SF has already cemented its reputation as a great brewing town, the home to Anchor, Magnolia, Social Kitchen & Brewery, 21st Amendment, Speakeasy, and other beloved craft breweries. For nine fledgling breweries, however, the journey is just beginning-- and if getting in on the ground floor is appealing to you, you'll want to mark your calendar for the Bay Area Nanobrewery Festival, to be held as part of SF Beer Week on February 13th.

Their goals as brewers vary wildly. Local Brewing Co. is committed to making "session" beers (the industry term for beers that can be consumed in quantity, without either getting too boring or getting the drinker too tipsy), while Beltane Brewing is more into high-octane concoctions like double IPAs and Belgian tripels. Pacific Brewing Laboratories likes to experiment with innovative ingredients, like Szechuan peppercorn and lemongrass; Van Houten Brewing tends more towards traditional British and German styles. What they all have in common, however, is a passion for beer and brewing-- one that's strong enough to keep them going after working their day jobs.

Hosted by BayAreaCraftBeer.com, the event is pretty much a steal: the $15 admission includes unlimited samples, a commemorative glass, and two tickets for full-size brews from Social Kitchen, which is playing host (food is available separately for the peckish). Tickets are only available at the door, so mark your calendar for 5-9 pm on Sunday the 13th, and get ready to meet the brewers whose beer you'll be drinking in the years to come.