OCB Announces Plans For 3rd Annual OCB Beer Week

The following is a press release from the Ontario Craft Brewers announcing the plans for their 3rd annual Ontario Craft Beer Week.

(TORONTO) – February 17, 2012 -- The third annual ‘Ontario Craft Beer Week’ launches on Father’s Day, running from June 17 – 23, 2012 throughout the province.

The annual week-long, beer-themed salute to Ontario’s small, independent brewers celebrates the burgeoning local craft beer scene, exposing consumers to the fun and fresh quality of Ontario’s homespun brews.

Hosted by 29 OCB member breweries, hundreds of beer-themed, grassroots events will be held throughout the province in breweries, pubs, restaurants, event venues and service clubs from Cambridge to VanKleek Hill and Muskoka to Niagara.

The festival continues to grow in size and scope and promises plenty of unique beer-tasting opportunities. OCB is also pleased to announce that Amsterdam and Steam Whistle have joined the festivities this year.

“We’re aiming for the biggest and best Ontario Craft Beer Week yet,” says Anetta Jewell of Great Lakes Brewery and co-chair of Ontario Craft Beer Week 2012. “There’s no better way to kick off summer than with a province-wide beer festival that opens up a world of Ontario craft beer to consumers.”

Highlighted under a banner theme of “Your First Time”, this year’s festival will focus on newbies and naysayers, encouraging people to try new local beer flavours, styles and brands and report on their experiences using social media like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc.

Events will be listed on the Ontario Craft Beer Week website under the following themes:

1) Craft Beer & Dad
2) Craft Beer & BBQ
3) Craft Beer & Cheese
4) Craft Beer & Chocolate
5) Indie Beer & Indie Culture
6) Casks & One-offs
7) Meet the Makers
8) Brewery Collaborations
9) Craft Beer 101

“OCB breweries are working together to make this a great event and we have some amazing collaborative events and beers brewing already,” says Steve Beauchesne of Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. and co-chair of Ontario Craft Beer Week 2012. “Our passionate brewers look forward to sharing the love of good beer (and food) with adventurous folks open to exploring new tastes and experiences.”

Events throughout the week include tasting opportunities at pubs and restaurants, craft beer 101 courses, beer and food/cheese/chocolate matching, meet the brewer, pub crawls, collaborative/competitive brewing, indie beer & music appreciation, and much more.

Many of the OCB members will kick off the week with Father’s Day celebrations at their breweries or on premise with local licensee partners. In Toronto, the week is bookended by such large scale gatherings as the Toronto Wine & Spirits Festival, Beach BBQ & Brews Festival at Woodbine Park and the week finishes up with SESSION 99, A Craft Beer Festival at 99 Sudbury.

Last year’s Ontario Craft Beer Week saw 23 breweries hold 120+ events in 25+ towns and cities across the province.

First round of event listings will be posted on May 1st, 2012 at www.ocbweek.ca or visit www.ontariocraftbrewers.com

Any interested parties with event ideas or requests should contact their local brewery or send an email to info@ocbweek.ca .

“We hope to attract visitors from outside of Ontario,” says Jewell. “With its rich brewing history and culture, Ontario is becoming an increasingly popular tourism destination for those interested in discovering craft beer, visiting local breweries and experiencing beer cuisine.”