Cape Fear Craft Beer Week, a celebration of the region’s craft beer culture, will be held March 23 through April 1.

Hosted by the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance, the week’s events are designed to attract beer tourism in the Cape Fear region and showcase the area’s breweries, bottle shops, restaurants and craft-centric businesses.

The celebration kicks off March 23 with Cape Fear-area breweries going head-to-head in the second annual Ultimate Brewing Championship. Brewers from participating local breweries have each drawn a secret combination of North Carolina ingredients that must be included in their beer. The ingredients will be kept secret until the event, when there will be a blind-tasting to crown the Ultimate Brewing Champion. More details will be available on Cape Fear Craft Beer Week's website.

Time is running out to buy early bird tickets for Cape Fear Craft & Cuisine, the signature tasting event that will be held along the banks of Bradley Creek at Airlie Gardens on March 31. Twenty-five local chefs will present their best cuisine paired with beer from a participating brewery.

“Last year’s sold-out Cape Fear Craft & Cuisine received rave reviews from attendees, breweries and participating chefs,” said Jeremy Tomlinson, president of the Cape Fear Craft Beer Alliance.

Chefs and brewers will be on-site to talk about their pairings and discuss flavor profiles. This year’s event is presented by national growler distributor Tote Glass, with food provided by Cheney Brothers Inc. 

Nearly all local breweries will be represented, as well as several from the Triangle. A sampling of local participating restaurants include: The Pilot House, Spoonfed Kitchen, Steam Restaurant & Bar, Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria, Catch, Savorez, The District, Beer Barrio and manna. 

In addition to the main events, other events throughout the week offer opportunities to experience local beer and food pairings, including dinners and cooking classes. Early bird tickets for Craft & Cuisine are on sale for $75 until Thursday.

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