Disappointed beer geeks may lament the hiatus this year for the beloved American Craft Beer Festival, yet something new and just as exciting has taken its place. The first BeerAdvocate Microbrew Invitational (beeradvocate.com/micro) takes over the Seaport World Trade Center (200 Seaport Blvd., 617-385-4000, seaportboston.com) June 3 & 4 for three sudsy sessions. Billed as “a celebration of old-school, small-batch brewing,” the event highlights specialty brews—some making their debut at the expo—from producers both near and far whose output is less than 465,000 gallons of beer per year, including such regional breweries as Cambridge Brewing Company, Mystic Brewery in Chelsea and von Trapp Brewing of Stowe, Vermont, as well as newcomers like Lynn’s Bent Water Brewing Company. Tickets are $55 (21-plus only) and include all beer tastings.