It’s beginning to look a lot like Beer Festival Season! Everywhere you turn, every weekend seems to bring about another sud-soaked celebration. I love this time of year…

Beer and baseball. What a classic combination. Ever since we started watching men swing for the fences over a hundred years ago, barley and hops have been there every step along the way. In fact, if baseball hadn’t claimed it first, beer drinking might very well be our national pastime. There will be plenty of room for both at Skybox on Sheffield (3627 N. Sheffield) in Wrigleyville this Sunday, May 19th.

They call it a ‘week’, but just as a baker’s dozen equals 13, a brewer’s week is usually closer to 10 days. Chicago Craft Beer Week kicks off on the 16th of May and will continue until the 26th. Throughout that time, folks lucky enough to find themselves along the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan will be inundated by a menagerie of malts and heady hops. One of the first events on the radar: Lagunitas Love at 2 Sparrows (553 W. Diversey).

Italy is a proud land steeped in serious tradition. Berkeley is an ever-evolving town determined to break the rules. The two seemingly incongruous cultures find their common ground in a mutual admiration for great food and drink. Build (2286 Shattuck Ave.) is at the crossroads.

The name Dublin is derived from the Irish phrase, ‘black pool.’ But this world-class cosmopolis is nothing but a bastion of brightness, offering access to some of Europe’s most refined culture; a treasure trove of culinary creations.

The final day of my Oregon travels was devoted almost exclusively to the wines of the Applegate Valley. This region is brimming with under heralded juice just waiting to be unearthed. But considering that this part of Southern Oregon is also home to one of the most rapidly-developing craft beer scene in the country, it becomes clear that the Applegate is cloud nine for connoisseurs.

The Big Apple is always providing access to the excess; the biggest skyline, the best bars, the most delicious food. When visiting La Birreria (200 5th Avenue), a rooftop beer garden in the middle of Manhattan, you get it all. Drink it in.

If you’re a microbrew in the Bay Area these days, it’s kind of tough to make a name for yourself. After all, the region is home to some of the world’s premiere small batch beers. But down in the South Bay, just up the hills from the sprawling city of San Jose, a contract brewery named Strike has attracted a good deal of attention in a short period of time.