Besides the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day—we could take or leave that last one—February doesn’t have too much going on. It’s a great month to head somewhere warm to escape the winter weather, but it seems like this season hasn’t even been that chilly or snowy. That’s why we’re suggesting the old standby—drinking—to get you through this month. Here’s three beer festivals where you can toast to February:

Cincy Winter Beerfest

They’re preparing plenty of kegs, glasses, and other beer paraphernalia in preparation for this month’s frothy festival in Cincinnati. The fun takes place on February 10 and 11, and there are still plenty of tickets available for you and your drinking buddies. This year tickets will set you back $35 in advance of the party, and that’ll get you a snazzy souvenir cup—capable of holding five ounces—that you can refill up to 25 times. Things get underway each evening around 7:30pm, and the last call is just after 10pm so be sure to pace yourself.

The drinking take place at the Duke Energy Convention Center, and this year’s festival marks the end of the inaugural edition of the city’s beer week. Expect at least 300 different craft beers from here, there, and everywhere, and organizers are hoping for at least 10,000 beer fans to be in attendance. Brewers like Dogfish Head, Elevator, and Three Floyds are just some of the attendees planning to show off their lagers and ales. Organizers even have a spreadsheet of those planning to attend, so you can even take time to prepare your plan of attack. ]]> kjb 2012-02-02T12:00:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/27/132237/815

The much beloved Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has announced they are expanding their operations next year with a new location on the outskirts of Washington, DC, in Ashburn, VA.

The Alamo Drafthouse isn't your run-of-the-mill movie theater. They serve up gourmet food and drinks every night (there is a bar in every lobby) and host fun pop culture-themed events, like the Dazed and Confused Feast taking place tonight at their Houston location.

Construction on the 34,000 sq. foot theater in Ashburn in a planned community called One Loudoun will begin this spring, with hopes to open in the spring of 2013. ]]> cmb 2012-01-27T14:07:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/4/63817/51693

The holidays might be over, but that doesn’t mean that the need to warm up with an adult beverage has gone away. Sure there aren’t any holiday beers at these festivals, but there are still plenty of winter puns available and brewers are doing their best to warm you up. Here’s three winter beer festivals arriving this January on three different weekends:

· Columbus Winter Beerfest – Columbus, Ohio:
When you think of craft brews and beers you might not think of Columbus, Ohio, but organizers of the Columbus Winter Beerfest are looking to change that. This year’s festival filled with winter warmers and hoppy ales takes place on January 14. The plan is to have like 250—or more—different beers from all over the place, and they’re expecting like 6,000 beer fans to enjoy each and every one. Things take place at the Greater Columbus Convention Center beginning at 6:30pm, and they even have hotel packages available at the local Hyatt in case you enjoy one too many.

Samples include pretty much every beer brewed in Central Ohio, as well as plenty of other options from outside the Buckeye State. Tickets will set you back $30 in advance, and that’ll get you 25 tickets for plenty of different samples including sips of Elevator Dirty Dick’s Brown Ale, Fat Heads Bumbleberry Ale, and Left Hand Milk Stout. Oh, and if you have a great time at this festival, be sure to check out their next event—there’s a summer beer festival in May as well. ]]> kjb 2012-01-04T11:36:20-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/11/16/54254/836

It's the most wonderful time of the year—or at least that’s how the song goes—so what better way to celebrate the season than by downing a few cold ones. The winter ales and lagers have arrived, and it's almost time to enjoy each and every one of them. Pumpkin ales are shelved and there's more winter fun to be had in 2012, but for the remainder of 2011 here’s where to find some of the best seasonal beer festivals:

· Holiday Ale Festival 2011 – Portland, Oregon:
The very best of the bunch might just be in Portland, Oregon, as the annual Holiday Ale Festival is set to arrive in Pioneer Courthouse Square between November 30 and December 4. That’s right—there’s five total days in which to celebrate, and even if you attend each day you’ll probably miss a beer here or there. In total there are more than 40 breweries expected to be in attendance, and they’re bringing stuff you won’t find at the grocery store or bodega. We’re already thinking about Papa Noel’s Moonlight Reserve from Alameda Brewing and Drunken Elf Stout from Columbia River Brewing—although the Chocolate Mint Stout from Gilgamesh Brewing is tempting too. ]]> kjb 2011-11-16T12:35:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/6/82017/0815

If all that candy is making you thirsty then we have a solution—pumpkin beer festivals! Here’s just a couple of this season’s offerings that are sure to satisfy your longing for lagers and ales of the pumpkin variety:

· Great Pumpkin Beer Festival:
Plenty of pumpkins will be harmed, but it’s all for a good cause at Elysian Brewing Company in Seattle. The brewery is celebrating yet another Great Pumpkin Beer Festival—this year is the seventh annual. You need to make your plans quickly, as things are scheduled for this weekend. There’s sessions on October 8 and October 9, and it’s all going down in the city’s Georgetown neighborhood. Tickets are $20 if you score them in advance, but if you need to get them at the door that’ll be $25.

Over 50 different pumpkin beers should be in attendance along with quite a number of beer enthusiasts. They’re even bringing some local food trucks to help you satisfy your beer munchies. The highlight of the festival is when the Great Pumpkin is tapped each day, and that’s when you can get your beer straight from an oversized pumpkin—awesome. Breweries from all over the place will be featured, but Elysian has 11 of their own offerings including Mr. Yuck Sour Pumpkin Ale, Headless Horsey, and PK-47 Pumpkin Malt Liquor—haha that’s great. ]]> kjb 2011-10-06T10:04:28-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/9/19/83612/6490
Kim Kardashian represents womankind at last year's Oktoberfest. Vom.

Okay people. Oktoberfest is officially in full swing. The brew has been tapped and the pretzels baked and the hotels...well, filled. The luxury hotel collection Rocco Forte Hotels dropped some advice into our inbox regarding tips for ladies visiting Oktoberfest, and as seasoned female revelers at Munich's massive party, we've got some priceless tidbits of our own to add:

· Drink: The only authentic drink at the Oktoberfest, even for women, is beer. But caution is advised—the typical Munich festival beer, specially brewed for Oktoberfest has a higher alcohol percentage than average. When drinking with others it is polite to clink your glasses, while looking the person in the eyes, and say “Prost”.

Jaunted Says: Whoa—not true about beer being the only authentic drink! In fact, we'd argue there are two other beverages it's "authentic" to drink at Oktoberfest, both of which work out well for those who don't particularly enjoy chugging beer: champagne and schnapps. Look beyond the ginormous beer tents to the Weinzelt tent, a smaller tent that specializes in Nymphenburger Sekt—sekt being German champagne. Even smaller and dotted around the Theresienwiese are schnapps booths, where a few Euro goes a long way (towards getting drunkers). ]]> JetSetCD 2011-09-19T09:46:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/9/16/55432/1296

The granddaddy of all beer festivals is taking place later this month in Denver. It's the Great American Beer Festival and it runs from September 29 and October 1. There’s not just a few hundred beers and breweries here either, as this sucker will have more than 450 brewers in attendance with over 2,000 beers. There are four sessions spread across the three days of the year’s festival, and whichever one you pick is going to be a winner.

Hold on a sec. It's not just about guzzling either; this festival goes way above and beyond the traditional beer festival by including an on-site beer enthusiast bookstore, discussions from the American Homebrewers Association, and a farm-to-table pavilion. Expect plenty of samples from CAUTION: Brewing Company, Del Norte Brewing Company, and Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company, along with plenty of options from outside Colorado. ]]> kjb 2011-09-16T09:48:34-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/