This Saturday, Stone Brewing is throwing a party to celebrate its 22nd anniversary. And in addition to pouring Stone beer, Stone has hand-selected some of the best breweries in the world and invited them to join for an event with food, music, private tastings and the best place to drink beer in California this weekend. I’m making the pilgrimage from LA to San Marcos, and here’s all the information you’ll need to join in the fun.

The Basics

Saturday, August 18, the Stone Brewing 22nd Anniversary Celebration & Invitational will run from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. California State University San Marcos. Right now, you can buy $65 tickets for either Session A (which runs from 1 until 4) or Session B (which runs from 5 to 8). The pour list for each of these sessions is the same, but the music and private tastings will be different for each. More on that later.

The Venue

The 22nd Anniversary Celebration & Invitational will be held at California State University San Marcos, just a stone’s throw away from their Escondido location. The university’s setup creates three levels for all 55+ breweries in attendance, and offers all the necessary parking (including overnight parking). And hey, here’s a fun fact: Stone was founded in San Marcos and the brewery still works to foster its relationship with the community.

The Tickets

Tickets for Session A and Session B are $65 (or $15 if you’re a designated driver) and can be purchased from Eventbrite here. That gives you access to unlimited two-ounce pours from 55+ breweries, live music, a cigar lounge, and a commemorative Stone glass.

Sorry to break hearts, but the $99 Rare Beer All-Access ticket — which gets you 20 exclusive beers and all-day access to the event — is sold out. There’s no secondary market, either, so you’re just going to have to wait until next year.

The Private Tastings

 

If you’re at a college, might as well go to class, right? For an extra $15, you can book any of the four private tastings being offered Saturday. Each is in its own classroom (where it’s air conditioned!) and offers a more intimate setting with the brewer than just ordering and receiving a beer from the tap. The brewer walks you through the inspiration for the beer, what makes it unique and the qualities of the beer. The groups are small enough to allow for Q&A. It’s still a casual environment, but is worth it for the chance to hear directly from a brewer.

A bit of a heads-up: please make sure to check the time of the private tasting you’re booking to make sure it takes place during the session for which you bought tickets.

The Cause

In the 22 years Stone Brewing has been around, they’ve donated almost $4 million to charity — and a huge part of that comes from the annual anniversary celebration. These organizations are near and dear to Stone’s co-founders and popular among the team. And thanks to 700 people volunteering, Stone is able to donate 100% of the proceeds of the event to the following charities:

• The Surfrider Foundation

• Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos

• YMCA of San Diego County

• Fight ALD!

• CSUSM Foundation

For every one of those organizations, this event will be the single largest source of funding they receive in the year. That’s pretty cool.

Pour List

Now for the beer. Get ready to scroll, my friends. The list of brewers and their beers is absurdly amazing. I’m told by the team at Stone that HALF of these breweries weren’t in attendance for last year’s Anniversary Celebration & Invitational, so there’s some variety here. Also, a bit of Stone Brewing trivia: this list features a sort of “Tour de Stone” because ALL FIVE Stone locations have beer that’ll be poured on Saturday. I’m omitting the Rare Beer List since those tickets are sold out, and I don’t even want to tease you. But for Session A and B, the list is HUGE; by my count there are over 150 different beers being poured. Check out this list:

