New: Coachella Valley Beer Week

It's a craft confab spanning nine desert cities.

A PERSON DOESN'T HAVE TOO DIG FAR... to see that the dining scene around the Desert Resort cities has been in full bloom, much like a gorgeous cactus flower, for several years now. A big late spring Restaurant Week further enhances this reputation, as do chef-attracting happenings like the annual Food + Wine Festival in Palm Desert. Along with the vittles, though, there come libations, of every stripe, and the chic hotel bars of the desert have been pulling their stylish weight on the bespoke cocktail scene, too. Let us, however, not leave the rise and rise of craft beer in the desert behind, for stand-out brews are also making a stand. This only makes sense, given that California has been a lively and innovative leader in the beer-making scene, with San Diego and San Francisco often topping nationwide rosters that celebrate quality and craftsmanship (and Los Angeles is not far behind on those lists, not at all). So will the Coachella Valley soon be taking its place among the big-name suds regions of the U.S.? An initial look with a wide scope can happen in November, when the inaugural Coachella Valley Beer Week stirs up the IPAs and lagers for a multi-day run in multiple cities. Make that...

NINE CITIES IN ALL, including Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells and beyond. A Beer Goddess Brewmaster Dinner starts it all off on Friday, Nov. 13 in Palm Springs, and a BBQ & Beer Competition follows the next day at the Indio Golf Course. And the whole sudsy shebang calls it a week on Nov. 21 when the Props & Hops Craft Beer Festival wings its way for the plane-packed Palm Springs Air Museum. A bonus? While you're tasting and learning and hobnobbing, there shall be vintage plane fly-bys to enjoy. 

OVER 30 BREWERIES... are on board for the crafty kick-off, and we're fairly sure that the fine foam buffs around the state'll want to make a date to get acquainted with what's happening in the kettles and roller mills of the desert. And isn't the desert a most excellent place to slowly sip a cold, expertly made beer? Coachella Valley, welcome to the California famous foam mold. Surely it can't be long before the Golden State takes the majority of slots on Top Ten U.S. Beer lists? 

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