Did you give up alcohol for Lent? Me neither. But I did give up meat, and I will be more than happy to end my vegetarian vows upon the merciful arrival of Easter, most likely beginning my meatpocalyptic odyssey with a nice, juicy Casey's burger. Mmmm, Casey's burger.

Er, anyway, speaking of the holiday, our thriving local scene has a veritable Easter parade of beer-related events for you to enjoy in your Week in Beer, straight ahead.

Friday, April 2
Sample something a little different at the Michigan Beer Tasting at Whole Foods Market Cranbrook, 990 W. Eisenhower, from 5-7 p.m. It’s not wine, it’s not beer, it’s mead! Come out and try this venerable and unique beverage, courtesy of the folks at B. Nektar Meadery, 1505 Jarvis, Ferndale. Special happy hour pricing available, as always.

Saturday, April 3
Sometime back around 1984 B.C. (before cats) I got my then-Best Pet Ever, Cecil the rabbit. I loved that little bunny more than any other pet, at least until I got the two feline furballs who now share my living space. If you love bunnies the way I loved my dear departed Cecil and you love beer the way I, uh, love beer, then the Corner Brewery, 720 Norris, Ypsilanti, is where you want to be from 1-5 p.m for the Midwest Rabbit Rescue’s “Hops for Hope” benefit, which seeks to educate people on the whole idea of “Don’t bring home a rabbit for Easter unless you really intend to take care of the little dude for years to come.” Please, don’t abandon your bunny. Tickets include a beer tasting, chocolates, fair trade coffee and a vegetarian appetizer buffet. Call 734-717-8545, e-mail rabbitbloom@yahoo.com or visit makeminechocolate.org for more information and to get involved.

Then it's time to head over to the just-opened Packard Pub, 640 Packard, where from 7-9 p.m. the folks behind Wolverine Beer will be on hand for drink specials, free swag, and March Madness.

Easter Sunday, April 4
Too tired to make an Easter ham or otherwise put together a nice spread? Head to Jolly Pumpkin Café & Brewery, 311 S. Main, for their Easter brunch, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy Three-Egg Omelets, Home Fries, Bacon with Leeks and Gruyère Cheese, Roasted Chicken with Morels, Grilled Leg of Lamb with Roasted Radish, Spring Pea Salad with Mint Cream and much more. An under-12 children’s menu is also available with entrees $9 or under. And, of course, there’s great Jolly Pumpkin beer.

Tuesday, April 6
Are you ready for summer yet? It’s not too early to get started, and one way to do that is to put on your Hawaiian gear, grab your sunglasses, and head over to the Corner Brewery for the Bavarian Bliss release party from 6-8 p.m. Plenty of this light, delicious hefeweizen to go around, as well as a great appetizer buffet. And how great will it be to drink in the beer garden again? Absolutely free for Arbor/Corner Mug Club members; $10 for outsiders.

Decision time! 6-9 p.m. is also the monthly Brewer’s Night at Grizzly Peak, 120 W. Washington. Beer specials, tours of the brewery, and a cask of Hunny ‘n’ Oats, a.k.a. Yorkshire Angel Oat Malt Ale (see below) in a honey-primed cask, will be available. This is always a good time, so if you’ve never been, you may want to check it out. What else you doing Tuesday night, anyway?

Wednesday, April 7
It’s time to remember, with something less than fondness, the federal anti-alcohol nanny state of yesteryear with a Prohibition Repeal Party at Arbor Brewing, 114 E. Washington. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., the savvy beer drinker can enjoy throwback prices of 25 cents a glass for Arbor’s special small-batch commemorative brew, the Ladylegger Pale Ale, limit four per person while supplies last. And when supplies stop lasting, all other drafts are at happy hour prices all day. Come out and raise a mug to the end of this particular nasty manifestation of the Puritan mindset.

Thursday, April 8
From 7-9 p.m., it’s a hophead lover’s dream at the IPA tasting at Arbor Brewing. Enjoy a couple dozen “hop bombs” (that’s really bitter beers for you neophytes), a hearty appetizer buffet and, of course, fabulous door prizes. Tickets as always are $25 in advance or $30 the day of; call the brewery at 734-213-1393 to reserve your spot.

Notes on the Napkin

• On tap now at Grizzly Peak: Yorkshire Angel, a Northern English-Style Oat Malt Ale, is a silky, hazy copper, well balanced brew featuring East Kent Golding hops and topping out at 4.1 percent ABV, making it a great “session beer” for those who prefer to leave the brewery walking tall, not staggering or crawling home. Coming soon: Hop Happy Monk, a 6.5 percent ABV hoppy take on the Trappist-style “single” ale. Brewed with wheat malt and brown sugar, this one sounds really intriguing to this reporter.
• Gonna be in Plymouth any time soon? Drop by the Liberty Street Brewing Co., 149 W. Liberty, for a pint of some of their upcoming small-batch brews: Red Oak Ale, a version of their Red Glare Amber Ale with French oak chips added to give a barrel-aged flavor, and Jonger, a ginger beer designed and brewed by a Liberty Street Mug Club member. Other small batches will be brewed throughout the summer through the “Sons of Liberty” guest brewer program. You can always call the brewery at 734-207-9600 for more info.
• The Chicago version of Web hipster site DailyCandy.com recently visited Ann Arbor and made a point to sample beers at Arbor, Grizzly Peak, and Jolly Pumpkin. Read the whole thing here.
  
  
• Have you been following Beer Madness at food blog Epic Portions? It began with 64 beers, and now it's down to just four. Who will win the One Drunken Moment? Tune in and find out.

So that’s your Easter brews fit to pint. Until next time, enjoy those chocolate bunnies, hardboiled eggs and, of course, delicious craft beers. And remember: Peeps are not food.

David Bardallis is a freelance writer and editor, blogger, bon vivant, and man about town. Visit his Web site, DavidBardallis.com, to engage his services or read his latest. E-mail your beer-related thoughts to annarborbeer@gmail.com, follow @dbardallis on Twitter, or join the "All the Brews Fit to Pint" Facebook page.