6 food and drinks events happening in metro Phoenix this weekend

A Taste of Melanin will host a series of free events throughout February, celebrating Black History Month to educate and immerse attendees in Black culture, including a restaurant week. “For eight days, more than 15 awesome Black-owned restaurants from all around the Valley are pulling out all the stops,” according to the event’s webpage.

Sip your favorite locally made craft brews and try some new ones during the 10-day Arizona Beer Week. The week kicks off with the Arizona Strong Beer Festival, which brings more than 150 breweries from Arizona and beyond pouring 500-plus samples. Other can’t-miss events include O.S.H.O. Brewery’s Donut Daze on Feb. 15. Throughout the day, you can choose from 13 pairings of doughnut-inspired craft beers and crullers. See some of the baddest women in brewing on Feb. 21 at the Pink Boots Fifth Annual Arm Wrestling Throwdown, hosted at Boulders Bar & Grill in Mesa. The live event, in addition to feats of strength, features beer and a silent auction, supporting the Pink Boots Society of Arizona’s mission to engage women in the craft beverage industry.

Tempe Eats, a food hall featuring eight new eateries, will host its grand opening at noon on Feb.16. Options will include vendors serving tacos, wings, po’ boys, pasta and sushi along with craft beer, wine and cocktails. Guests can order from any of the eateries or bars in one transaction, with dishes delivered to their table. The space features a dining area, two patios, a main bar geared to sports and a TV-free wine bar.

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Mixologists from around the world will shake up drinks at Top Bars, an event hosted during Arizona Cocktail Weekend.

Arizona Cocktail Weekend

Arizona Cocktail Weekend

Feb. 16 to 20
Multiple locations

Arizona Cocktail Weekend, the Southwest’s longest-running cocktail event, is back for another round in downtown Phoenix. The five-day event is part conference, part drinker’s paradise with three special events. The Cocktail Carnival, hosted at Walter Where?House showcases unique cocktails, art and performances. Top Bars is a pop-up palooza of more than 40 of the world’s best bars, such as Analogue from Singapore and London’s Coupette. The weekend wraps with Last Slinger Standing, where some of the state’s best mixologists go head-to-head, crafting cocktails based on a secret spirit until only one bartender remains.

Join Pedal Haus Brewery at its Roosevelt Row rooftop to celebrate Mardi Gras with New Orleans-inspired food and drink specials and live music, including the Bad Cactus Brass Band. The kitchen will be making spicy jambalaya and crispy shrimp po’ boys for the occasion, and the bar will be mixing up hurricanes. The party is from 2 to 10 p.m. Entry is free, and those who RSVP through Eventbrite can get their first hurricane for $2. The rooftop party is 21 and up.