Beginning on March 29, Goose Island Beer Co. (Chicago, Illinois) will declare Tampa, Florida an official Migration Week destination by hosting a series of events throughout the city.

Packed into a bus filled with delicious and elusive brews, several Goose Island brewers and representatives hit the road each year to enjoy a few brews with beer lovers during Migration Week.  Spending roughly a week in each location, this merry band of beer travelers hosts a series of can’t miss events in each city to promote beer culture through education and entertainment.

Although this year’s Migration Week schedule is loaded with international stops, the Goose Island crew has set aside some time to bring the party to Tampa from Wednesday, March 29 to Sunday, April 2.  The official list of 2017 Migration Week events in Tampa is as follows:

• 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29 at Total Wine (1720 North Dale Mabry Highway- Tampa):  Meet the Brewer – “Ask our brewer Chris all of the hard questions and stand in line for a raffled-opportunity to buy some rare gems and sample some great beers.” Featured Beers: Lolita, Juliet, Foudre Project, 2014 Bourbon County Vanilla Rye, Grand Prestige, 2016 Bourbon County Stout, & 2016 Bourbon County Barleywine
• 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29 at Blind Goat (4106 Henderson Blvd. Tampa):  Flash Flock – “Meet our Brewer and then take a quick jaunt down to The Blind Goat where we’ll sip on a few beers we’ve saved specifically for Tampa consumption.”  Featured Beers: 2015 Bourbon County Coffee Stout & Lolita
• 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 pm on Thursday, March 30 at Anise Global Gastrobar (777 N. Ashley Dr. Tampa): Cheese & Beer Class – “Get cheesy with the folks at Anise and the Goose Island crew as we break down the magic that occurs when cheese and beer are enjoyed together. Ticket required (click here to purchase). It’s only $5!”  Featured Beers: “The ones that pair best with cheese, of course. We’ll find out which ones those are!”
• 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 30 at Haven (2208 W Morrison Ave. Tampa): Belgian Beer Dinner – “Join us as we partner with the masterminds of Haven for an unforgettable 4-course culinary experience. Spots are very limited and tickets are donation based (click here to purchase)! All proceeds are being donated to Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful!”  Featured Beers: “Our Best Belgian Style Beers”
• 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, March 31 at Blind Tiger Cafe (1901 East 7th Avenue Tampa): Art. Beer. And Music. – It’s a happy hour party you won’t want to miss. Join the Goose Island and the Blind Tiger crews for delicious beers, boogie to some dusty DJ throwbacks, and listen to live music from Mama’s Batch.  Ticket Info – The first 50 people to RSVP get a food ticket and beer tokens. Sign up for free by clicking here.
• 10 p.m. on Friday, March 31 at The Brass Tap (1600 East 7th Avenue, E-113 Tampa): Flash Flock – “Late night flash flocks are best for drinking Bourbon County Stout variants, so that’s exactly what we’ll be doing. Pop by, meet our brewer, and drink some delicious rare beers.”  Featured Beers: 2016 Bourbon County Proprietor’s, 2014 Bourbon County Templeton, Sofie, Madame Rose, Four Star Pils, & Goose IPA
• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 1 at Total Wine & More (1720 N. Dale Mabry, Tampa): Road to the Harvest: Hop Rub – “Want to learn about what goes into the beer you drink and participate in a hub rub? Us too! Join the Chicago team as we break down the ingredients in our delicious Goose IPA and rub some hops from Elk Mountain Farms. We’ll have food, IPA samples and live music too.”
• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 2 at Franklin Manor (912 N. Franklin St. Tampa): Brunch with Sofie – “Sofie, our Belgian-style Farmhouse Ale is amazing on her own, but for those who like a little extra dash of Vitamin C to get them going in the AM… we’d like to introduce you to the SofieMosa. Come brunch with us at Franklin Manor for a special SofieMosa juice bar and Sofie brunch menu.”  Featured Beers: “Sofie, duh.”

If you are in the area and looking for something to get into this week, believe me when I tell you that hanging out with the Goose Island crew is always good times.  All of the Tampa Migration Week events listed above are either free or ridiculously affordable, so call up your drinking buddies and make plans now to take part in one (or many) of these events later this week.  Prost!