Here is a list of great beer happenings – courtesy of beerfestivals.org an excellent resource from Michigan-based freelance writer Paul Ruschmann. Paul is a beer enthusiast who’s traveled to many of the world’s “hop spots.” Beerfestivals.org is a labor of love for Paul, whose “day job” is analyzing and writing about legal and public policy issues. You can see more of his work on his website www.paulruschmann.com.
June 3-7: Mondial de la Biere – Montreal
Location: Windsor Station and Courtyard, Montreal, QC, Canada
Presented By: Mondial de la Biere
Highlights: Free admission; more than 350 beers, including 100 new beers and 15 beers brewed especially for the festival; Quebec cider; food items for sale; beer seminars and workshops; cooking demonstrations; a variety of entertainment; popular vote for festival’s favorite beer.
June 4-6: Great Grampian Beer Festival
Location: Richard Donald Stand, Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland
Organized By: Aberdeen Grampian & North East Isles Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: Ninety Real Ales, with styles ranging from milds to Old Ales and barleywines, plus a smaller selection of ciders, perries, and bottled beers.
June 5-6: Keswick Beer Festival
Location: Keswick Rugby Club, Keswick, England
Organized By: Keswick Lions and Keswick Rugby Club
Highlights: Nearly 250 beers and ciders, including products of Cumbrian breweries, and food and live entertainment.
June 5-7: Avon Valley Railway Real Ale Festival
Location: Avon Valley Railway, near Bitton, England
Highlights: More than 30 Real Ales and ciders from both the region and throughout the U.K., including a special festival beer; bottled beers; festival venue is inside an 1860s heritage railway station; event also features journeys on vintage Diesel and steam locomotives and hot and cold food.
June 5-7: Glastonwick 2009
Location: Church Farm, Coombes, England
Organized By:The founders of Glastonwick, including Seagulls Ska, Attila the Stockbroker, and international cask beer advocate Alex Hall
Highlights:”Beer, music, poetry, and more beer”; about 65 cask-conditioned ales, all from small independent breweries; about 12 farmhouse ciders and perries; food, including vegetarian and vegan options; and an international lineup of entertainers.
June 6: Beer Barons’ World of Beer Festival
Location: Schwabenhof Pavilion, Menomonee Falls, WI
Organized By: The Beer Barons of Milwaukee, an organization of homebrewers and beer enthusiasts
Highlights: Last year’s festival, held in an indoor/outdoor venue, featured more than 150 beers from over 50 breweries, homebrewing demonstrations, and food; a portion of the proceeds benefitted the proposed Museum of Beer and Brewing. More details about this year’s event will be posted on the festival website.
June 6: The Beerfest
Location: Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, CA
Benefit For: Face to Face/Sonoma County AIDS Network
Highlights: Beer from more than 35 Northern California’s microbreweries and a matching number of gourmet food purveyors; live music.
June 6: WYES International Beer Tasting
Location: Riverfront Arena, New Orleans, LA
Benefit For: WYES-TV, New Orleans’ public television station
Highlights: Recent festivals featured more than 150 foreign, domestic, and home-brewed beers. More details about this year’s festival will be posted on the WYES-TV website.
June 13: Fremont Toyota Lander Brew Fest
Location: City Park, Lander, WY
Sponsored By: Lander Chamber of Commerce
Highlights: Sixty beers from more than 15 breweries, most of them from the Rocky Mountain region; food and live music.
June 13: Great Northern Beer Festival
Location: Hi-Pines Campground, Eagle River, WI
Benefit For: Local charities and organizations
Highlights: Beer from more than 20 breweries, most of them from Wisconsin; Eagle River Homebrewers Exhibition; shuttle bus from local motels to festival site.
June 13: Stoudts Microfest
Location: Brewery Hall, Stoudts Brewery, Adamstown, PA
Highlights: Two tasting sessions, with microbrewed beers from around the country, German-style buffet, entertainment, and complimentary shuttle service from local motels.
June 18-20: National Homebrewers Conference
Location: Oakland Marriott City Center, Oakland, CA
Sponsored By: Brewers Association
Highlights: An annual gathering designed to enhance homebrewers’ brewing skills and to increase homebrewing camaraderie; the program includes speakers, including keynote speaker Ken Grossman; seminars aimed at amateur brewers and beer enthusiasts of every level; events, including Pro Brewers Night and Club Night.
June 19-20: Oregon Brews & BBQs
Location: Granary District, near downtown McMinnville, OR
Highlights: Beer from area microbreweries and wine from local wineries; food vendors offering barbecue and other food; live music; raffle for a Lil’ Tex BBQ.
June 19-20: Wyoming Brewer’s Festival
Location: Cheyenne Depot Plaza, Cheyenne, WY
Highlights:Taster’s party Friday evening, with beer from more than 20 breweries and vendors, food from Cheyenne restaurants, and music; Brewer’s Fest Saturday evening, with beer tasting and food available at a nominal price.
June 19-21: Leipzig Bierboerse
Location: Voelkerschlachtdenkmal, Leipzig, Germany
Highlights: Biergarten atmosphere; more than 1,000 beers from over 75 countries, including hard-to-find German microbrewery products; food and live entertainment; breweriana; artisan stands. Website is in German only.
June 26-28: Cologne Bierboerse
Location: Innenstadt-Tanzbrunnen, Cologne, Germany
Highlights: Biergarten atmosphere; more than 1,000 beers from over 75 countries, including hard-to-find German microbrewery products; food and live entertainment; breweriana; artisan stands. Website is in German only.
June 27: Bell Tower Brewfest
Location: Downtown Placerville, CA
Hosted By: Placerville’s downtown merchants
Highlights: Evening tasting session, with beer from more than 40 microbrewed beers, served on closed-off downtown streets; blues and zydeco entertainment; event is a fund-raiser for the Placerville Downtown Association. Tickets are limited and expected to sell out in advance.
June 27-28: Colorado Brewers’ Festival
Location: Old Town, Fort Collins, CO
Organized By: Downtown Fort Collins
Highlights: Historic downtown setting; more than 500 kegs of beer from over 50 Colorado breweries, including five from the immediate area; food and live entertainment; proceeds benefit other events in downtown Fort Collins.
June 27-28: Northern Virginia Summer Beer Festival
Location: Morven Park, Leesburg, VA
Highlights: “A Celebration of American Beer,” with products from more than 50 breweries, a variety of food, wine and cigars, and music by by local and regional bands.
June 27-28: The Great European Beerfest
Location: Sharp Edge Beer Emporium, Pittsburgh, PA
Highlights:: Three tasting sessions “under the big top,” with more than 100 European beers to sample; food and live music.
June 27-29: “Beer Passion” Weekend
Location: Groenplaats, Antwerp, Belgium
Organized By: Beer Passion Magazine
Highlights: More than 150 beers, most of the from Flemish breweries; beer cuisine; and musical entertainment. Website is in Flemish only.
June 28: Olde New England Days Brewfest
Location: Village Shops, Lincoln, NH
Organized By: Lincoln-Woodstock Chamber of Commerce and Docto Association Management
Highlights: Beer from all of New Hampshire’s craft breweries, with food and live music; “aficianado Package” tickets available; festival is part of the weekend-long Olde New England Days festival and “Splash into Summer” events.
