Craft Beer Events

Black Rock Coffee, an Oregon-based concept that made its Arizona debut in Chandler in late 2016, will open its third East Valley location on the northwest corner of Higley and Hampton, just north of U.S. 60., on Friday, March 9.

The new location will be giving away free 16-ounce drinks from 5 a.m.-9 p.m. No purchase is necessary.

Black Rock’s other locations are at Alma School and Ocotillo in south Chandler and Power and Ray in southeast Mesa.

A fourth location will open soon at Crismon and Baseline in east Mesa.

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Meridiem will host a special dinner featuring the wines from Crossbarn by Paul Hobbs at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8.

Attendees will enjoy four courses paired withCrossbarn’s Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Guests in the private room at the restaurant.

Tickets are $99++ per person. RSVP to meridiemaz@gmail.com.

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More than a dozen Arizona craft breweries will participate in the fourth annual Downtown Mesa Brew Fest from 2-6 p.m. Saturday, March 10.

The outdoor food and drink festival, which is family- and dog-friendly, takes place on MacDonald just south of Main Street. Parking is free (see parking info).

Admission also is free, and 12-ounce draft beers will be $5 (cash only). VIP admission is $45, which includes early entry at 1 p.m., four beers, $10 food credit, and an exclusive tent.

Breweries that have signed up so far:

• Desert Eagle (Mesa)
• Beer Research Institute (Mesa)
• Barrio (Mesa-Tucson)
• 12 West (Gilbert)
• 4 Silos (Gilbert – opening soon)
• The Perch (Chandler)
• SanTan (Chandler-Phoenix)
• Desert Cider House (Chandler)
• Blasted Barley (Tempe)
• Uncle Bear’s (Ahwatukee)
• Old Ellsworth (Queen Creek)
• SunUp (Phoenix)
• Prescott (Prescott)
• Grand Canyon (Williams)
• Lumberyard (Flagstaff)
• 805 (California)
• Full Sail (Oregon)
• KYLA Kombucha (New York)
• Schöfferhofer Weizen (Germany)

Arizona Distilling and  Iconic Cocktail will sell cocktails.

Food trucks scheduled to be on-site:

• Rodizio Grill
• Different Smokes BBQ Food Truck
• The American Poutine Co.
• Mustache Pretzels
• Burgers Amore
• Cousins Maine Lobster
• Cuties Lemonade & More
• Southwest Kettle Corn

Attractions will include live music, art, and games, such as wrestling matches by Party Hard Wrestling and a beard competition by the Canyon State Beard Club.

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Romeo’s Euro Cafe in Gilbert holds its weekly ‘‘Taste of Romeo’s’’ dinner, hosted by chef Romeo Taus (pictured) and his wife, Janice, in a private dining room, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 8.

The dinners typically feature five courses selected from the restaurant’s regular menu. This week’s selections:

• Spicy Lamb Potatoes: Gyros meat and potatoes with herbs and spices. Hand-formed and deep fried.
• Antipasto Salad: Genoa salami, ham capicola, pepperoni, Swiss and provolone cheeses, and vegetables with Italian dressing.
• Spicy Apricot Chicken: Blackened chicken breast, smashed crispy potatoes, zucchini, grape tomatoes, roasted garlic, balsamic Cipollini onions, and spicy apricot agrodolce.
• Goat Shrimp: Bacon-wrapped jumbo shrimp with feta and sun-dried tomato stuffing. Served with sauteed vegetables.
• Irish Cream Cheesecake: Irish Cream liquor and mini chocolate chips.

Cost is $30 per person plus tax and tip. Add five wine tastes for $10. RSVP: 480-962-4224.

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The Brass Tap at Mesa Riverview hosts its fourth annual A Night of a Million Randalls from 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17.

For the uninitiated, a Randall is a double-chamber filter that runs your favorite beers through flavor-enhancing ingredients like hops, fruits, spices, or herbs.

The breweries represented will be:

• Grand Canyon Brewing
• Ballast Point
• Dogfish Head
• Huss
• McFate
• Santa Fe
• Lost Coast
• Mike Hess
• Uncle Bear’s

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California’s Sierra Nevada will be the featured brewery for this month’s Beer & Bacon Night at The Hungry Monk in Chandler from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8.

There will be six Sierra Nevada beers on tap:

• Hazy Little Thing: An unfiltered, unprocessed IPA, straight from the tanks and into the can.
• Hop Bullet: A double-barreled blast of Magnum hops and lupulin dust in a new seasonal double IPA.
• Madeira Quad: Belgian-style ale brewed with cherries and aged in Madeira barrels.
• Kellerweis: One of the only American Hefeweizens made using the traditional Bavarian style of open fermentation.
• Pale Ale: The brewery’s most popular beer.
• 20th Street: Full-bodied ale brewed with SN’s estate-grown Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops.

Food specials:

• Mussels & Fries: Mussels steamed in farmhouse ale garlic cream sauce with pancetta served over housemade Belgian-style fries. ($13)
• Crispy Sriracha Bacon Brussels Sprouts: Brussels sprouts and bacon tossed in sriracha-orange sauce. ($8)
• Bacon Beer Cheese Soup: Bowl of housemade beer cheese soup topped with bacon and green onion and served with garlic toast for dipping. ($6)
• Jalapeno Bacon Grilled Cheese: Cheddar, jalapeno cream cheese, bacon, and grilled jalapenos on sourdough with choice of side. ($10)
• Apple Bacon Waffle: Bacon-infused waffle topped with Bigfoot caramelized apples, vanilla ice cream, and housemade CaskWerks Apple Pie whipped cream. ($8)

The Hungry Monk holds Beer & Bacon Night on the second Thursday of every month. Next month’s featured brewery will be King Harbor from Redondo Beach, Calif.

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The Perch Brewery in downtown Chandler hosts its fourth annual Mardis Gras Festival from 4-11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10.

Besides a special menu of Cajun and Creole dishes, there will be stilt walkers, aerial artists, fire artists, and hula-hoopers.

Moonshine Voodoo and The Kenny G Project will provide live music from the main stage, while The Rich Berra Band performs on the rooftop patio until 1 a.m.

General-admission tickets are $10 and include one Perch craft beer.

VIP tickets are $60 and include two Perch craft beers, one food ticket, a Perch T-shirt, and jumbo Mardi Gras beads.

This is s 21-and-over event with no in/out privileges.

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