“Here’s to Beer” Festival: Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri

Many individuals that love the different tastes of beer, will have an opportunity to sample different styles of beer at the “Here’s to Beer” festival. The event is scheduled for Thursday May 8th through the 10th in St. Louis, Missouri in Forest Park.

This will be the second year of the event. Last years event drew about 15,000 beer samplers from all over the Midwest. It went over so well, that this years organizers have even streamlined the festival by adding a few special event days.

On Thursday beginning at 7 and running till 10 pm, will be a five course meal with beer samplings of all types of extreme beer. The cost is $100 a person. The beer connoisseur program will be aimed at how each course of food pairs with various beer styles. The VI P’s will be lead by celebrity chef Dave Lieberman of “The Food Network.”

Friday from noon to 4 pm, will feature a “Business Day Festival.” Tickets are going for $50. Many St. Louis companies will treat their employees to an afternoon of tasting beer and food. Both are included in the fee.

General Session will run from 6 to 10 pm on both Friday and Saturday. An afternoon session will run from noon till 4 pm on Saturday. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the event. These general events will be for the sampling of over 70 different styles of beer. Adults in attendance will also receive a commemorative beer glass and enjoy live music and food.

The Here’s to Beer festival has four goals. (1) To provide individuals an opportunity to sample the many different styles of beer that local small breweries provide. (2) To advance the idea of choosing beer over wine or hard liquor with your meals. (3). To provide a fun and spirited festival. (4) To raise money for the local charity Life to Life. That charity is dedicated to helping children that in the St. Louis area. The money brought in by the event is for keeping children safe with after school activities, nurturing home away from home programs.

The extreme beer festival also shows off the many skills of the brew-masters craft in the St. Louis area. Along with the brew-masters will be several St. Louis original restaurants serving a variety of culinary delights. Those participating at this years event will be Companion Bakery, LoRusso’s Cucina, Harvest, SqWires, and Vin de Set.

Three tents will be set up and adults 21 and older will be able housing ales, lagers, and specialty beers. The latter will feature a special brew just for the festival, hybrid styles, home-brews, and of course the famous St. Louis Dark Lager.

Many beer breweries in the St. Louis area, like other breweries across the U.S. is exploring with extreme beers. The use of hops are getting harder to come by and more expensive. In order to still produce a good beverage, brew-masters are trying new recipes. Many individuals think that extreme beer has a stronger alcohol content. That is not necessarily the case. Brew-masters consider anything that is different from the normal type of beer as being extreme.

Extreme beers can raise the creditability of the little brewery’s cachet among serious craft beer samplers. Brew-masters love to create different tastes for individuals palates, especially their own.

The “Here’s to Beer” festival brings both brew-masters and beer connoisseurs together for a weekend of brewing appreciation.

sources; www.beeradvocate.com