9 Summer Beer Festivals Worth Traveling To
There isn’t a season when we don’t enjoy beer. That said, there’s something about quenching our thirst with a cold one under the summer sun that’s particularly appealing. And the only thing better than quenching our thirst with a beer, is quenching our thirst with many beers. To do that, we recommend hitting up one of these festivals. Even if you have to book a plane ticket, they’re worth traveling to this summer.
Carnivale Brettanomyces
Amsterdam – June 26 – 27
Yeah, you need to book the plane ticket, like, yesterday, but Carnivale Brettanomyces in Amsterdam would be one hell of a time if you could make it. Taking place at six different venues around the city, the festival is a celebration of the funky and odd. Along with plenty of Netherlands-based breweries, you’ll get to sample offbeat goodies from Nogne Ø, Freigeist, and others. Even if brett beers (beers brewed with brettanomyces, a wild yeast strain) aren’t your thing, you’ll find takes on the Berliner Weisse, Gose, and even some ciders and meads. Link
Seattle International Beerfest
Seattle – July 10 – 12
A summer beer festival in the truest sense—complete with outdoor boozing and live music. Located right underneath the Space Needle, the Seattle International Beerfest features beers from the likes of Against the Grain, Destihl, Lagunitas, and more, and many are completely inappropriate for outdoor summer drinking—big barley wines, barrel-aged stouts, and others, for example. There’s a Portland version of the same festival this week (6/26 – 6/28), if that’s easier for you. Link
Chicago Tour de Fat
Palmer Square, Chicago – July 11
New Belgium’s bike race-cum-carnival hits Chicago in July, and if you’ve never attended Tour de Fat before, it’s worth the trip. While you drink your Fat Tire, you can enjoy the insane fashion, parade, and a live performances. You’ll also have the chance to drink some of the fine beers from New Belgium’s Lips Of Faith series, which is always a good thing. Look for other dates around the country on their site. Link
Burning Can
Brevard, North Carolina – July 17 – 18
Think Burning Man but less weird and with more canned beer. Burning Can is an annual festival put on by Oskar Blues that, as the name would suggest, is in honor of good beer in cans. The idea is to celebrate the active lifestyle canned beer accompanies. Besides tasting the best American canned beer, you’ll have the opportunity to take part in plenty of outdoor adventures and the first ever trail running and beer drinking race. Link
Vermont Brewers Festival
Burlington, Vermont – July 17 – 18
Where can you taste mind-opening brews from Hill Farmstead, Fiddlehead, Lawson’s, and The Alchemist? The Vermont Brewers Festival. If you’ve been looking to check off a handful of bucket list beers in one day, this is the place to do it. The problem: almost all tickets are sold out. So, either pick some up for the last available session, or befriend some kind folks with an extra ticket or two. Link
Maine 2015 Beer Festival – Summer Session
Portland, Maine – July 24
Over the last year or two, we’ve kind of fallen in love with Maine Beer Company. And since we’ve been planning a trip up, we might as well enjoy all the great Maine breweries while we’re at it. Hosted by the Maine Brewers Guild, the Summer Session of the Maine Beer Festival is loaded with local breweries doling out samples and educational talks from brewers. Link
18th Annual Michigan Summer Beer Festival
Ypsilanti, Michigan – July 24 – 25
It’s no secret Michigan is one of the great beer brewing states in America. If you want to drink the best the Wolverine State has to offer, this is the place to do it. With more than 1,000 beers from over 100 Michigan breweries, you’ll get to experience glass after glass of Michigan pride. Link
International Berlin Beer Festival
Berlin – August 7 – 9
Even though the big tents of Oktoberfest might come to mind when you think of Germany and beer, there’s another huge celebration that happens over in Berlin every summer. The International Berlin Beer Festival attracts some 800,000 visitors who drink their way through 2,400 beers from over 300 breweries. Just eat a lot of brats to soak up the booze. Link (Photo: andBerlin)
Stone 19th Anniversary Celebration & International Beer Festival
California State University San Marcos – August 14 – 15
When you’ve been in business as long as Stone has, there’s a good chance you’ve made a few friends along the way. Stone is celebrating their 19th year with a little help from those brewer-friends. Taking place over two days (you have to buy tickets for an individual session) at California State University San Marcos, Stone’s bash is filled with beer samples from amazing breweries, a cigar lounge, live music, and much more. Choose the Saturday All Access Pass and you’ll even get to taste from a selection of 50 rare beers Stone will have on hand. Link
