A local beer event with an excellent name has some excellent artwork to go with it.

Local artist Wayno has created the logo for posters, fliers and T-shirts for the sixth Hell with the Lid Off Barleywine Festival, the annual appreciation of these burly brews at Kelly's Bar and Lounge in East Liberty.

The event runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 20 and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 21. Co-organized by East End Brewing Co.'s Scott Smith, this year's fest is to feature dozens of barleywines, some in multiple vintages, that attendees can sample in flights "in an all-you-can-taste, small-portion, four-hour marathon." Mr. Smith describes it as "the biggest and the baddest beer fest you'll never survive," since barleywines can have alcohol content of 8 to 12 percent and higher. But they plan to help you hold up with a spread of edibles, including some "stinky" cheeses. Cost is $40 cash only in advance (at Kelly's, 6012 Penn Circle South, or East End during growler hours) or $45 at the door. Get more details at eastendbrewing.com or by calling Kelly's 412-363-6012.

At the event, Wayno will sell just 30 signed and numbered 11-by-17-inch color offset posters for $20 ("unframed," he notes, "or cheaply framed for $30.") They also can also be ordered via wayno.bigcartel.com/product/hell-with-the-lid-off-poster.

Speaking of East End: Scott Smith as always has a lot cooking, including this week, the release of Chocolate-covered Cherry Stout. It's a stout brewed with 17 pounds of Belgian dark chocolate and 5 pounds of cocoa powder, flavored with tart Michigan cherries. Available at growler hours while it lasts.

Just on tap at area Sharp Edge's: Boullion de Houblon, or Hop Stew, the 2009 winner of the Best of the 'Burgh homebrew competition. East End brewed a batch of the recipe from Mike Moretti.

Coming: an East End Beer Dinner at the Frick Cafe on March 25 ($70, frickart.org/start/cafe.php).

The website is up for the Big Tap In beer festival in Boardman, Ohio, on April 24 that we wrote about last month. It's bigtapin.com. Tickets go on sale Feb. 22.

Bocktown Beer and Grill in North Fayette has started a 5 to 7 p.m. weeknight happy hour that pairs little bites with little sips -- 4 ounces -- of draft craft beers. Dubbed "Where Beer Meets Grill," the promotion offers customers these pairings, some or all of which can be combined as a beer-dinner-like meal:

• Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Hummus with wheat ($6)

• Crab Cake with Smoked Pepper Aioli with pale ale ($9)

• Grilled Pear and Stilton Cheese with Fig Glaze with stout ($9)

• Pork Slider with Untouchable Sauce with India pale ale ($7)

• Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding with java or cocoa porter ($7).

The brands of brews will rotate with the taps, but your server can tell you what's on.

Owner Chris Dilla, who's working on opening a second location in Monaca, says Bocktown might continue this after this month (bocktown.com).

The North Side's Penn Brewery restaurant isn't yet open, but the place is brewing lots of beer and will give the public another crack at a Mardi Gras party Tuesday. The bar (serving Penn Pilsner, Kaiser Pils and Allegheny Pale Ale; the Penn Dark got held up by the cold weather) and light New Orleans buffet open at 5 p.m.; from 8 to 11 p.m., there'll be music by Dixie Doc and the Pittsburgh Dixieland All-Stars. President Tom Pastorius says the brewery is just now using its new keg filler to fill kegs, which could get out to area watering holes next week or so, and they have purchased a new bottle filler/capper that could be hooked up next month.

Tuesday is not only Fat Tuesday, but also Firkin Fat Tuesday at Fat Head's on the South Side. Starting at 3 p.m., they'll be tapping two firkins of their own real India pale ales: Head Hunter IPA and Hop Juju Double IPA.

Head Hunter, brewed at the Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon in North Olmsted, Ohio, recently was named one of the top 25 beers of 2009 by staffers at Draft magazine, who noted how it not subtley kicked butt at a West Coast IPA fest (www.draftmag.com/magazine/articles/114).

Philadelphia's Yards Brewing is the subject of the Cultural Trust's Downtown Craft Beer School at 6 p.m. Feb. 16 ($25, 412-456-6666 or pgharts.org).

Coming into this market this week is a Wisconsin beer with Pittsburgh ties: Furthermore is co-owned by Aran Madden, who was head brewer at the late Foundry Brew Works in the Strip District and also brewed at the Church Brew Works in Lawrenceville. Millvale's Vecenie Distributing is bringing in the brews from Black Rivers Falls, Wisc., where, until Mr. Madden and partner Chris Staples build a brewery, it is contract brewed by Sand Creek Brewing Co. Brands include Knot Stock, a pale ale with black pepper; Fallen Apple, a cream ale with cider; even a winter seasonal sour ale called Thurmo Refur brewed with black pepper and black malt and organic red beets. Read more at furthermorebeer.com.

Mr. Madden is coming to town early next month for events including a beer dinner at Point Brugge Cafe on March 8.

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