Philly Beer Week’s Hammer of Glory to lead monthly neighborhood pub crawls leading up to PBW2015

Spring has arrived, and in Philadelphia that can only mean one thing: Philly Beer Week is coming. But this year, rather than waiting for it to arrive in pained silence, we'll be able to express our anticipation with a monthly neighborhood bar crawl starring PBW's most beloved symbol besides Grand Marshal Tom Kehoe: The Hammer of Glory.

"The HOG has been shy about venturing out on its own in the bitter cold over these harsh winter months," said PBW executive director Kristine Kennedy via a release. "But it's ready to get back where it belongs: out sharing a beer with its friends at the best bars in Philadelphia."

The inaugural "#HOGTour," as the Philly Beer Week crew is calling it, will take place Thursday, March 26 in the Fairmount neighborhood, beginning at London Grill at 6 p.m. with Kehoe, of Yards Brewing Company fame. From there, the crawl will hit Urban Saloon, The Belgian Café, and Kite & Key.

Fairmount, however, isn't the only beer-savvy neighborhood to get a crawl. South Philly's #HOGTour crawl will go down Thursday, April 30, with Fishtown's crawl on May 28 serving as the "unofficial kickoff before the kickoff" to PBW2015. Be on the lookout, though, because this isn't your average cut-and-dry bar crawl. Each #HOGTour event will, as a result, feature "surprises along the way at the whim of The HOG."

Philly Beer Week 2015 kicks off Friday, May 29 and runs through Sunday, June 7. Until then, be sure to check out the HOG when it swings through your 'hood.

And, please, when it does, don't steal it like that one guy did in 2013.

The HOG is for all of us to enjoy.