The first Los Angeles Beer Week Festival began last night–did you hear the sound of a thousand steins lifting–and will run until October 25th at a number of venues across the city and surrounding environs (by which, yes, we mean Orange County). The 11 days of beer-guzzling will feature a variety of tastings, more than 60 events, home-brewing demos, meet-your-brewer events, and, presumably, lots of foam-blowing.

Check out the calendar of events on the website: an Oktoberfest party at Verdugo Bar, an evening of sausage and beer at Wurstküche, St. Feuillien night tonight at Lucky Baldwins in Pasadena, to name but a few. As for the Oktoberfest, Baum says that there will be lederhosen involved. Hope you rescued yours from last weekend's Oktoberfest fiasco.

Tickets for the closing celebration at Descanso Gardens are on sale now: Over 70 breweries pouring their brews, Patina catering, roses and, apparently, hop vines. “Yes, one of the trellises as you want into the rose garden; there's a couple of hop varieties,” says LA Beer Week organizer Jay Baum. Admission for the celebration is $40, which does not include food, but does include unlimited 4-ounce pours of beer. Get out your calculator for that one.

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