February 2008

January 31-February 2: Chelmsford Winter Beer Festival

Location: Triangle Club, Chelmsford, England
Organized By: Chelmsford & West Essex Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: More than 120 Real Ales, plus Real Ciders, perries, and Belgian beers, along with food at all sessions.

January 31-February 2: Pendle Beer Festival

Location: Colne Municipal Hall, Colne, England
Organized By: East Lancashire Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: This year's theme is "All at Sea," with half of the more than 65 Real Ales from breweries with a nautical connection and other beers from local breweries; Real Ciders and Perries and bottled beers; event benefits the Pendleside Hospice.

February 1-2: Chesterfield & District Beer Festival

Location: The Winding Wheel, Chesterfield, England
Organized By: Chesterfield & District Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: Festival celebrates the branch's 30th anniversary; 10th annual event; more than 100 beers from 60 area breweries, including cask ales from within a 30-mile radius of the festival site; ciders, perries, fruit wines, and foreign bottled beers; food and live entertainment (quiet session Friday evening).

February 1-2: Dorchester Beerex

Location: Corn Exchange, Dorchester, England
Organized By: West Dorset Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: More than 50 beers, plus ciders; live music at evening sessions; "quiet room" available; free pint for CAMRA members.

February 1-2: Festiv-Ale

Location: Conexus Arts Centre, Regina, SK, Canada
Presented on Behalf of: Royal Canadian Legion
Highlights: More than 300 beers; live music, singing, and dancing; a variety of food; Festiv-Ale store; blackjack dealers in the VIP Lounge; Legion Color Party Parade, with pipers.

February 1-2: Festival of Winter Ales

Location: Maison Dieu (Town Hall), Dover, England
Organized By: Deal, Dover, Sandwich and District Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: Fifteenth annual event; about 75 winter and strong ales, none less than 5% ABV, mostly from small independents and micro-breweries; "Beer of the Festival," awarded to the event's first empty firkin; food and live music; CAMRA stall and tombola; festival site is the country's oldest and most historic beer festival venue.

February 1-2: Tewkesbury Beer Festival

Location: George Watson Hall, Tewkesbury, England
Organized By: Tewkesbury Sub-Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: Last year's festival featured 60 winter-only ales, stouts and porters, local cider and perry, and food at all sessions. Details of this year's festival will be posted on the branch website.

February 2: Bock Fest 2008

Location: New Ulm Brewery, New Ulm, MN
Highlights: New Ulm's Fasching celebration, with Bock beer, music, grilled bratwurst and other food, and the traditional "Bock Hunt"; museum and gift shop will be open.

February 2: Bradenton Beer Festival

Location: Old Mill Street, Downtown Bradenton, FL
Sponsored By: Samuel Adams, Creative Loafing, and The Bone 102.5-FM
Highlights: More than 100 beers from over 50 breweries; food and live entertainment; VIP lounge with special beers, private food and entertainment, and catered food.

February 2: Central New York Brewfest

Location: John Deere Horticultural Building, Empire Expo Center, Syracuse, NY
Highlights: Two tasting sessions; beer from breweries throughout the Northeast and Canada; food available.

February 2: Oconomowoc Brewfest

Location: Olympia Resort, Oconomowoc, WI
Presented By: Oconomowoc Jaycees
Highlights: Evening tasting session, with beer from 15 breweries, most from Wisconsin; food stations, featuring Southwest and Italian food, hors d'oeuvres, and desserts; live entertainment.

February 6-8: Battersea Beer Festival

Location: Grand Hall, Battersea Arts Centre, London, England
Organized By: South-West London Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: More than 100 Real Ales from across Britain; ciders, perries, and foreign beer; food available; venue is 10 minutes' walk from Clapham Junction Station.

February 7-9: "Ale & Arty." the Stockton Beer Festival

Location: Arc, Stockton-on-Tees, England
Organized By: Cleveland Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: More than 70 Real Ales; ciders, perries, and bottled beers; CAMRA stall and tombola; live entertainment; food available at all sessions.

February 8-9: Ilkley Beer Festival

Location: Kings Hall & Winter Gardens, Ilkley, England
Organized By: Ilkley & District Round Table
Highlights: First major beer festival in Ilkley, with more than 50 Real Ales, plus ciders and perries; live entertainment Saturday evening; food available at all sessions; proceeds support local charities, clubs, and societies.

February 8-9: International Mead Festival

Location: Sheraton Denver West Hotel, Lakewood, CO
Presented By: International Mead Association
Highlights: The world's largest and most prestigious mead competition and festival; three tasting sessions, including a new third connoisseur session Saturday afternoon; nearly 100 commercial meads; commercial and home mead competition; educational seminars.

February 8: KLCC Microbrew Festival 2008

Location: Lane Events Center, Eugene, OR
Benefit For: KLCC 89.7 FM, Eugene's NPR radio station
Highlights: Microbrewed beer from all over the West; collaboration brew and homebrew competition; live music; record and CD sale.

