In Canada, few events exemplify how small independent breweries contribute to our gastronomic culture than the Great Canadian Beer Festival — Canada’s oldest beer festival, held annually in Victoria in September.
The celebration of beer and breweries, and their enthusiasm, flavours and varied brewing techniques, hit the road last year for the first time, landing in Cranbrook.
Good news for craft beer fans: it’s coming back this year.
The second annual Cranbrook Beer Festival, presented by Victoria Beer Society and the Great Canadian Beer Fest, is set for Saturday, Sept. 14, from 2 to 8 p.m. at Balment Park.
Craft beer and beverage fans can enjoy unique samplings from more than 20 Canadian craft breweries, cideries and non-alcoholic beverage makers. Live music, delicious food trucks, fun games and more are also planned.
The Great Canadian Beer bus will pour beers you typically can’t get your hands on, including 18 breweries from all across Canada.
In addition to offerings from B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, you’ll also find exciting new beers this year from the Yukon and Nova Scotia to sample.
Also new this year will be some non-beer beverage makers Expect cider, alongside other amazing zero-proof options, all while enjoying some tunes from DJ Benji!
“It feels like one of those festivals that pioneered craft beers at the very beginning,” says Rebecca Craig, with the Victoria Beer Society, which brought the festival to Cranbrook in conjunction with the City of Cranbrook, Cranbrook Tourism, and the B.C. Ale Trail.
“Now it’s awesome to see so many microcraft breweries — B.C. has an outrageous number of craft breweries — and the festival helped jump start that, in a way that was new and exciting, and brought forth this idea of a beer tasting festival.
“Over the length of time, in tandem with the beer festival, we’ve seen beer culture become refined, diversified, community oriented.”
Get your tickets now at victoriabeersociety.com/cranbrookbeerfest.
- Entry-only tickets (no tokens) are $25
- General admission tickets are $45 and include five tokens
- Premium tickets are $75 – get in 30 minutes early, with 10 tokens
- Tokens are $2.50 + tax
“We know there are so many great craft breweries in the Kootenay region,” Craig says. “It’s fun to be able to bring the festival to them and showcase what they’ve been doing. It’s so far for them to come to Victoria. We felt we owed it to them to bring the festival to them, so they could attend, and showcase what they’re doing.”
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