist a good craft brew, the folks behind L.A. Beer Week will be hosting a week's worth of activities in June, including a big kickoff party where you can get your beer-tasting on.
Los Angeles County Brewers Guild is hosting this 7th annual festival, which will run from June 20 to 28 with different events scattered throughout the city. Their kickoff party, which is basically a beer-tasting event with music and food trucks, will launch on June 20 from noon to 5 p.m. It'll be double the size of last year's fete and will be in a new location: the south lawn of Exposition Park. Beer nerds can expect over 75 craft breweries—from the likes of Golden Road Brewing, Highland Park Brewery and Eagle Rock Brewery— with over 200 kinds of beer and two stages for live music and educational panels.
A limited number of early bird tickets for the kickoff party will go on sale on April 3 at noon on the L.A. Beer Week website. It's $40 general admission and $65 VIP. The general admission price will increase to $45 on May 1 at noon, but the VIP ticket price will stay the same. The general admission tickets get you your own special glass and 15 drink tickets, which allow for 4-5 ounce pours. You can also buy additional drink tickets. The VIP admission lets you to get into the event an hour before everyone else (in case you're serious about your brews), and you don't have to use your drink tickets during that hour since there will be free-flowing beer pours. Plus VIP guests get access to a VIP section with additional specialty tappings.
The head honchos are still working on the schedule for the rest of the week, which include events that are free to attend or are ticketed. In past years, they've held karaoke competitions and special boozy-themed meals. This is what they have on their plate so far:
June 22: Pink Boots Society, a non-profit that aims to empower women in the beer industry, will be taking over Three Weavers Brewing Company in Inglewood. The event is free, but the profits they make from the beers you purchase will go towards the organization.
June 23: Eagle Rock Brewery will be hosting a Battle of the Bands competition at The Echo in Echo Park. This is a ticketed event.
June 24: Meeting of the Guilds at Naja's Place in Redondo Beach, where beer lovers can mingle with the beer communities from Los Angeles Brewers Guild, San Francisco Brewers Guild and San Diego Brewers Guild. It's free to get in, but the breweries from the guilds will also have their special brews on tap that you can sample (you just have to pay for your pours) and then vote on the best ones so one of the brewers can take home the Golden Keg prize.
More information on upcoming events and tickets will soon be posted on the L.A. Beer Week website here. Find details on the kickoff party here, and check for updates on their Facebook page.
