1. Bay Area Brew Fest: Get warmed up for Beer Week next month by hitting this fourth annual celebration of craft beer at Fort Mason. The $40 admission ($50 VIP) includes unlimited tastings from dozens of breweries, including Ballast Point, Almanac, Heretic, Pacific Brewing Laboratory, Sierra Nevada, Deschutes, Uncommon Brewers, Lagunitas, Speakeasy, Firestone Walker, Bitch Creek, Ninkasi, Rogue, and more. Food trucks like Doc's of the Bay and Bombzies BBQ will be on-site, and Three Twins Ice Cream will be offering a special Lagunitas flavor. Get your tickets here. (Saturday, January 5, 2-6 pm, at Fort Mason Building A, Marina Blvd. and Buchanan St., Marina.) 

Each week, we offer a roundup of the best literary events in the city. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Want to submit an upcoming event for consideration? Go here.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder)

Tuesday, December 11, 7 pm, at the JCCSF (3200 California St.)

Taleb's The Black Swan was a hit in business circles, and in his newest work, he explains how individuals and companies can survive and thrive during the kind of cataclysmic events profiled in that book. Like its predecessor, Antifragile is iconoclastic, far-reaching, innovatively constructed, and generally irascible, but still packed with intriguing ideas about the unintentional consequences of events that can't be predicted or anticipated. Tickets are $25 ($45 premium) for the general public, $20 ($40 premium) for members, and $15 for students. 

1. Skrewcap Tastings at Nectar: If you're a fan of bubbles, Pamela Busch of Skrewcap is doing a pair of sparkling wine-centric tastings at Nectar Wine Lounge in the Marina. The first, this Saturday, is a "Bubbles on a Budget" tasting, featuring outstanding and well-priced sparkling wine from around the globe. Next Saturday, she'll shift the focus to authentic Champagne, complemented with bubbles from California-based Schramsberg. Admission to the first tasting is $20; the second is $30. Those interested in getting the party started early should swing by Nectar for their new Saturday brunch, featuring fresh-pressed juices and mimosas from Thrive Juicery.