There’s a lot of talk these days about the increasing demand for low-alcohol and even non-alcoholic beer. But this weekend, let’s put that all aside for the sake of long-standing traditions. There really isn’t a tradition on New York’s craft beer scene as old as this one: for the 20th year, Mugs Alehouse (125 Bedford Ave., at N. 10th St., Williamsburg) is dedicating all of their taps to barleywines and other big beers for their annual Split Thy Skull event.

The festival kicks off at 11am this Saturday and runs through Sunday, with different tap lists both days. Some of the kegs are rarities, some are aged, and some are straight-up classic high-gravity beers. Some come from across the world, some come from across town.

There’s no admission fee, and food will be available all day to soak up all that alcohol. But be warned: you’ll want to take it easy once you see the ABV levels of some of these beers. The good news is most of them are served in small, manageable pours, so sip slowly and dabble in a few different beers. Here’s the full list for your perusal…

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Pastrytown is this weekend! The Other Half Brewing-hosted celebration is on Saturday. General Admission tickets are still available to the event, which will be held at Industry City in Brooklyn starting at noon. There’s a whole bunch of sought-after breweries pouring their finest, richest imperial stouts at the event, along with sweet treats from Ample Hills Creamery, Coolhaus Ice Cream, Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pies, Milk Bar, and more 

Here are some of the breweries and beers to look out for at the fest.

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Braven Brewing Company opened its taproom in Brooklyn last fall (Photo: Chris O’Leary)

Both Staten Island Beer Company and Braven Brewing Company closed their doors last month, leaving beer drinkers with two fewer options for taprooms in New York City. Staten Island Beer Company, in the Mariners Harbor section of its namesake borough, closed at the beginning of the month. Braven Brewing Company, off the Morgan Avenue L Train stop in Brooklyn, closed its doors last week.

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The Happy Hour Guys’ Broadway Brews Project has rolled out its latest beer, this time with the show Come From Away. The project, which pairs the cast of a Broadway show with breweries to create a beer that raises funds for a good cause, resulted this time in the Islander Pale Ale, brewed in collaboration with Five Boroughs Brewing Co. and Newfoundland’s Yellowbelly Brewery, with the goal of the beer to raise money for Tuesday’s Children. This beer is the sum of its parts, so let’s delve into how everything about this beer comes together.

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Big Alice Brewing will celebrate the grand opening of their first satellite location this Friday – a barrel room in Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The new outpost is significantly larger than their original taproom in Long Island City, offering lots of seating to enjoy more than a dozen draft beers with a wide variety of Big Alice’s brews, plus cider for the non-beer drinkers. The space will also give Big Alice an opportunity to expand their barrel aging program without taking up the precious space they have in their current Queens location.

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The official collaboration beer of NYC Beer Week (Image provided by Interboro Spirits & Ales)

NYC Beer Week starts Saturday and runs through Sunday, March 3rd! Here’s the rundown of everything you need to know — the events, the happenings, the beers, and more — to get you ready for the citywide ten-day celebration of everything beer! There are still tickets for the biggest events of Beer Week, so mark these on your calendar!

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