Athens bars and restaurants will fill with microbrew tasters and beer lovers from around the state looking to try some of Ohio’s best beers next week.

Ohio Brew Week, running Monday to July 19, celebrates microbrews from breweries around Ohio. The event began three years ago as a way to bring people to Athens in the summer, said Dan Gates, director of Ohio Brew Week. This gives hotels and restaurants business because of tourism, he said.

“I feel that this is something we do out of commitment to our community because it helps our economic activity when the summer is known to be slower,” Gates said.

Gates expects about 1,000 people during the week and about 8,000 for the weekend.

But the focus is not solely on tourism.  

Ohio Brew Week is a celebration of localness, said Art Oestrike, Owner of Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery.

Jackie O’s has saved kegs for months in order to give brewing enthusiasts different kinds of beer to taste, he said. About 118 microbrews will be on tap at local bars.

“You will be hard-pressed to find Bud Light on tap next week,” Oestrike said.

Aside from microbrew tasting around town, Ohio Brew week features keynote speaker Ray Daniels, author of Designing Great Beers and a brewing expert. He will be giving three speeches on topics ranging from brewing and agriculture to international beers.   

Other Ohio Brew Week highlights include the BrewBQ Cook-off and a Homebrew Competition. Patrons can also ride the Home Brew Choo Choo, a train-ride that starts in Nelsonville and provides a chance to meet brewers and taste microbrews.

The culmination of the weeklong events is Boogie on the Bricks, a festival on Court Street with live music, local vendors, food and a children’s play area.  

“The event has been doubling in size every year with about 6,000 attendees last year and expect this year to be bigger than that,” said Ric Wasserman, event coordinator.

Because of Boogie on the Bricks, the northern end of Court Street will be shut down on Saturday, said Capt. Tom Pyle of the Athens Police Department.

“It has always been a quiet event and we don’t expect any different,” he added.