We love a good beer fest, but even better is an event that focuses on pairing food with beer—and lots of it. These beer and specific food festivals pack in the flavor with vats of oysters, countless burger sliders, barbecue, cheese, and more. Take beer pairing to the next level and don’t miss these delicious festivals in 2016.
Schlafly Beer's Stout & Oyster Festival
Schlafly flies in more than 50,000 oysters and teams of shuckers from both coasts for its biggest food and beer festival of the year. This beer and oyster fest includes several oyster varieties paired with 10 of Schlafly’s stouts including: Oatmeal Stout, Coffee Stout, Nitro Irish Stout, Extra Irish Stout, and Oyster Stout. This event is coming up in March in the Schlafly’s Tap Room. Tickets are not required and guests pay as they go. Click here for more details.
Boston Beer & Cheese Festival
Don’t miss the annual Boston Beer & Cheese Festival in March at Cyclorama. This event, which sold out a month in advance last year, features 25 craft beer and cider, 10 New England creameries, and 25 beer and cheese pairings. Tickets for the March festival are already available for purchase, and can be found here.
San Diego Beer & Cheese Festival
It’s hard to resist a festival dedicated not just to beer and cheese, but also to pairing of the two. The San Diego Beer & Cheese Festival at Stone World Bistro & Gardens at Liberty Station includes an expert beer & cheese pairing class led by Cicerone Bill Sysak, live music, and beer and cheese-specific games. Learn more at sdcheesefest.org.
Bleu & Brew
Haven’t had enough beer and cheese yet? Another beer and cheese festival that hit the scene for the first time last fall is the Bleu & Brew Festival at Old Bust Head Brewing Company in Warrenton, Virginia. In 2015, fifteen Virginia breweries poured more than 30 different beers, and Culpeper Cheese Company served nine cheeses for pairing. There were also eight food trucks and three bands. Visit oldbusthead.com to learn more about this event.
Kansas City Microbrews & BBQ Festival
The Kansas City Museum puts on the annual KC Microbrews and BBQ Festival in the spring, including pours from nearby breweries and finger-lickin’ barbecue from Kansas City food trucks. Only 400 tickets are available to this intimate event to allow guests to comfortably move throughout the grounds of the museum. Don’t forget your blanket or lawn chair. Details here.
Burgers & Beer
Last summer, more than 2,500 fest-goers sampled sliders from 40 of LA’s burger joints and brews from 35 breweries at this ode to beer and burger pairings at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Downtown Los Angeles. LA Weekly puts on this festival that includes restaurants, bars, food trucks, breweries, and live music. Click here for details.
Vegan Beer & Food Festival
Another unique summertime food and beer festival is the Vegan Beer & Food Festival that began in LA and now takes place in Portland, Oregon, too. This fest features the region’s craft beer, ciders, and kombucha, as well as vegan food carts, trucks, vendors, and restaurants. It also includes live music and a Pop Up Marketplace with vendors selling clothing, crafts, and other goods. Visit veganbeerfest.com for 2016’s fest details.