San Diego Beer Week 2025 is shaping up to celebrate its 17th year…in a big way!
With events, special releases and so much more scheduled for breweries across San Diego County, below are the 2025 highlights and events I’m personally looking forward to the most.
Todd Having a Beer at Princess Pub and Grille in Little Italy
San Diego Countywide Kick-off Toast
- Where: Brewers Guild Member Brewerys
- When: Friday, November 7th, 2025 | 7:30pm
Much like how Octoberfest in Munich begins with the tapping of the first keg, San Diego Beer Week starts with a virtual countywide toast officially kicking-off 10 days of beer experiences!
Scheduled for Friday, November 7th, 2025 at 7:30pm, all you have to do is head to your favorite Brewers Guild member brewery, bar, or tasting room. And be sure to share photos using hashtags #SDBEER, #SDBEERWEEK and #SDBW which is a fun way to get the party started and connect with local craft brewery enthusiasts.
The Capital of Craft Beer Festival
- Where: San Diego Harley Davidson Festival Grounds
- When: Saturday, November 8th | 1:00pm – 4:30pm (VIP starts at 12:00pm)
- Price: General Admission = $50 | $65 VIP Tickets
The Capital of Craft Beer Festival is surely one of the main events of Beer Week 2025, and one Go Visit San Diego’s founder Todd might be able to attend now that unfortunately many of the 2025 San Diego Fleet Week events have been canceled due to the federal government shutdown.
Depending on where you look, you’ll see that there will be 40, 50 or even as many as 80+ local beers to sample. If you’re able to go, you can expect unlimited 2oz craft beer pours in a commemorative cup.
My Favorite Beers at the Festival
In terms of the breweries, I’m looking forward to all of them! But if I had to suggest just a few, I’d say make sure not to miss the ones below!
- Fall Brewing Company (from North Park)
- Kilowatt Brewing (found in Kearny Mesa, Ocean Beach and Downtown Oceanside)
- Abnormal Beer Co. (from Rancho Bernardo)
- Burgeon Beer Company (from Carlsbad)
- Belching Beaver Brewery (from North Park)
Food, Music and More!
In addition to the brews, Beer Week’s signature event will include live 80s music from Flash Pants followed by beats from DJ Twon Burgundy who will keep the good times rolling on the Main Stage. You can also expect food trucks, local vendors, and creative artisans.
In terms of the food trucks, I’m personally looking forward to Fully Belly BBQ but the Bread and Cheese eatery always offers great ‘beer food’ as well.
Capital of Craft Beer Festival Tips
A couple of quick things to know are that pets are not allowed, there is no seating (and you can’t bring your own chair), and they don’t allow any outside liquid containers (even for water including hydro flasks), but will have non-alcoholic drinks for sale.
The dress code is festival-ready comfy and remember this is a 21+ event only, meaning no kids or even infants will be admitted.
AleSmith Brewing Company’s 30th Anniversary Tiki Bash
- Where: AleSmith Brewing Company
- When: Saturday, November 8th | 2:00pm – 11:00pm
- Price: Free Admission with Some Ticketed Components
AleSmith Brewing in Miramar brews some of my favorite beers in San Diego. Two of my favorites being the Speedway Stout and San Diego Pale Ale .394. Their selection of barrel-aged beer is quite impressive as well.
Come celebrate AleSmith Brewing Company’s 30th Anniversary at their Tiki Bash set for Saturday, November 8th from 2:00pm until 11:00pm. This lively event is family-friendly and open to all ages (and even pup-friendly!), offering great brews, food trucks, music, festivities and more!
Rom Rom Burgers, Zoe’s Place, and Kujo Eats are some of the food trucks that will be on hand, so you won’t have to worry about going hungry!
AleSmith Brewing’s Signature Speedway Grand Prix Event
- Where: AleSmith Brewing Company
- When: Thursday, November 13th at 5:00pm | Friday, November 14th, 2025 at 5:00pm
- Price: Ranges from $23.18 for Lap #1 (4 tasters) to $57.33 for the Victory Lap (12 tasters)
AleSmith’s annual release of their limited edition Speedway Stouts is a treat for Beer Fest fans! I happen to also be a huge fan of stouts and creative combinations so for me, this is absolutely one of the highlights of San Diego Beer Week!
Widely considered one of the best imperial stouts in the world, you won’t want to miss this event being held on Thursday, November 13th and Friday, November 14th, 2025.
A Sneak Peek at This Year’s Offerings
2025 will feature 12 different versions of AleSmith’s signature coffee stout! That’s correct, you’ll have a lot of options and as a stout fan myself, that’s pretty exciting.
Lap 1:
- Dutch Apple Pie Edition
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Edition
- Banana Cream Pie Edition
- Blackberry Pie Edition
Lap 2:
- Dubai Chocolate Edition
- Blackberry Sage Edition
- Café Brûlot Edition
- Coconut Key Lime Pie Edition
Victory Lap:
- Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout: Gansito Edition
- Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout
- Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout
- Barrel-Aged Speedway Stout
Bonus Lap:
Beer Week Fling
- Where: Morley Field Disc Golf Course |
- When: Wednesday, November 12th | Registration starts at 8:00am, Tournament starts at 9:00am
- Price: $80
Back for its 17th year, the Beer Week Fling is a fun field disc golf tournament, held rain or shine. Expect to be randomly assigned to a doubles pairing, hit the disc golf course, and have some fun!
Lunch, two beer tokens, and a t-shirt are included with the price of admission.
Battle of the Guilds Tap Takeover
- Where: Tiny Giant Taproom (1985 National Ave. #1132, San Diego, CA 92113)
- When: Thursday, November 13th | 6:00pm
I’ve really enjoyed the Battle of the Guilds Tap Takeover in past years.
Hosted by the San Diego Brewers Guild, I’ve always liked the variety of craft beers and various breweries represented at the event, offering me an opportunity to sample a lot of different styles of beers from across San Diego, California, and even Baja!
Hike and A Pint!
- Where: Annie’s Canyon Trail (2550 Via Poco, Cardiff, CA 92007)
- When: Saturday, November 15th | 10:00am
One of the NEW events I’m most excited about is the Hike & A Pint event with the SD Brewers Guild and many fellow beer lovers.
Hike & A Pint is a relaxed, all-levels morning hike through one of North County’s most scenic spots, followed by the best part, finishing with a well-earned pint at Culture Brewing in Solana Beach. The beers will start flowing at 11:30am.
I recommend coming prepared to socialize and have fun. Also, make sure to bring comfy shoes, water, and a post-trail thirst.
Guild North Park Cleanup
- Where: Meet at Original 40
- When: Sunday, November 16th | 11:00am - 2:00pm
I love the fact that San Diego Beer Week is about more than just great beer and great friends. It’s also about coming together for a little community service and there may be no better opportunity in 2025 than at the Guild North Park Cleanup.
On Sunday, November 16th from 11:00am until 2:00pm a trash cleanup will take place starting at Original 40, then head on to North Park Brewing Co. and finally wrap up at Barley & Sword, perhaps, just in time for a cold beer!