The five-day beer festival, which kicked off on Wednesday and runs through Sunday, June 15, is Canada’s largest beer fest, drawing more than 100,000 visitors and 100 breweries.
The selection is immense: this year’s festival includes brewers from Quebec and across Canada (British Columbia’s Central City Brewing and Granville Island Brewing, and Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co., just across the border in Ontario); an American contingent (including Dogfish Head, Stone Brewing Co., and Rogue); and a smattering from overseas (New Zealand’s 8 Wired Brewing Co. and Norway’s Nøgne Ø), as well as two special pavilions highlighting emerging Italian and Brazilian breweries.
Held downtown in the Palais des congrès, the fest spans a convention center floor with a separate pavilion area outside. The format differs from most American beer festivals; admission is free, but you pay for tasting coupons ($1 each) with each 3- to 4-ounce pour costing two to six coupons. While it means you may not be able to try quite as many beers, I found that it provokes a more thoughtful and relaxed tasting session.