photo from San Diego Beer Week Facebook page

All that water and none of it for drinking...but who cares?

The 2017 edition of San Diego Beer Week runs from November 3rd until November 12th. Hundreds of beer events will take place all over the county at breweries, bars, and restaurants during that time, including pairing dinners, tap takeovers, and meet-the-brewer nights.

You may find a fairly comprehensive list at sdbeer.com, but more will turn up if you consult your favorite brewing, dining, and drinking establishments.

These are the biggest, can’t-miss events anchoring the ten-day affair.

VIP Brewer Takeover Friday, November 3, 6–9 p.m. Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, 1000 North Harbor Drive, Marina District. The official Beer Week kickoff party lives up to its name, bringing out many of San Diego's best brewers to show off a couple of their favorite creations. It's a little smaller than the main festival, but there's still a staggering amount of delicious craft brew to sample. Tickets $75–$100.

Amplified Ale Works 5-Year Anniversary Party Friday, November 3, 6 p.m.–12 a.m. Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Boulevard, North Park. Amplified will be taking over a ballroom at the Lafayette to celebrate five years with loads of funk provided by local bands, Surefire Soul Ensemble, Elektric Voodoo, and Finnegan Blue. The brewery's first funky brett beer will be one of 18 Amplified beers served, including new collaborations and barrel-aged releases. Tickets $25–$50.

Brewers Guild Festival Saturday, November 4, 1–5 p.m. Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, 1000 North Harbor Drive, Marina District. Beer Week's main event features 60 San Diego County breweries serving special releases and rarities, along with plenty of food vendors and local musicians. Tickets $35–$55.

Lost Abbey Barrel Night Saturday, November 4, 6–11 p.m. The Lost Abbey, 155 Mata Way, San Marcos. Limited to 150 people, this dinner event presents the opportunity to taste aged Lost Abbey beers straight out of the barrel. That would be reason enough to attend even without dinner, but the kicker is guests will either take home two or four bottles of Lost Abbey's latest Veritas sour-ale release. This will be number 020 of a series that always proves tough to get. Tickets $150–$250.

Collabapalooza Saturday, November 11, 1–5 p.m. The Observatory North Park, 2891 University Avenue, North Park. Because the history of craft beer in San Diego revolves around the sense of community and collaboration, the city's oldest craft brewery, Karl Strauss, is spearheading this parking-lot festival devoted to collaborations. The beers poured this day are one-time releases, crafted in in collaborative partnerships between more than 30 of the city's best beer companies. There won't be another festival like this all year. Tickets $40–$55.

The Beer Garden Sunday, November 12, Noon–3 p.m. The Lodge at Torrey Pines, 11480 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla. The Brewers Guild’s closing Beer Week event matches up more than a dozen of the city's most popular chefs with local breweries to cook up food-and-beer pairings. Since all this goes down next to a cliffside golf course overlooking the Pacific, it's easy to peg as the week's most elegant party. Tickets $85.