For the fourth year, SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience will bring talented brewers and their beers to D.C. from all over the United States. The popular tasting event, which will be at the National Building Museum on June 3 and 4, sold out in less than 20 minutes again this year, despite doubling in capacity from one to two sessions.

But not having a ticket will not leave you thirsty come June. The excitement of having so much great craft beer in the city has motivated the D.C. beer community to once again create a beer week around the Brewers Association event. Only this time things are more official, as the logo above suggests.

SAVOR is two months away, but nearly 40 events have already been planned for the days leading up to and immediately following the event. Read on for a sneak peek at what’s in store for SAVOR Beer Week DC, which runs from May 30 to June 5. (But grab a hankie because the list will make you drool.)

Kick-off events don’t get much better than the craft beer and crab fest that Policy is planning for all day Monday, May 30. What better way to spend your Memorial Day than chasing down some softshells with beer from Heavy Seas, Flying Dog, and Dogfish Head?

The active planners at Flying Dog are leading the pack with events so far, starting with a book reading with CEO Jim Caruso at Kramerbooks on Tuesday. Caruso willmostly likely read from the works of Hunter S. Thompson, the “Gonzo” journlaist who is near and dear to the brewery and its founders. The same night Flying Dog has invited Lagunitas Brewing Company of Petaluma, Calif., for a double brewery event at The Big Hunt. On Wednesday, the Frederick, Maryland, brewery is hosting a late night comedy showcase at the Gibson Guitar Showroom. On Thursday, Flying Dog is throwing a brewers symposium draft night at ChurchKey featuring beers from several breweries participating in SAVOR. Finally, on Saturday Farmers & Fishers will serve a beer pairing brunch featuring Flying Dog brews.

RFD is pulling out the big guns again, with their “Toast to SAVOR” tasting event scheduled for Wednesday night and the annual Lupulin Reunulin on Thursday. The Lupulin slam began as a best India Pale Ale contest between teams of east and west coast brewers. These days it is a brewers’ reunion that brings big names like Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head, Kim Jordan of New Belgium Brewing Company, and local legend Bill Madden of Mad Fox Brewing Company in Falls Church to the stage for a night of beer, and often, comedy. RFD will also be the site of one of several SAVOR after parties on Friday night.

ChurchKey has an excellent line-up with events every night and a Saturday brunch featuring paired courses from the breweries they host over the course of the week. Standouts include a Sierra Nevada beer dinner at Birch & Barley on Tuesday and a tap takeover night with Short’s Brewing Company of Bellaire, Michigan, on Thursday.

Pizzeria Paradiso is planning a five-course pairing dinner on Monday at the Georgetown location and a brunch on Saturday at the Dupont Circle location featuring two special breweries. The Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria locations will see two draft nights throughout the week as well. At this point the participating breweries are a secret but they are sure not to disappoint.

The Black Squirrel will be partnering with New Holland Brewing Company of Michigan for a special event sometime over the weekend. On Sunday evening, the ladies of Black Squirrel will be hosting an educational beer and food pairing event for women in the new downstairs bar that will showcase some of the biggest female names in the beer industry.

Scion in Dupont Circle is teaming up with Allagash for a paired tasting event on Wednesday featuring some of the Maine brewery’s rarest beers. The list includes Odyssey, a barrel-aged dark wheat ale, Victoria, a Belgian-style ale brewed with 150 pounds of Chardonnay grapes, Big Little Beer, a collaboration with the founders of Beer Advocate, and Vrienden, a brew made with New Belgium Brewing Company of Colorado.

The Big Hunt is planning some fun stuff for the week, with the marquee event being a tap takeover with Evolution Brewing Company of Delaware on Saturday.

On Wednesday, Rustico is hosting a Sierra Nevada meet the brewers night and glassware giveaway at the Ballston location. On the same evening in D.C., Capital Lounge will be throwing an event with Great Lakes Brewing Company.

Iron Horse has some unique stuff planned including a backwards SAVOR, called “ROVAS” which will run Monday through Thursday evenings. For opposite week, all craft beers will be $5 a pint and light domestic beers like Miller and Bud will be $10 a pint. Iron Horse is also hosting a tap takeover of beers featured at SAVOR on Friday night and a SAVOR after party on Saturday.

Brewery Ommegang has a full week of events planned including beer dinners at Smith Commons and Meridian Pint on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. There will also be Ommegang beer featured at a SAVOR after party at Brasserie Beck on Friday and a brunch at Granville Moore’s on Sunday.

Brunch fans will be pleased to know that in addition to the wealth of options already listed, both Saturday and Sunday Bourbon in Glover Park will be putting on a “Beer Can Revolution” brunch featuring beers from DC Brau, Oskar Blues, Avery, and Butternuts.

There are also rumors of a beer bar bus tour with Dogfish Head brewmaster Sam Calagione Saturday afternoon starting with a book signing at D’Vines in Columbia Heights.

All event details are tentative. For udpates, keep an eye on our D.C. Beer Events Calendar ” target=”_blank”>D.C. Beer Events Calendar.

Logo by Joel LaPointe developed through a contest with DCBeer.com, Premium Distributors and the Brewers Association