“We aim to entice all craft beer and cider lovers around us, and perhaps even curious first-timers to the rare craft beer and cider scene.”

Photo courtesy MHDA
Volunteers prepare for the crowd of Brew Crawl participants during the 2019 event. Last year’s event was canceled due to the global pandemic.

 

By Suman Ganapathy

Suman Ganapathy

What a roller-coaster year this has been! The Morgan Hill Downtown Association plunged headlong into planning the 9th Downtown Brew Crawl for the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 11, from 1 to 5 p.m., propelled by the euphoria over the California June 15 reopening. With the aim to bring the community together, sorely needed during these turbulent times, we hope to make our first MHDA event since 2019 better than ever following all COVID 19 rules.

We invite you to sample more than 30 new and exotic craft beers and ciders with distinctive styles and tasting notes, and avail of tasty bites specials and alluring shopping promotions at more than 15 of our popular downtown restaurants, offices and stores that are doubling up as pouring stations. These are all within walking distance from East Main Street to East Dunne Avenue, encouraging you to explore downtown and mingle with one another comparing tasting notes. With the added delight of live music performances from three sought-after Bay Area bands — can you think of a more delightful afternoon experience?

The craft beer scene has really taken off in recent years. Impeccably articulated by a well-known craft beer blogger: “Craft beer is not a commodity. Brewers create beers with purpose. Learning to recognize beer flavors is important, but understanding what the brewer’s intentions were when crafting the beer in your hand can add a whole new level to the craft beer experience.”

We aim to entice all craft beer and cider lovers around us, and perhaps even curious first-timers to the rare craft beer and cider scene. Listen up, cocktail, wine and single malt aficionados, your discerning palettes are a good match for this tasting bliss.

Participating breweries include Narrative Fermentations, Kelly’s Brewing Co., Dust Bowl, La Cantina Brewing Co., English Ales, Original Pattern, Buena Vista Brewing Co., Brewery 25, Promised Land Brewing Company, Liquid Gravity, TenFiveOne Cider Co. Pouring stations will be at The Running Shop & Hops, Maison A, Rosy’s at the Beach, Dezign salon, Kelly’s Brewing Co., Bubbles & Brew, Murphy’s Mercantile, Craft Roots, F45, Noah’s, Colibri, Sinaloa, The Jewel Box, AR Workshop, Studio 38, Pono Wellness, Portraits by Rebecca, and more.

Tickets include beer and cider samples, a custom glass, and a brew crawl passport with a map conveniently attached to a lanyard, to keep track of all your libations. Tickets are now on sale through Eventbrite.

The cancellation of our Downtown Wine, Art, and Music Stroll  for the second year in a row this spring brought to naught all the indefatigable behind-the-scenes organizational effort. So, we are naturally anxious about the fate of the Brew Crawl. Laura Bertoldi, event chair, MHDA board member and owner of the local TenFiveOne Cider Company, said: “We need to bring the community together more than ever. Bringing them downtown during the Brew Crawl would be wonderful. I hope it will be possible.”

That note of wistfulness and uncertainty has colored everything during these times. Yes, COVID-19 has raised its tentacles again with yet another iteration. But at the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, we fervently hope that things will improve and it will be possible to gather, together again. We hope to see you at the Brew Crawl.

Suman Ganapathy

Suman Ganapathy is a Morgan Hill Downtown Association board member. She is also a Leadership Morgan Hill Class of 2018 alumnus, President-elect AAUW Morgan Hill, volunteer docent and board member at the San Jose Museum of Art “Let’s Look at Art” program, and Chair, Morgan Hill Library, Culture and Arts Commission.