February 8: Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild Winterfest

Location: St. Paul, MN
Presented By: Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild
Highlights: An intimate festival, which typically sells out quickly, featuring "big" beers to ward off the winter cold, live music, and appetizers; "Best of the Fest" Award, as chosen by festival-goers. This event is sold out.

February 9: Food & Froth Fest

Location: Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Benefit For: Friends of the Milwaukee Public Museum
Highlights: Tenth annual event; last year's festival featured more than 200 beers from Midwest and international breweries, including special creations and seasonal beers; food and live music; a raffle; and exhibits in museum's Brewing Heritage Hall.

February 9-22: Beerapalooza 2008

Location: Various locations, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Presented By: Celebrator Beer News
Highlights: Twentieth annual event, featuring a Double IPA Fest at The Bistro (Hayward); a beer and cheese tasting at the Rogue Ales Public House (San Francisco), a chocolate and Belgian beer dinner at the Cathedral Hill Hotel (San Francisco), a barleywine festival at Toronado (San Francisco; see separate listing on this page); and Celebrator Beer News' 20th Anniversary Bash (Oakland).

February 9: Kumeu Beer Wine & Food Festival

Location: Kumeu Show-Grounds, Kumeu (West Auckland), New Zealand
Benefit For: Epilepsy New Zealand and the New Zealand Epilepsy Assist Dog Trust.
Highlights: Beer and wine from area boutique breweries and wineries; local gourmet food; live bands, and entertainment for children.

February 9: North Country Microbrew Festival

Location: Queensbury Hotel, Glens Falls, NY
Benefit For: Literacy Northeast New York
Highlights: Beer from more than 10 area microbreweries.

February 9: Rock Bottom Winter Warmer Festival

Location: Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, Cleveland, OH
Highlights: An indoor and outdoor tasting event (heated tent on the grounds), with seasonal beers from a number of Cleveland-area microbreweries.

February 9: Winter Warmer 2008: Barleywine & Strong Ale Tasting

Location: Lafayette Brewing Company, Lafayette, IN
Highlights: Open tasting of barleywines and strong ales from small breweries; barbecue; live entertainment; raffles, contests, and free taxi rides home. This event is sold out.

February 10: Mid*Winter Beer Festival

Location: Milwaukee Ale House, Milwaukee, WI
Highlights: Beer from 25 breweries, Usinger's sausage, and live music; this year's theme is "back to the keg," with all participating breweries bringing fresh draft beer.

February 10: Tokyo Real Ale Festival

Location: Sumida Riverside Hall, Azumabashi, Tokyo, Japan
Organized By: Executive Committee of the Tokyo Real Ale Festival
Highlights: Tasting of Japanese Real Ales, with entertainment. Most of the website is in Japanese.

February 13-16: Oakwood Real Ale & Music Festival

Location: Oakwood Technology College, Rotherham, England
Presented By: Oakwood 400 Club
Highlights: More than 250 Real Ales from across the U.K. served at 11 bars, plus European beers, Real Ciders, and wines; a variety of live music at four separate venues; event is a fund-raiser for Rotherham children. Wednesday and Thursday evening sessions are reserved for CAMRA members, sponsors and their guests.

February 14-16: Fleetwood Beer Festival

Location: Marine Hall, The Esplanade, Fleetwood, England
Organized By: Blackpool, Fylde & Wyre Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: Twenty-fifth annual event; more than 100 British cask beers, plus ciders and foreign bottled beers; "Beer of the Festival" competition; live music.

February 14-16: Liverpool Beer Festival

Location: Metropolitan Catholic Cathedral Crypt, Liverpool, England
Organized By: Liverpool Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: More than 175 Real Ales, including special festival beers; ciders, perries, and fruit wines; food; live entertainment Friday and Saturday evening.

February 14-16: Luton Beer Festival

Location: Hightown Community Sports and Arts Centre, Luton, England
Organized By: South Bedfordshire Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: Twenty-fifth annual event; 80 Real Ales, 10 real ciders and perries, a range of imported bottled beer, hot and cold food, live music Friday and Saturday evenings, and CAMRA products and a tombola.

February 15-16: Extreme Beer Fest

Location: The Cyclorama, Boston, MA
Presented By: BeerAdocate.com
Highlights: Fifth annual event: Friday, "Night of the Barrels," featuring wood-aged beers, guest speakers, and snacks; Saturday, two tasting sessions with distinctive American craft-brewed beer.

February 15-16: Lichfield Winter Beer Festival

Location: Lichfield Guildhall, Lichfield, England
Highlights: More than 35 Real Ales from micro Midlands' breweries, plus bottled beer, traditional ciders, draft continental beers, and wines; food, featuring the "famous pork pies"; live music Saturday evening.

