Hey it’s Friday – Work’s been brutal and you’re ready to shut down and have some fun. Well good, because we’re all about it and we’ve got all kinds of ideas for you. From the nation’s coolest beer festivals, movies, and music to cutting-edge TV – we’ve got your back big-time. Plus we’ve a special weekend beer pick for you too, because we know you’ll be drinking!

So welcome to our awesome Weekend Picks…

Spring Seasonals In Silicon Valley (San Jose, CA) – We’ve attended a number of events that were put on by the Hand Crafted Tasting Company – and these guys are good at what they do! And tomorrow, Saturday, February 28^th, they’re bringing their game to the Silicon Valley when they host the San Jose Craft Beer Festival. The Expo Hall at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds will be ground zero for this two-session beerganza and it promises to be too much fun. This special Spring Seasonal tasting will showcase 75 of this nation’s most cutting-edge breweries and from what we’ve heard, they’ll be bringing in some rarities.

On the Big Screen – Will Smith used to be a dependable box-office draw and his movies are typically huge money makers. But coming off a string of stiffs that includes last year’s dismal After Earth, the dude’s in desperate need of a hit. We don’t know if Focus will be his redemption – we’re not even sure if it will be any good. But the trailer was clever and entertaining – and we basically like Will Smith – so we’re hoping this film will mark his return to form. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with The Lazarus Effect – a cheesy looking horror movie about bringing dead medical patients back to life – and we’re not sure that that’s a good idea.

Winter’s Coming (Grand Rapids, MI) – One of craft beer’s most popular festivals is taking place this weekend. This Friday and Saturday (Feb 27^th-28^th), the Michigan Brewers Guild will be presenting their tenth annual Winter Beer Festival and it is legend! Saturday’s sold out but last time we checked, there were still tickets available for Friday. This outdoor event will take place “snow, rain, or shine” so dress to drink tundra-style! This year’s fest will feature more than 800 beers from over 90 Michigan breweries and the emphasis will be on big and barrel-aged beers, which seems perfect for this weekend’s Arctic hang! For more info on this “killer chiller,” check out: Winter Beer Festival

House Rules – Netflix’s binge-worthy political drama House of Cards has returned for its third season and you shut-ins can spend your entire weekend devouring the whole thing. Corruption rules the day and Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) has successfully schemed (and murdered) his way into the White House. But his wife, Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) may be starting to develop a conscience this season and that can’t help but complicate things.

Our Awesome Weekend Beer Pick

Innis & Gunn is a Scottish brewer known for maturing ALL their beers with oak – and they took things to an interesting new level with a recent release. Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Stout is a 7.4% ABV Scottish-style Stout that’s matured with whiskey-infused oak in something they call “Oakerators” (think coffee percolator). It’s clearly brewed with St. Patrick’s Day in mind – but why wait?

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