There’s nothing more American than rock ‘n’ roll — except maybe craft beer. Both the microbrew movement and jam bands are part of our grassroots culture, and the two are coming together for a glorious day at RockHops.

This daylong festival celebrates great music and great beer, and is produced by the organizers of the NYC Craft Beer Festiavl and Brooklyn Waterfront Beer Festival, so these are seasoned pros who know how to run a smooth event. An all-day pass goes for $35, and includes live music starting at 1:30 PM, as well as other on-site activities, along with pay-as-you-go access to a wide variety of craft brew and food.

The headliner at Mercer County Park will be Dark Star Orchestra, a renowned Grateful Dead cover band, who’ll be preceded by the Bernie Worrell Orchestra, Citizens Band Radio, Quimby Mountain Band and Lucid.

Elevate your festival experience with the VIP option ($65), which includes an interlude at the Connoisseur Pavilion, where beer writer John Holl and Beertography creator John Kleinchester have curated a list of over 30 unique beers. You’ll receive a commemorative glass and will have from 3:30–6 PM to roam the tent and taste as much as you like from the special list.

“Jeff and I are actually neighbors in Jersey City,” Holl tells us, “so we spent a few great evenings coming up with a really superb list for this tasting. We didn’t want too many of any style, so there’s something for everyone — from IPAs to stouts to pale ales to barrel-aged specialties.”

Selections hail from all over the country, from Green Flash West Coast IPA (San Diego) to Uinta Labyrinth Oak Aged Black Ale (Salt Lake City) to Cisco Whale’s Tale Pale Ale (Nantucket) to New Jersey’s own Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale.

“The beers come from across the U.S.,” Holl noted, “But we chose carefully — just about everything people taste at RockHops is available in local beer stores, so if you find something new that you love, you’ll be able to pick up more of it next weekend.”

Sounds like all that great beer and great music is going to equal a pretty great summer day.

Event Date: 08/11
Event Time: 1:30 PM
Location: Mercer County Park
Price: $35 or $65
Website: drnk.ly/rockhops