Why you can’t miss our beer festivals in 2017!

As we begin to sink our teeth into the first days of 2017, the team at Alberta Beer Festivals looked into what kind of resolutions people were setting out for the year.

Some were simple, like the guy who wanted to remember to write 2017 instead of 2016; or one of our friends who set out to eat more bacon this year; not a specific amount or anything, just more. Others had set goals they were already accomplishing without much effort, like the person who was trying to figure out how to squeeze a 4th and 5th meal into their day, or the guy whose resolution to, ‘Not make love to any Victoria’s Secret models’ seemed to be going well so far. And we absolutely didn’t want to end up like the two people who were posting their failed resolutions on social media by January 2nd – ‘Already broke my New Years resolution to not cry in a Taco Bell bathroom’ and, ‘Never again will I take sleeping pills and laxatives on the same night.’

All jokes aside, ABF couldn’t be more excited about some of the ‘resolutions’ they’ve made for improving their 2017 beer festivals. Like every year, we are working hard to keep making our events better and better. Here’s a few of our big ideas that will make our 2017 festivals can’t miss:

1. Be the Brewer Contest – Every year, ABF teams up with the Brew Master Program at Olds College to brew a beer for our spring festivals. Starting January 12th, people can experience what it’s like to run their own brewery and brew their own beer. You can vote on which style gets brewed, submit a name for the beer, design the beer label, win a chance to help brew the beer, design a print ad, and create and star in your own beer commercial. Then when you visit Beer University at either the Calgary International Beerfest (first weekend in May), or the Edmonton Craft Beer Festival (first weekend in June), you can brag to all your friends that you were one of the ‘brewers’ that made the beer being poured in Beer U!
2. Beer University – Speaking of Beer University, this year is going to be bigger and better than ever. This year’s MBA (Masters of Beer Appreciation) quiz, powered by @JustBeerApp, is going to be better than ever. We’ve gathered even more of the industry leaders behind your favorite craft beers. Beer University is a fun and interactive way to learn more about how beers are made.
3. Beer Awards – As our events and the awards that go with them have grown in both size and reputation, ABF is proud to announce that moving forward, the awards we host will now be known as the Canadian International Beer Awards, or the CIBAs. You can’t buy your way into the judging, but a few lucky people will get the chance to win their way in.
4. Craft Distillery District – We are excited to announce the addition of the Craft Distillery District to our spring events. Distillery District will act as an event within an event and focus on the quality and local distilling of spirits and the food pairings that go with them. Whether you are an old hand at quality spirits, or something you have never before experienced, you’ll want to stop by this new area.
5. Oktoberfest Just Got Bigger! – ABF is excited to announce that we will be serving pints for our Oktoberfest events in 2017! With Calgary Oktoberfest serving as the kick off to Alberta Beer Week, and Edmonton Oktoberfest the closing ceremonies, we’ve always wanted as many different beers to sample as possible at our events. We also wanted to find a way to serve the beer in a more traditional pint style like the original Oktoberfest. Now we’re doing both! We’re going to keep the same great variety of craft beers on tap, but serve them in a pint glass. We’ll still have the Oompah band, the German dancers, the games, the food, and more too.
6. Banff Craft Beer Festival Continues to Grow – in just its second year, the Banff Craft Beer Festival added more incredible breweries and eateries – and was a completely sold out event. Set at the historic Cave and Basin, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, you’ll feel like you’ve entered a different world as you emerge from the trees at a beer festival like no other on earth. We’re already getting excited about the third year of the event and have more great things in store for 2017.

The  ABF team couldn’t be more excited about the changes we are embarking on for our 2017 festivals and we hope you are now too! If you ever have a question an idea you want to share with us, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at www.albertabeerfestivals.com.