Martinis and craft beer up for grabs at weekend events

Craft beer and martinis are the star of two events this weekend.

The beer – over 100 different brews from 40 breweries – is available at the ApCal Craft Beer Festival from 1-6 p.m. Saturday, May 14.

The fourth annual event is held outside on the grass near the big leafy oak tree.

“We’ve really tried to keep it to the true craft beers,” says ApCal owner Darren Schmall. “There’s not going to be any Budweiser and Sam Adams and Shock Top. These are beers that true craft beer lovers will enjoy.”

Several local breweries will pour, including the fledgling Pine & Palm Brewing in Fresno, Riley’s Brewing from Madera, Southgate Brewing Company from Oakhurst, and Fresno’s Tioga-Sequoia.

Food will be available from The Smoke Joint & Mediterranean Grill & Catering by Joe.

Gates open at 1 p.m. and beer and music start flowing at 2 p.m. The Wild Hare will perform live music until 3:30 p.m. and the Junkyard Groove Dogs perform from 4-6 p.m.

Tickets cost $35 in advance, $45 at gate, $10 for designated drivers and are available at www.apcalwine.com.

ApCal is at 32749 Avenue 7 in Madera. Details: (559) 674-9463.

Springtini

This martini-themed event lets you sample all kinds of itty bitty martinis and food from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, May 14.

Held at the RiverView Shopping Center – that’s the one at Friant and Fort Washington roads – Springtini combines drinks, food and live music.

Twenty-three vendors are participating and about half of them will have food and martinis. That includes Piazza Del Pane, The Standard, Texas Roadhouse, KuniSama, the Field House and Starving Artists Bistro.

Valley Wide Beverage will be there with a beer truck. And since Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy is a sponsor, you can expect to see some of that shandy – beer combined with lemonade flavor – there, too.

Live music will be performed by Erick Tyler, Trey Tosh, Cloudship and Aerosmith tribute band Aeromyth, which has a lead singer who looks just like Steven Tyler.

Tickets cost $25 in advance, $30 at the door and are available online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2542849, at the Standard or One Putt Broadcasting at 1415 Fulton Street.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Martinis and craft beer up for grabs at weekend events."