I’m guessing if you’re the type of person who reads this type of blog, you probably already knew this, but Toronto Festival of Beer starts today! If you’re already in the know and are just like “come on, Schryer, just tell me how to win those tickets”, scroll down, my friend.
Do you love beer? I love beer.
Toronto Festival of Beer is far and away the largest beer festival in the city. Since it’s inception, it’s grown to an event that fills Bandshell Park at the Ex, with over 65 breweries, heaps of food, and great live music. This year features K-os tonight (Friday), The Trews Saturday, and Matthew Good on Sunday.
Yes, this year the primary sponsor is The Beer Store, and yes, that sort of makes a lot of folks a bit worried. But here are two things to consider:
For one, the line-up of local craft brewers is still quite impressive, and include Liberty Village, Side Launch, Brimstone, Great Lakes, Junction, Nickel Brook, Niagara College, Triple Bogey, Mill Street, Snowman, Kensington, Flying Monkeys, Stone Hammer, Collective Arts, Cameron’s, Spearhead, Left Field, Steam Whistle, Beau’s, and more. That was literally what I saw with a quick glance over the list. My apologies to those I missed.
The other thing is, it would be hard for the big guys to get much bigger at this event. I mean, Budweiser backs-in like four 40′ trailers that seem to spill either bikini-clad volleyball players, or sexy-jersey-clad street hockey players, or else a pop-up club all over their area. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong, and the little guys will be sharing space with the toilets, but I doubt it. Rather, you will still likely get the usual amount of free stuff, like branded sunglasses, maybe a t-shirt, or a goofy hat. Heck, go ahead and drink a 50 (I did at the ballgame yesterday). Definitley go into Moosehead’s area, where I’m sure you can get their Boundary Ale (respectable), as well as Hop City beers, and the line-up of Sam Adams stuff. But don’t worry about the mega-brewery influence. They’ve been there all along, and things are just fine.
What else should you do? Well, I think you would be foolish not to go to the Spearhead/Milagro Cerveza Garden, where you can get beer and tacos (and some Milagro? I do hope so). Don’t forget to take your picture in Left Field’s Rookie Card stand, and instagram it at them. You should definitely get some of their beer while you’re there. Catch De Taste Sunlight Park Saison, perhaps?
Feeling hungry? In addition to the tacos in the Cerveza Garden, there will be food from some of the top restaurants in the city. Also Hot Bunzz. What? You’ve never had something for Hot Bunzz? If you don’t do anything else, get one of their tasty buns. Then you will get seven more. You will barter your goofy hat and branded T just to have another. Trust me.
So, want to come? Of course you do. Bad news: Friday and Saturday are already sold out. Good news, Sunday is not. Better news, I happen to have a pair of tickets for the Sunday fest. And they could be yours. So how to win? Easy:
How To Win
Hit me on social media. Tweet at me what brewery you’re most looking forward to trying at the fest, tag me @ChrisSchryer, the brewery, the festival @TOBeerFestival, and hash-tag it #BeerMe. Extra points if there’s a picture included (hint hint, instagram). So it will look like this: “@ChrisSchryer I can’t wait to try @LeftField at @TOBeerFestival on Sunday. #BeerMe!” Got it? All tweets received before 12pm tomorrow, Saturday July 26th will be pooled and a winner will be drawn at random. I will email the lucky duck their passes, and they will be off to the races. Or beer fest. Which ever.
And if you don’t win, you can always get your passes the old fashioned way: http://beerfestival.ca/
