EDIBLE: A six-pack tour around Monterey County’s best craft beer places.

Some thirst would be understandable. Monterey Beer Week 2017, due this summer, is a ways off. But it is AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am week, and San Francisco Beer Week. So here’s what happening with the top spots for small-batch brew (get more info on the blog):

ALVARADO STREET BREWERY (655-2337) will be all over the map in San Francisco, with a dozen-plus events including the opening gala and tap takeovers at eight spots. Back home a can release party starts as this issue hits the street, with new 16-ounce four packs, starring cult-favorite Triple Cone IPA ($22/four-pack), Trois Cabrones double IPA done with Amplified out of San Diego ($20), and When Doves Cryo West Coast IPA with Cellarmaker Brewing ($18). Meanwhile there’s a revisited 3-6pm happy hour with new nibbles like chorizo street tacos ($5) plus new $3 bar bites. They’re also planning a major expansion of the new Salinas production facility/tasting room.

PETER B’S BREWPUB (649-2966) is enjoying the fruits of brewmaster Justin Rivard, who has a small fleet of new stuff coming. Among the goodies: Danger Berry, a 6.8 percent blackberry ale fermented with 84 pounds of local poison-oak honey. More good news: Chef Danny Abbruzzese is introducing comfort food chalkboard specials like braised chicken enchiladas with queso fresco in Oaxacan-style red mole ($11.99) to pair with beers.

TRAILSIDE CAFE & BEER GARDEN (298-7453) is cultivating a starter crop of mug club members, who make the most of 15 artisan beers on tap (plus a cider), including Crux Fermentation Half Hitch DIPA. For S.F. Beer Week, owner Sean Allen is guarding a stash of bottled West Coast craft brews unavailable anywhere else; happy hour romps on 4-6pm with $2 off select craft drafts and most of the 40-plus bottles.

FARMERS UNION POUR HOUSE (975-4890) has enjoyed an inaugural winter in Oldtown Salinas to surprise co-owner/operator Colin Hattersley: He thought it would be a lot slower, but valley herds continue to rumble through. They’ve added live music like what’s coming March 23 with Bruce Pittenger and Dave Offerdahl. A collaboration with neighboring Giorgio’s is working out well. Lobster nachos ($17), spinach-artichoke dip in a sourdough bowl with housemade potato chips ($11) and fungi pizza with toy box mushrooms, caramelized onions and tartufata truffle love ($16) are favorites.

POST NO BILLS CRAFT BEER HOUSE (324-4667) catches beermakers heading north with a tap takeover Friday, Feb. 10, via six different beers from Coronado Brewing, bottle specials and a mixed six pack of IPAs plus a draft pour for $17 too. Stay tuned for a date on the ownership changeover party once ABC gives the go-ahead, where a fabulous full-bodied red IPA ($7) by incoming co-owner Kye Ricks and barkeep Erich Weingand gets its final flow.

XL PUBLIC HOUSE (754-2337) was next on the list of local craft shrines, as any self-respecting beer list should be (at least) a six-pack long. But the barkeep couldn’t be bothered to talk specials or specifics, so I’ll add a few other standout places with surprisingly good suds: 1) Salinas City BBQ (758-2227), where the small-batch beers match the quality of the brisket and change constantly; 2)Valley Greens Gallery in Carmel Valley, (620-2985), where the selection tips toward high-gravity craft and the art goes urban; and 3) Whole Enchilada Marketplace in Moss Landing (632-2628) which keeps a roster of $4 local craft drafts on 14 taps in a liquor store/deli setting that doubles as an undercover beer spot with a long slab bar.

~ QUICKBITES ~

• The poke explosion is ongoing. Still-new Poke House of Marina (384-7898) has a location coming to the Cannery Row area in about a month (at 601 Wave St.) called Cannery Row Poke House. Meanwhile, Sushi Time in Seaside (884-5011) is still finalizing Poke Time. Word from co-owner Jinhee Park is that there’s no official open date, but it should could open this month, at 484 Lighthouse Ave. in Monterey, where the “Coming Soon” banner now hangs.
• The reinvented Hellam’s Tobacco (373-2816) on Alvarado in downtown Monterey is open with humidors stocked with AT&T Pro-Am-appropriate cigars and a new wine bar.
• Best of Monterey County final voting has commenced. Look for updates on the blog. And get to voting.
• To celebrate year two in business, Bon Ton L’Roy’s Lighthouse Smokehouse (375-6958) is dishing po’ boys – shrimp, catfish and, with a Monterey twist calamari.
• This year’s GourmetFest goes down March 16-19 – hint: there’s more than a month to save up the money for some events – with a super-select group of 18 chefs. Those include Michael Tusk,Nathan Rich, Cassidee Dabney and Per Hallundbaek – all told more Michelin-starred chefs than will appear anywhere all year in the United States. There are the is-this-really-happening wine tastings from the likes of Chateaux Margaux, Domaine des Comte Lafon and Champagne Pommery. More on the blog, www.mcweekly.com/edible.
• Boulud’s Bocuse d’ Or co-pilot Thomas Keller has a mean golf game. He competes in the AT&T Pro-Am this weekend, has a major French Laundry renovation underway and appears in our celeb quiz (p. 22).
• On the golf front, caddy-friendly Mulligan Public (250-5910) opens at 9am during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (Feb. 9-12) for Bloody Marys and such. Grey Goose Vodka sponsors a bar by night on the patio, and presents a $200-a-head hospitality venue called The View off Pebble’s eighth fairway. Post-AT&T, it drops a Monday night industry night with $5 drinks.
• The Wharf Marketplace (649-1116) now carries Bigoli Pasta, fresh out of Sand City, and Revival Ice + Cream crafty sweet treats.
• In the January/February issue of Golf Inc. magazine, Porter’s in the Forest ranked among the Most Improved Public Food and Beverage Facilities in the annual Golden Fork Awards competition.
• Big Sur Bakery Chef Phil Wojtowicz and local event maven Mariah Green are collaborating on a cooking demo featuring wood-roasted half chicken, butter lettuce salad and seasonal veggies ($125 includes wine, 747 – 4623) Monday, Feb. 27.
• Aubergine, Justin Cogley and Yulanda Santos are launching a monthly three-course “Redefining Flavor” series Wednesday, Feb. 15, with reimagined delicacies like brown butter halibut, sunchoke purée with brioche and burnt eucalyptus ice cream ($115 includes wine, 624-8578).
• Grasing’s in Carmel pairs dinner with Far Niente wines 6pm Tuesday, Feb. 28; dishes include foie gras and crispy black skin cod ($175, 624-6562).
• The 11th annual Santa Lucia Highlands Gala at Mer Soleil Winery presents 40-plus wineries pouring limited-release bottles with local chefs on the gourmet bites Saturday, May 20 ($120, www.santaluciahighlands.com/gala).
• Mesa del Sol has won a Wine Enthusiast nod for its 2011 Syrah ($38) with a 93-pointer Editors’ Choice.
• Tony Baker of Montrio Bistro and Soerke Peters of Basil Season Dining offer a four-course dinner and educational event titled “going green.” ACF Monterey Bay hosts/wine by Wrath Winery 6-8pm Wednesday, Feb. 15 ($35/member; $45/nonmember, 601-5895 for reservations).
• Caraccioli Cellars (622-7722) is out with its vibrant sparkling Rosé. Valentines can be bubbly, after all.
• The Cork & Plough in King City (386-9491) has live music 6-8pm Wednesdays.
• Julia Child: “Usually, one’s cooking is better than one thinks it is.”