Beer weeks are entertaining celebrations of all things craft and they are occurring with greater frequency than at any time in the nation’s history. A good percentage of these events have been running for multiple years and one fine example is Quad Cities Beer Week scheduled from May 1 through May 7, 2017 and now in its fifth year.
Quad Cities refers to a set of cities that straddle the Mississippi River in Illinois and Iowa. On the Illinois side, we have Moline/East Moline and Rock Island. On the Iowa side is Davenport and Bettendorf. Quad Cities Beer Week will feature events on both sides of the Mississippi and will involve breweries, restaurants, etc. Here is a schedule recap:
Monday, May 1st – Quad Cities Beer Week begins with a homebrewing demonstration between 2-8 p.m. at O’Keefe’s, 1331 5th Ave. in downtown Moline, Ill. Local homebrewers will present the demonstration, which will take place on O’Keefe’s outdoor pavilion.
Tuesday, May 2nd – Quad Cities Beer Week continues with a beer dinner at Sippi’s American Craft Bar & Grill, 406 W. 2nd Street in Davenport, Iowa. This event is ticketed and includes a hearty meal consisting of four courses paired with four different beers. The brewers at Front Street and Great River Breweries are supplying the beer and will be present to discuss the pairings and answer questions. Tickets for this beer and food feast are $50 and interested parties should call Sippi’s at 563-323-3911 to make reservations.
Wednesday, May 3rd – The fun continues on Wednesday with a secret beer tapping involving one of the local breweries. The official announcement of who and when has not yet been made, but information can be found on the QCA Beer Week Facebook page approximately one week before the scheduled date.
Thursday, May 4th – Next, Quad Cities Beer Week moves to Radicle Effect Brewerks, 1340 31st Street in Rock Island, Illinois, for a tap takeover scheduled for 6 p.m. The 10 available taps will be loaded with local craft beer. In addition, Wake Brewing will be on site, handing out beer samples.
Friday, May 5th – Taking the Quad Cities Beer Week into the weekend we have Baked Beer & Bread Co. Located in the Village of East Davenport at 1113 Mound Street in Davenport, Iowa, this is the Quad Cities newest small batch craft brewery and for this 5th of May, they will host a Cinco de Mayo party complete with live music and craft beer.
Saturday, May 6th – This is an important date on the calendar nationwide, for it marks the occasion known as Big Brew Day- a day on which home brewers gather around a batch of beer and join in a national toast at 12 noon. To commemorate this national holiday of sorts, Quad Cities Beer Week is taking part in an event scheduled for the downtown Moline courtyard between River House and Rebellion Brew Haus, located at 1510 River Drive, Moline, Ill. Homebrewers will be present and live music will fill the air starting at 2 p.m. This event runs through the evening and will feature home brewers and their home made suds.
Sunday, May 7th – All good things must come to an end and for the finale of Quad Cities Beer Week, Rock Island Brewing Company will serve some of its darkest and boldest beers for a celebration of stouts. This ‘stout War’ will begin at 12 noon at the brewery, 1815 2nd Ave. in Rock Island, Ill.
Quad Cities Beer Week has enjoyed great success over its first four years and it continues to impress guests with its diverse lineup of beer themed events. It’s the perfect excuse to plan a trip to these four cities on the mighty Mississippi as they join together to celebrate the wonders of fine brew. Schedule your trip today, and to keep up with the latest Quad Cities Beer Week events and happenings, be sure to follow on Facebook or visit the website at www.qcbeerweek.com
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