Thomas Vincent, from Geistbear Brewing Blog, has announced the topic for the June Session, to take place on Friday, June 6. The theme will be “Beer Festivals,” and he elaborates as follows:

Do you have a favorite beer festival you like to attend or a particular memory of inspirational moment at a festival? Or perhaps talk about what you would like to see out of festivals or perhaps the future of them. All is fair game, I look forward to seeing where people take this topic.

So put on your thinking caps, and get ready to write about beer festivals this coming D-Day, June 6.

Saturday was the 12th annual Boonville Beer Festival, one of the Bay Area’s best. This year was no exception and was even bigger than last year. A third area with large tents in a grassy meadow was added to accommodate all 68 breweries who were pouring their beer at the festival. There were old favorites and new breweries and a whole lot of fun in the Mendocino sun, proving once more that “it’s not just shy sluggin’ gorms neemer.”

Barkley, the Boonville Bear, greets visitors to the Anderson Valley Brewery.

Brian Hunt (from Moonlight Brewing), Melissa Myers, Dave Buehler (from Elysian Brewing) and Arne Johnson (from Marin Brewing).

Bay Area Beer Bloggers at Boonville. From left: Peter Estaniel, from the BetterBeerBlog, JJ (a.k.a. Jessica), from The Thirsty Hopster, me, and Jay Hinman from the Hedonist Beer Jive.
 

For many more photos from this year’s Boonville Beer Festival, visit the photo gallery to see Part 1 and Part 2 of the festival.
 

The 5th annual Bay Area Firkin Gravity Festival was held yesterday at Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley, California. Some of the stand out beers for me included Pizza Port’s Imperial Red, 547 Haight St., that Jeff Bagby brewed for the Toronado’s 20th anniversary, 21st Amendment’s Rye, Drake’s Wheatwine, Speakeasy’s Stout, Half Moon Bay’s authentic English-style brown and an interesting California Common from Oakland’s newest brewery, Linden Street Brewing.

This year, nearly thirty casks of real ale were available for sampling.

Triple Rock GM Rachaal with Ken Kelley from North Coast Brewing.

For many more photos from this year’s Bay Area Firkin Gravity Festival, visit the photo gallery.
 

The official opening of Philly Beer Week began with the tapping of the keg by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. I was on hand at the mini-beer festival held at the Marketplace at East Falls. Among the produce stands were twenty brewers sampling their beers and Don Russell was signing copies of his new book, Joe Sixpack’s Philly Beer Guide: A Reporter’s Notes on the Best Beer-Drinking City in America.

Philly Beer Week organizers Tom Peters and Bruce Nichols, along with Don Russel (on the right) as Mayor Michael Nutter says a few words before tapping the keg.

Me and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.

For many more photos from opening of Philly Beer Week, visit the photo gallery.
 

On Saturday the Portland Spring Beer & Wine Festival took place at the Oregon Convention Center. Awards were given in eight categories, with a gold and silver awarded in each. The results are listed below:

Amber, Brown & Red
Gold - Pelican Pub & Brewery Anglers Amber
Silver - Lost Coast Brewery Downtown Brown

Belgian-Style
Gold - North Coast Brewing PranQster
Silver - Widmer Belgian Golden Ale

Double IPA and other Strong Ales
Gold - Stone Brewing Ruination IPA
Silver - Lang Creek Brewing Zeppelin Imperial Ale

Golden & Pale Ales
Gold - Stone Brewing Pale Ale
Silver - Pyramid Curve Ball Blond Ale

IPA
Gold - Laurelwood Public House & Brewery Organic Green Elephant IPA
Silver - Henry Weinhard’s IPA

Lager
Gold - Pabst Blue Ribbon
Silver - Kona Longboard Lager

Porter & Stout
Gold - Stone Brewing Imperial Stout
Silver - Deschutes Obsidian Stout

Wheat
Gold - Deschutes Wolf Mountain Wit
Silver - Blue Moon Belgian White

The 6th annual Hard Liver Barleywine Fest took place — as it has for the past four years — at Brouwer’s Cafe at the corner of 35th and Phinney in Seattle, Washington. There were 45 barley wines on tap and the place was packed from the time it opened at eleven until I left around five o’clock. With so many tasty treats, the Hard Liver was certainly hard on your own liver.