• Abnormal Beer Co. – Tiki Life for Me
• Abnormal Beer Co. – Collaboration with Pure Project- Name TBA
• Abnormal Beer Co. – Foggy Remedy
• AleSmith Brewing Company – Hall of Fame .394
• AleSmith Brewing Company – Sublime Mexican Lager
• Allagash Brewing Co – Allagash White
• Allagash Brewing Co – Curieux
• Allagash Brewing Co – Two Lights
• Allagash Brewing Co – St Klippenstein
• Anthem Cider – Watermelon Gose Inspired Cider
• Anthem Cider – Woven- Blackberry Pear Cider
• Anthem Cider – BreakCider Tea
• Arrogant Brewing – 2011 Double Bastard
• Arrogant Brewing – Bourbon Barrel Aged Arrogant Bastard
• Avery Brewing Co – El Gose
• Avery Brewing Co – Go Play IPA
• Avery Brewing Co – Lilikoi K’epolo
• Beachwood Brewing & Blendery – AMALGAMATOR
• Beachwood Brewing & Blendery – Mocha Machine
• Beachwood Brewing & Blendery – Chaos is a Friend of Mine
• Beachwood Brewing & Blendery – STRAWBERRY PROVENCE
• Bear Republic Brewing Company – Hop Shovel
• Bear Republic Brewing Company – Double Aught
• Belching Beaver – Phantom Bride IPA
• Belching Beaver – Peanut Butter Milk Stout
• Burgeon Beer Co. – Treevana
• Cascade Brewing – Vitis Noble
• Cascade Brewing – Pêche Fumé
• Cigar City Brewing – Jai Alai IPA
• Cigar City Brewing – Cucumber Saison
• Cigar City Brewing – Guayabera Citra Pale Ale
• Cigar City Brewing – After Sesh Lager
• Fall Brewing Company – Plenty For All
• Fall Brewing Company – Devils Right Hand
• Fieldwork Brewing Company – Tangeberry Parfait
• Fieldwork Brewing Company – Juicy Mane
• Firestone Walker Brewing Company – Firestone Lager
• Firestone Walker Brewing Company – Luponic Distortion
• Firestone Walker Brewing Company – Union Jack
• Firestone Walker Brewing Company – Doubles
• Fremont Brewing – Head Full of Dynomite
• Fremont Brewing – Coffee Cinnamon B-Bomb
• Fremont Brewing – The Rusty Nail
• Funkwerks – Saison
• Funkwerks – Raspberry Provincial
• Funkwerks – Tropic King
• Green Cheek Beer Co. – The Other Dylan
• Green Cheek Beer Co. – Positvely Busy
• Insurgente – Juan Cordero
• Insurgente – Brutus
• Jing-A Brewing Co. – Day Day Hop
• Jing-A Brewing Co. – Guava Xanadu
• Jing-A Brewing Co. – Death by Mango
• Jing-A Brewing Co. – Paihuanggua
• Jing-A Brewing Co. – Worker’s Pale Ale
• Kern River Brewing Co – Chuuurch!
• Kern River Brewing Co – Gravity Check
• Libertine Brewing Company – Gose’-Rose
• Libertine Brewing Company – Pacific Ocean Blue Gose
• Lord Hobo Brewing Company – Boom Sauce
• Lord Hobo Brewing Company – Virtuoso
• Lord Hobo Brewing Company – Angelica
• Madewest Brewing Company – Madewest Pale
• Madewest Brewing Company – Madewest IPA
• Mahrs Braeu Bamberg – Mahrs Braeu Festbier
• Mahrs Braeu Bamberg – Mahrs Braeu Pils
• Maine Beer Company – Peeper
• Maine Beer Company – Lunch
• Maui Brewing Company – Mosaic Mo Betta DIPA
• Maui Brewing Company – Lilikoi Saison
• Melvin Brewing Co – Chuck Morris
• Melvin Brewing Co – Your IPA
• Mikkeller Brewing San Diego – Passion Pool
• Mikkeller Brewing San Diego – Staff Magician
• Modern Times Brewery – Critical Band
• Modern Times Brewery – Fruitlands
• Mother Earth – Say When IPA
• Mother Earth – Call Me Ginger
• Mother Earth – Cali Creamin’
• New Realm Brewing Co. – Hoplandia IPA
• New Realm Brewing Co. – Belga Rose
• North Park Beer Co. – Bird Park
• North Park Beer Co. – Hop-Fu!
• Oskar Blues Brewery – Mama’s Little Yella Pils
• Oskar Blues Brewery – Fugli
• Phantom Carriage Brewery – They Thirst
• Phantom Carriage Brewery – Broadacres
• Pizza Port Brewing Company  – Xtra Tuff
• Pizza Port Brewing Company  – Guillaume
• Pure Project – Thousands of Acres
• Pure Project – Rain
• Rip Current Brewing – Lupulin Lust Double IPA
• Rip Current Brewing – Java Storm Coffee Imperial Porter
• Rip Current Brewing – Foggy Nelson Hazy IPA
