Petaluma's craft beer scene turned the first weekend of August into a treasure hunt, as seven bars and breweries across the city began stamping cards for anyone who orders an IPA. The citywide Sip, Stamp, Score game launched this past Saturday and runs through Sunday, Aug. 9, timed to International IPA Day on Thursday. Visitors who collect three stamps are entered into a drawing that hands out concert tickets, including a VIP night at Lagunitas' outdoor amphitheater.
As reported by The Mercury News, Lagunitas Brewing Co. teamed up with HenHouse Brewing Co. to grow what started as a single day into a full week of cross-town collaboration. The seven stops on the trail are Lagunitas at 1280 N. McDowell Blvd., HenHouse at 1333 N. McDowell Blvd., Crooked Goat Brewing at 110 Howard St., Brewsters Beer Garden at 229 Water St., Buffalo Billiards at 246 Petaluma Blvd., Gale's Central Club at 106 Petaluma Blvd. and The Hideaway at 128 Kentucky St. Completed cards must be dropped off at Lagunitas by Sunday, Aug. 16, with the drawing set for Aug. 17.
International IPA Day itself dates back to 2011, when beer writer Ashley Rousten established the observance on the first Thursday of August, just ahead of International Beer Day the following day, according to TWØBAYS Brewing Co.
City Hall and Local Voices Champion the Crawl
Jenny Davis described IPA week as a collaborative effort among local businesses supported by the city and the mayor, according to the same report. She added that the week celebrates an influential beer style while also highlighting the people, places and businesses shaping Petaluma.
Hannah Dray said beer is about the people who make it, the places that pour it and the communities that gather around it, per the outlet's report. Petaluma Mayor Kevin McDonnell said the week showcases local businesses working together, supports the economy and celebrates community creativity.
Grand Prize Comes With a Charitable Twist
The top prize is a VIP experience for two at the Live at Lagunitas Allen Stone concert on Monday, Aug. 24. Two runners-up will receive general admission tickets to the same show, giving stamp-card players more than one way to win.
According to DoTheBay, 100% of net proceeds from VIPA Experience ticket sales benefit the San Francisco SPCA. The concert takes place at Lagunitas' intimate, 300-capacity outdoor amphitheater, the outlet notes, tying the grand prize to both live music and a charitable cause.
Why Petaluma Can Sustain a Citywide Beer Crawl
Petaluma supports roughly 6.7 craft breweries for every 100,000 residents, a high concentration for a city of about 60,000 people. That density helps explain why a stamp-card crawl spanning seven venues can actually work here.
HenHouse Brewing Co., one of the week's anchor stops, was founded in Petaluma in 2011 by Collin McDonnell, Scott Goyne and Shane Goepel, who initially vowed never to brew IPAs, according to Day One Distribution. IPAs went on to account for more than 70% of the brewery's total production by 2022, the outlet reports.
Lagunitas, this week's host and drop-off point, has its own long arc in Petaluma's beer story. Founded in 1993 by Tony Magee in West Marin, the brewery moved to Petaluma in 1994, sold a 50% stake to Heineken International in 2015, and saw Heineken take full ownership in 2017, according to Absolute Beer.
A Local Bright Spot Amid a Tough National Market
The collaboration arrives as the national craft beer industry faces real headwinds. U.S. craft beer production volume fell 5.1% in 2025, and 481 brewery closures outpaced 300 new openings for a second straight year. That squeeze is pushing producers nationwide to lean harder on taproom events and community engagement instead of wholesale distribution.
California remains something of an exception, leading every state with 939 active craft breweries and more than $8.3 billion in economic impact in 2025, according to the Brewers Association. Tourism tied to food and drink carries real weight locally too: Sonoma County tourism generated $2.4 billion in travel spending and $231.1 million in state and local tax revenue in 2025, supporting roughly one in six local jobs, per the Sonoma County Economic Development Collaborative.
Even More Taps Are Popping Up Around Town
Crooked Goat Brewing, one of the smaller independent stops on the crawl, expanded from Sebastopol to open its Petaluma taproom at 110 Howard St. in 2022. The brewery pours 16 rotating tap lines and partners with neighboring restaurants for food delivery rather than running its own kitchen, according to Crooked Goat Brewing.
The city's taproom count grew again just days before IPA Week began, when Old Caz Beer opened its new Old Caz Backyard location at the former Block space with 30 taps. That launch followed a 7-mile bicycle parade from Rohnert Park along the SMART transit trail, as Hoodline previously reported.
It's not yet clear how many completed cards will actually reach Lagunitas before the deadline, or whether city leaders intend to make IPA Week an annual fixture on Petaluma's calendar. For now, organizers are focused on the final stretch before the drawing decides who takes home the amphitheater seats.