The packed crowd at Brouwer’s enjoying barley wines from the second-floor balcony.

Festivals hosts Matt Bonney and Matt Vandenberghe, co-owners of Brouwer’s Cafe.

For many more photos from this year’s Hard Liver Barleywine Fest, visit the photo gallery.
 

Here are the results from the 2008 Hard Liver Barleywine Fest in held at Brouwer’s Cafe in Seattle, Washington:

• 1st Place: Mirror, Mirror ‘07; Deschutes Brewing
• 2nd Place: Big Nugget ‘06; Alaskan Brewing
• 3rd Place: Bigfoot ‘07; Sierra Nevada Brewing

Congratulations to all the winners.
 

Yesterday, the San Francisco Brewers Guild held its 2nd annual Slow Beer Festival on March 1, 2008 in the San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park. The event was co-sponsored by Slow Food San Francisco. The idea was to pair San Francisco’s local brewers with locally made foods and explore different tastes from pairing each together in a variety of ways. It was fun event and we lucked out with some gorgeous weather to help enjoy the day. A sold-out crowd enjoyed beer from a dozen breweries and food from at least ten.

Food and beer mixed happily and deliciously throughout the day, as evidenced here by Ian Marks (from Hog Island Oyster Co.), Taylor Boetticher (from the Fatted Calf), Dave McLean (from Magnolia), John Tucci (from Gordon Biersch San Francisco) and Shaun O’Sullivan (from 21st Amendment).

For many more photos from this year’s Slow Beer Festival, visit the photo gallery.
 

The four-hour regular session for the Celebrator Beer News’ 20th Anniversary Party began at four, after the hour-long V.I.P. session came to a close. As soon as everyone waiting in line was inside, a Dixieland band — led by a tuxedoed Tom Dalldorf complete with plunger — paraded into the hall, with the Celebrator writers bringing up the rear. For the next four hours, there was great food, music and, of course, beer.

A number of Celebrator Beer News writers, past and present, made it to the party from all over the world.

A Colorado-themed trio enjoy the festivities. Lauren Salazar (QA/Sensory Analyst with New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins), Cheryl Black (co-owner of the Falling Rock in Denver with her husband Chris and his brother), and Jen Garris, San Francisco Beer Ranger for New Belgium.
 

For many more photos from the Celebrator 20th Anniversary Party, visit the photo gallery.
 

Sunday brought an end to Beerapalooza week in the Bay Area with the 20th Anniversary Party for the Celebrator Beer News at the Oakland Convention Center. The first hour was for V.I.P ticket holders only and was a chance to try some beers in short supply. Also, obviously, the lines were much shorter.

Rogue made up these very cool Celebrator 20th Anniversary beers with a label using a photo of publisher Tom Dalldorf from one of the earlier anniversary shindigs.

Celebrator publisher Tom Dalldorf, the man of the hour, with costumed revelers.
 

For more photos from the V.I.P. Session of the Celebrator 20th Anniversary Party, visit the photo gallery.
 

Saturday was the beginning of the 15th annural Toronado Barleywine Festival in San Francisco, California. With a total of 55 Barley Wines, it was wonderful day for beer in San Francisco, and the stellar weather made the experience all the more enjoyable.

The Toronado 2008 Barleywine Festival fills up quickly on opening day. It will last another eight days before ending next Sunday, February 24.

Toronado owner Dave Keene holding a big bottle of his 20th Anniversary Ale that Russian River brewed for him last year.

For many more photos from this year’s Toronado Barleywine Festival, visit the photo gallery.
 

Here are the results from the 2008 Toronado Barley Wine Festival in San Francisco:

• 1st Place: Old Gnarleywine 2006, Lagunitas Brewing
• 2nd Place: Old Guardian 2006, Stone Brewing
• 3rd Place: Abacus Blend, Firestone Walker Brewing

Congratulations to all the winners.