Lift a glass to American Craft Beer Week -- it’s a busy schedule

Nearly every city or region with a flourishing craft beer scene has a dedicated “beer week” on the calendar devoted to celebrating their local beer, breweries, and the people behind them -- L.A. Beer Week is celebrated in late September -- but next week the celebration goes nationwide. American Craft Beer Week runs today through Sunday, and there is a full slate of local events across Los Angeles.

The Brewers Assn. began the one-beer-week-to-rule-them-all celebration in 2006, and the event has grown along with the surging craft beer industry. “This week is about uniting for a common cause: support and celebration of our nation’s small and independent brewers and the millions of beer lovers who have helped evolve an industry and put the U.S. on the brewing map,” says Julie Herz, organizer of ACBW for the Brewer’s Assn.

This year there are more craft brewers to celebrate than ever before, especially in Los Angeles, and local pubs, bars and breweries are planning events ranging from tap-takeovers to beer dinners to film screenings.

You can find a list of many of the events here, and these are some of the highlights from the local scene:

- Angel City Brewery is kicking off ACBW with a sponsored screening of Crafting a Nation -- a feature-length documentary on the craft beer scene -- at the Downtown Independent Theater with a reception and Q&A at the brewery afterward.

- Blue Palms Brewhouse in Hollywood has an event on-tap for each day of the week spotlighting a different local brewery. The Bruery, Ladyface Ale Companie, Golden Road Brewery, Eagle Rock Brewery, Craftsman Brewery, and Beachwood BBQ and Brewing are featured on Monday through Saturday respectively.

- Mohawk Bend will feature a different taster flight each night with themes like “Where Craft Beer Began” and regional focuses ranging from the Bay Area to San Diego.

- Tony’s Darts Away is focusing on different styles that American craft brewers have invented (or reinvented) each day of American Craft Beer Week.

- Kings Row Gastropub and the Pasadena chapter of Congregation Ale House will be showing off unique and creative collaboration beers from American brewers all week long.

- Downtown, The Little Bear’s taps will be taken over by Colorado’s Avery Brewing on Thursday, and some rare treats will get poured.

- The Surly Goat in West Hollywood is rolling out a devastating list of barrel-aged Firestone Walker brews -- including a three-year vertical of Anniversary ales -- on Thursday and brewery founder David Walker will be there to tell you all about them.

- Smog City Brewing -- one of L.A.’s newest breweries -- will even celebrate the grand opening of their relocated brewery and taproom on Saturday.

You won’t be able to walk in to a local beer bar next week without joining in the festivities, so sign the American Craft Beer Week Manifesto, pledge your support for craft beer and the people making and serving it, and raise a glass during the first annual simultaneous toast at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

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