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Three June Beer Festivals for Sudsy Summer Sips

June 7, 2012 at 1:27 PM | by | Comments (0)

Summer has finally arrived, and the need to cool off with a refreshing adult beverage is now almost a daily necessity. There’s plenty of events from which to choose where you can celebrate lagers, ales, and everything in between, but we think these three beer festivals are worth your time this June::

Houston Beer Festival

On June 9 the city of Houston gets ready to raise their glasses, and they’ll be doing their thing between 10am and 11pm. Of course there will be plenty of samples and sips to take in at the city’s Hermann Square Park, but there’s even a theme to go along with the festival—this year they’re going with a Mardi Gras motif. In addition to the beer organizers promise plenty of live local music and plenty of food options for when your belly needs something a little more substantial than another sudsy sample.

Tickets will set you back $25 and that will get you 10 tickets that you can exchange for 2.5 ounce samples, as well as a festival guide and snazzy wristband. There will also be $10 options available on the day of the event that you can exchange straight up for beer samples. The festival is expecting 13,000 beer enthusiasts to invade the park this weekend, so you might need to make a game plan if you’re going to attend. There’s a pretty decent map telling you where all the breweries will be doing their thing, so be sure to think ahead if you want to sip and sample options from Abita, Dogfish Head, Jester King, Left Hand, Southern Star, and plenty more.

Washington Brewers Festival

Beer is so darn popular—and important—up in Washington, that the state even has its very own commission on the hoppy stuff. The Washington Beer Commission is putting the final touches on this year’s Washington Brewers Fest, as all the drinking enjoyment is scheduled to do its thing on June 15, 16, and 17. There’s going to be more than 200 different options from around 64 breweries on display at King County’s Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington, and the kiddos are even welcome during the events on Saturday and Sunday.

Admission is going for $25 in advance—it’s a little cheaper on Friday—and that will get you access to six tasting tokens. For those looking to attend on all three days, there’s even a $40 weekend pass up for grabs. Friday’s events are just for the big kids, and there’s even a special focus on local beers from Washington. Over the weekend—when the fun is open to everyone—live music, a keg toss contest, and a root beer garden round out the entertainment options. Airways Brewing, 7 Seas Brewing, and Black Raven Brewing are just a few of the breweries scheduled to attend, and with so many local options you’ll be guaranteed a fresh pint.

San Diego International Beer Festival

The San Diego International Beer Festival takes place during the San Diego County Fair on June 22, 23, and 24, and everything is scheduled to go down at the Chevrolet Del Mar Arena. There are two sessions on the first couple days of the festival, and on Sunday there’s just one—but there’s an emphasis and focus on local brews. There’s even the opportunity for basement brewers to submit their favorite creations to the festival’s homebrew competition.

It’s $35 to access the event, but it’s $48 if you want your beer festival ticket to also include admission to the county fair. All that up front cost is worth it, as your festival wristband will score you unlimited one-ounce samples of all the ales, lagers, and stouts that you can handle. You’re going to need to pace yourself, as there are going to be at least 100 different breweries and over 300 different varieties of beer. Some highlights include options from local establishments like Cold Spring Brewing. Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Left Coast Brewing Company, and Monkey Paw Brewery—cheers!

[Photos: klorrainegraham and jamiey]

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