Beer lovers, rejoice. The east coast franchise World of Beer has set it sights on Mill Avenue, with a projected grand opening in early July.

More than 50 breweries from around the world — and right here in Arizona — will pour more than 200 varieties of beer Saturday at the Great Arizona Beer Festival.

The connection between bicycling and a Belgian-style beer brewery may not be an obvious one. But that is what Tour de Fat is all about.

Answer me this, sports fans: Which game — besides pingpong — is played with pingpong balls, on a pingpong table? It’s a riddle that might stump the average Ph.D, but to every beer-sodden college undergrad from Tempe to Chapel Hill, the answer is as plain as the Pabst stains on a dorm room rug.

World of Beer Tempe is buying you a free beer as long as you bring in a holiday toy for a child in need.

The World of Beer chain is opening its first Arizona location in July, with a bar on Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe. The bar will serve 50 beers on tap from more than 40 countries, and more than 500 bottled beers. Customers can create their own six-pack combinations to take home, as well.

October 1, 2004

Observe judging, meet brewers and sample competing beers at a round-one judging event for the 23rd Annual Great Arizona Beer Festival to be held in March. 6 p.m. Friday. Taste of Tops, 403 W. University Drive, Tempe. A final round of judging is 6 p.m. Feb. 25 at Sun Devil Liquors in Mesa. $10, includes six beer samples and a chance to win prizes. (480) 774-8300 or azbeer.com.

The spring training schedule for Tempe Diablo Stadium came in our water bill last week. I couldn’t suppress my goofy grin and immediately ran to my desk calendar to mark every Friday game. All right, I get to ditch two days of work this March, and sit in the outfield and drink cold beer. Man, I love this time of year. Maybe I’ll throw in a couple of Mondays for good measure.

Four Peaks invites all Valley teachers to the first annual Cheers to the Classrooms, a weeklong supply give-away designed to thank educators "for their bravery managing 20-plus squirming, sweaty, kids in a classroom."

Earlier this week, in making plans to attend the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show with girlfriends, the invitation was extended to the men in our lives.

Forget chug-a-lugging for a quick buzz; these East Valley beer-sampling options offer a learned approach to discovering new brews and cultivating a classier palate for cold ones.

For many beer aficionados, nothing beats the freshness and flavor of a microbrew straight from the tap. Many drive miles to brewpubs to fill up glass bottles, also called growlers, with their favorites.

The Tribune recently reported on the resurgence of the budget-priced Pabst Blue Ribbon (about $12 a case) as the drink of choice for the twentysomething set.

Oktoberfest reels into Tempe Beach Park this weekend for its 34th year of beer, bratwurst and polka.

Oktoberfest reels into Tempe Beach Park this weekend for its 34th year of beer, bratwurst and polka.

A year ago today, 6 percent of Tempe residents voted "yes" on Proposition 200, creating Tempe’s tough smoking ban.