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Hey it’s Friday and we’re heading into our second December weekend. With the holidays just around the corner, you’ve never been busier, and you need a weekend break! So if you’re up for some ideas that don’t involve holiday shopping, we’ve got them. We’re all about the fun and we’ve got you covered. Plus we’ve got some weekend beer picks for you too! So welcome to the “Anything but Shopping” Edition of Our Weekend Picks!
The Phoenix Invitational Brewers Festival is showcasing the Arizona craft beer scene this weekend and they’re inviting everyone to drop by and “get crafty.” It’s all taking place today and tomorrow (December 7th-8th) in the heart of downtown Phoenix and it promises to be a total blast! Sixty-one breweries from all parts of the country will be offering more than 25 styles of handcrafted brews and over 10,000 serious beer fans are expected to attend this two-day event. The festival will also include a special VIP area that will offer sponsors and festival participants some of the rarest craft beers available in the state of Arizona. For more info about this weekend’s event, check out: Phoenix Brewfest
The movies that have opened the last couple of weekends have all been pretty strong. If you haven’t seen Daniel Craig’s new James Bond flick, Skyfall, it’s in theaters now. If you missed Ben Affleck’s Argo, you really should check it out. And if you haven’t seen Brad Pitt’s Killing Them Softly – we liked it and you might too. Unfortunately this weekend’s new movies blow. The only new movie that struck us as even remotely interesting was Bill Murray’s turn as FDR in Hyde Park on Hudson – and that’s a mention, not a pick.
The second annual Valley Forge Beer Festival is taking place tomorrow, December 8th, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. The event will feature an incredible variety of beers from the region and from around the globe. There will be afternoon and evening tasting sessions, each with more than 100 beers from local, national, and foreign brewers so come prepared to imbibe huge quantities of beer! For more info on this historic event, check out: Valley Forge Beerfest
There are lots of good reasons to visit Miami and one is the UR1 Music Festival that’s taking place this Saturday and Sunday (December 8th-9th.) It’s described as a one-of-a-kind festival combining today’s most popular artists and multiple genres of music, art & live performances. Artists scheduled to perform include the likes of Kanye West, Lou Reed, Keane, and Santigold! For more info on this weekend’s event, check out: UR1 Music Festival 2012
Our Weekend Beer Picks
Portland, Maine-based Shipyard Brewing Company just announced the upcoming release of something new for the season. Bourbon Barrel Aged Prelude Special Ale (whew!) is an amped-up winter warmer that’s been barrel-aged for six months and clocks in at 9.5% ABV. Prelude Special Ale is a very limited release and it’s out there now… so act fast!
And while we’re talking winter warmers, don’t forget that Flying Dog Brewery has just released their winter seasonal too. As we’ve referenced before, K-9 is that winter ale and it’s a favorite of ours. It’s an ever-evolving recipe and this year’s release is a 7.4% ABV pleaser that pours dark and is available now in bottles and on draft.
