Food Events around Town: The Wine Gallery's "Free Beer Mess", Veggie-gasms at UpStairs on the Square, Finale's 10th Anniversary

Here's the scoop:

The Wine Gallery's Second Annual Free Beer Mess
371 Boylston St., Brookline
(617) 277-5522
Aug 23, 3 to 6p.m.

If you are: An impoverished foodie down on your luck; a mensch helping a friend move in Brookline this Saturday (and you already know he's too cheap to buy the beer); a bro who needs to take the more-cultured girlfriend to something fun, stat, before she breaks up with you for a bartender.

What it is: A free tasting of over 50 beers, including New England faves like Smuttynose and Allagash, as well as beers from Brooklyn Brewery, one of NYC's only redeeming features.

Cost: FREE, y'all

UpStairs on the Square Farm Vegetable Dinner Series
91 Winthrop St, Cambridge, MA
(617) 864-1933
Aug 26, 28, 29 and Sept 3

If you are: A vegetarian who's sick of Grasshopper takeout; a locavore who's sick of cooking; a 50-something Cantabrigian with lots of money and nothing appropriately hippie to spend it on this week.

What it is: a series of dinners at UpStairs on the Square featuring a veggie-fest of Siena Farms squash carpaccio, elderberry sorbet and fried zebra tomatoes. The first, on August 26, is presented in conjunction with the Boston Vegan Association, which means seats will fill up fast. The dinners on Aug 28-29 include vegetarian and fish dishes. The Sept 3 dinner is a vegetarian tasting dinner with organic wines. So pick your (non) poison and make your reservations, like, yesterday.

Cost: $45-90, depending on dinner menu and wine pairings

Finale Coolidge Corner's Girlie Drinks & Desserts!
1306 Beacon St, Brookline
(617) 232-3233
Aug 26

If you are: A pragmatic fashionista who needs an excuse to re-wear that expensive bridesmaid's dress to something fancier than a house party; a fan of Shecky's Girls Night out; an office-bot who is PMS-ing hardcore and it's only Monday.

What it is: We'll look past the fact that the name of this event makes us want to send a copy of The Second Sex to every publicist in town, and focus on the fact that it will involve delicious desserts and tasty drinks in a "cool classroom-type" setting, which hopefully means you'll learn how to make delicious desserts and tasty drinks. Finale will enlist the help of bartenders from 33 Restaurant & Lounge to mix the drinks (they'll be promoting fancy French Les Vergers Boiron fruit purees), while Finale's executive pastry chef Nicole Coady (a girl!!) whips up dessert. And sorry boys, this one really is girls-only.

Cost: $29.95 (includes tax and gratuity; admission by reservation only)