• Russian River Brewing Company – Pliny the Elder
• Russian River Brewing Company – Consecration
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – Southern Hemisphere Hoppy Pilsner
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – FOMO IPA
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – Pale Ale
• Silva Brewing – MJ’s Spicy Ginger
• Silva Brewing – 525 Pine
• Societe Brewing Company – The Fiddler
• Societe Brewing Company – The Filly
• South Park Brewing – Lime in Da Coconut
• South Park Brewing – Lil Yachty OPA
• St. Mayhem – St Mayhem Sangria Chingon
• St. Mayhem – St Mayhem SPCY LIL FKR
• St. Mayhem – St Mayhem Tao of Mint
• Stone Brewing – Stone ///Fear.Movie.Lions Double IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone Vengeful Spirit IPA
• Stone Brewing – Liberty Station  – Stone Liberty Station Jusko Wit
• Stone Brewing – Liberty Station  – Stone Liberty Station Bacon it Reign
• Stone Brewing – Liberty Station  – Stone Liberty Station Tartistry
• Stone Brewing – Liberty Station  – Stone Liberty Station Simple Kind of Man
• Stone Brewing – Liberty Station  – Stone Liberty Station Millennial Decay
• Stone Brewing – Liberty Station  – Stone Liberty Station Matt’s Burning Rosids
• Stone Brewing – Stone Napa Jovian Orbit Double IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone Napa Growls Like a Tiger Double IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone Napa Hail to the Spot Thief
• Stone Brewing – Bike Dog Brewing/Stone Napa Vital Few
• Stone Brewing – Stone White Geist Berliner Weisse
• Stone Brewing – Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone Royale Imperial Saison du BUFF
• Stone Brewing – Brewdog/Stone “Super BASHAH”
• Stone Brewing – The Lost Abbey/Stone “Sticks N’ Stones”
• Stone Brewing – Stone 22nd Anniversary Anni-Matter Double IPA
• Stone Brewing – Societe/Stone The Skeddadler IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone Idolatrous IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone Ruination 2.0 Double IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone Delicious IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone 22nd Anniversary Anni-Matter Double IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone Pilot: Mojay IPA
• Stone Brewing – Drew Curtis / Wil Wheaton / Greg Koch Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout
• Stone Brewing – Stone Tangerine Express IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone Pilot: Sanctimonious IPA
• Stone Brewing – Stone Ripper
• Stone Brewing – Stone Koteka Rise and Grind (Imperial Red Ale aged in bourbon barrels w/coffee)
• Stone Brewing – 2011 Stone Imperial Russian Stout
• The Bruery – Minor Miner
• The Bruery – Out Of The Lunchbox
• The Bruery – Black & Blue BBLs
• The Bruery – Kyuri Dragon
• The Lost Abbey – Lost Abbey Sangria
• The Lost Abbey – Road to Helles
• Thorn Brewing Company – Hopster Pot New England style Hazy IPA
• Thorn Brewing Company – Barrio Lager
• Three Weavers Brewing Co. – Hold the Lime
• Three Weavers Brewing Co. – Knotty
• Toppling Goliath Brewing Company – Mornin Delight
• Toppling Goliath Brewing Company – Dorothy’s
• Toppling Goliath Brewing Company – Fire, Skulls, & Money
• Toppling Goliath Brewing Company – Pseudo Sue
• Wandering Aengus Ciderworks – Bloom
• Wandering Aengus Ciderworks – Oaked Dry
• Wild Barrel Brewing Company – Prince of Dankness DIPA
• Wild Barrel Brewing Company – Vice w/ Apricots & Peaches
• WISEACRE Brewing Company – Tiny Bomb
• WISEACRE Brewing Company – Gotta Get Up to Get Down
• WISEACRE Brewing Company – Adjective Animal

 

 

There’s a whole lot of information about the event at Stone’s website. Enjoy!

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