Press Release from the Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation
Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC) is proud to present our first annual Beer Fest. This 2 night event will take place March 27 & 28, 2009 from 7-10pm at the St. John's Convention Centre.
With a souvenir sample cup in hand, come employ your senses and experience over 40 different types of beer and a variety of ciders through interactive samplings and demonstrations, while listening to live music and enjoying a variety of food in a beer garden atmosphere.
To Purchase Tickets ($49.99)
Online (http://www.nfliquor.com/events/onlinetickets.asp)
Friday, February 20th at 10:00 am or Howley Estates Liquor Store, 10 Elizabeth Ave, St. John's Saturday, February 21st at 10:00 am
Early Bird Bonus!
The first 400 tickets sold (200 online & 200 in store) for Friday nights show and the first 400 tickets sold (200 online & 200 in store) for Saturday nights show will receive a $10 NLC Gift Card. Limit to 4 tickets per night per transaction.
It is nice to hear that Newfoundland Labrador will be holding their first ever Beer Fest. Hopefully the smaller brewers (3 that I know of) will be in attendance offering their products to consumers uninterested in the Molson's, Labatt's and Inbev imports.
LCBO - Take a look at this, along with the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation Halifax Seaport beer fest and throw together one of your own - bigger than the Summerhill tasting, with live music and at an off site venue.
5 comments:
Three small brewers attending? Thats great news. The rumors here are that there will be only three new beers in total! Dos Equis, Innis and Gunn(?),which already have two products here, and a yet un-named beer.
I certainly hope those rumors are false. It would be a pathetic beer show indeed. Your information about three small brewers would brighten things considerable.
Sorry to mislead - I meant that hopefully the three small brewers that I know of (YellowBelly, Storm, Quidi Vidi), will participate. I have no idea if they will be.
Troy
I didn't read the article correctly and missed the word "hopefully".
I'm going to go and check it out for myself, but the NLC has a woeful track record regarding beer. If you hear of any small brewery looking for a volenteer to help out at this event feel free to give them my name.
:)
I'd have to argue against your suggestion that the LCBO should get into the beer festival business, Troy - at least when it comes to what we traditionally think of as a traditional beer festival. I think that Toronto is already pretty well served on that front, with the Firt York fest to cater to the mainstream, and a variety of events (Volo and Victory cask fests, C'est What spring & fall fests, Golden Taps, Hart House, etc.) to cater to craft beer drinkers.
What I'd like to see the LCBO do, however, is a higher-end beer event. Something similar to their Vintages wine tastings, in a swanky venue (The Carlu, The ROM, etc.) with good food and a well-chosen selection of quality imports and local craft beers. Promote it to wine and spirits drinkers, and prove to them that beer can be just as serious and worthy a drink. The LCBO certainly has the money to back something like this up. I'd really love to see it happen.
Greg - I'm not simply implying that the LCBO throw a beer festival like the one at Fort York, I'm more in favour of the kind you mentioned. I was going to write about having an LCBO festival where individual's would be invited to sample beers brought in on consignment, special craft beers, seasonals - a more interactive beer festival to capture a whole new range of beer drinkers. Other liqour boards seem to be just a little more relaxed and fun than our serious one.
For people like us the idea of big beer festivals are past their prime, but they can still be a good thing for breweries as they can help win over new drinkers.
But yes, the LCBO could pull off a sophisticated event(s) (much like the Canadian Brewing Awards Gala) with a huge range of beers.
Troy
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