Logo courtesy of Active 20-30 Club of Santa Rosa.

The folks behind the 17th annual Battle of the Brews, the Active 20-30 Club of Santa Rosa, have announced the primary non-profit beneficiary for the event, set for March 29 at the fairgrounds: North Bay Challenger Little League. The baseball league allows kids with mental or physical impairments to experience America’s pastime in an environment geared to their ability levels. The Club has raised more than $1 million over the years for charities, including past contributions to Challenger Little League, with the annual brew festival. Past beneficiaries include Santa Rosa Boys and Girls Club, Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, Children’s Village, Kid Street Learning Center , Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) , Schools Plus , Project Graduation, and several of the club’s in-house projects benefiting youth.

“We have had a long-standing relationship with Challenger Little League, and we are excited at the opportunity to raise funds for this truly amazing and inspirational organization,” said Brian Sosnowchik, co-chair of the 2014 Battle of the Brews.

The club tells me they are trying to scale up the Battle, aiming to make it the biggest and best beer-related event in the area. The 2014 version will include the traditional Main Event “People’s Choice” competition, in which brewers and restaurants pass out samples and vie for the popular vote from the crowd. It will also include the second year of two new events – the Craft Cup, which features judging of professional and home-brewed beer, and the ‘Wich Hunt, a sandwich making competition featuring area chefs and put on in association with our Press Democrat buddies at Bite Club Eats.

The exact lineup of breweries participating isn’t set yet, but based on the list from 2013, the spread should be impressive, including many of our local favorites, plus some harder-to-find national names and a good assortment of mass market and import brews too.

Tickets for the Main Event, the people’s choice competition, are $40 each. For $95, however, you can attend both the Main Event and the Craft Cup and ‘Wich Hunt, which will be held earlier in the afternoon. Only 500 of the $95 tickets will be sold, so you might want to think about buying those early. You can order online or buy at Third Street Aleworks. Tickets will also be sold at the door, assuming the event doesn’t sell out beforehand.

– Sean Scully