February 15-17: Max's Taphouse Belgian Beer Festival

Location: Max's Taphouse, Baltimore, MD
Highlights: Three days of beer; last year's festival offered more than 60 Belgian and domestic Belgian-style beers on draft and another 120 beers in bottles, and a full Belgian-style food menu.

February 16: Alton Winter Beer Festival

Location: Alton Maltings Centre, Alton, England
Sponsored By: Triple fff
Highlights: Last year's festival featured more than 40 Real Ales, served at mid-day and evening sessions, food, and live entertainment.

February 16: Arizona Craft Brewers Guild Strong Beer Festival

Location: Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa, AZ
Organized By: Arizona Craft Brewers Guild
Highlights: Strong beers and a variety of other styles brewed in Arizona and other Western states; food vendors and live entertainment.

February 16: Beats Brews and BBQ

Location: World Live Café, Philadelphia, PA
Highlights: Beer from 30 local and regional breweries (to be announced on the festival website), as well as other beverages; food, including Tommy Gunn's American Barbeque; live music; beer seminars; homebrew shops; VIP tickets, with early admission and access to limited-edition specialty beers.

February 16-17: Confluence Wine, Beer, Seafood and Music Festival

Location: Gardiner, OR (two miles north of Reedsport, on the Oregon Coast)
Sponsored By: Reedsport/Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce
Highlights: Beverages from area breweries and wineries; craft and food vendors; entertainment, including seven bands and solo acts; chef demonstration; free shuttle bus between Gardiner, Reedsport, and Winchester Bay.

February 16-23: Toronado Barley Wine Festival 2008

Location: Toronado, San Francisco, CA
Highlights: Annual tasting event featuring a large selection of barleywine-style ales on draft, with a judging and selection of the top ales.

February 16: Winterfest

Location: General Lafayette Inn & Brewery, Lafayette Hill, PA
Highlights: Strong beers from the regional microbreweries; food will be served; limited-availability brewers' post-party. This event is likely to sell out.

February 17: Hillsboro Brewfest

Location: Hillsboro Brewery & Public House, Portland, OR
Highlights: The "Battle of the Belt," in which 20 beers from 20 McMenamins breweries compete for the right to represent McMenamins at the Oregon Brewers Festival; entertainment, including Joe Mishkin the Balloon Guy; and food, including bratwurst, beer potato cheese soup and cake.

February 18-24: Audley Football Club Beer Festival

Location: Audley Football Club, Audley, Newcastle under Lyme, England
Benefit For: Audley Junior Football Club and other local charities
Highlights: More than 35 Real Ales and Real Ciders; specially-priced beer every evening; snacks, pies, and filled rolls available.

February 22: 93 ROCK's Best Damn Brew Review

Location: Gulfstream Racing & Casino, Hallandale Beach, FL
Organized By: "93 Rock", WHDR-FM
Highlights: More than 100 beers from around the world, with more to be added; music by the Hep Cat Boo Daddies.

February 22-24: Brazen Head Tri-Annual Real Ale Winter Cask Festival

Location: The Brazen Head, Brooklyn, NY
Highlights: A rotating selection of more than 25 cask-conditioned ales (check the Brazen Head's website for a complete list).

February 22-March 9: Munich Starkbierzeit

Location: Various locations, Munich, Germany
Highlights: Munich's annual Lenten celebration of strong beers; a number of breweries offer extra-strong doppelbocks, and both the Paulaner Keller and the Loewenbraukeller offer Bavarian-themed entertainment.

February 22-23: Winterfest XVI

Location: Thorngate Halls, Gosport, England
Organized By: Portsmouth & South Hampshire Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: Last year's festival featured more than 80 beers, three tasting sessions, including two on Saturday, and live entertainment.

February 23: Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Beer Festival

Location: Fifth Third Ballpark, Grand Rapids, MI
Presented By: Michigan Brewers Guild
Highlights: New city and larger venue this year; a celebration of Michigan-brewed barrel-aged, cask, and "big" beers; hot food and live music; the festival will be held outdoors, "snow, rain or shine."

February 23: Midwest Winter Beer Festival

Location: Radisson Cincinnati Riverfront Hotel, Covington, KY
Highlights: Inaugural event; two tasting sessions; more than 100 beers, featuring winter ales, from 30 brewers and distributors; appetizer buffet; organizers also plan a VIP reception with brewers in attendance and a Cincinnati pub crawl the evening before the festival.

February 23: New Zealand Beer Festival

Location: Ellerslie Racecourse and Convention Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
Highlights: Festival is held in two great halls and a beer garden, with 70 beers from 25 or more breweries from both New Zealand and overseas, international gourmet food, a variety of live music, and the unofficial launch party the the "world's best lager."

February 23: Shadowbrook Beer Fest
Location: Shadowbrook Inn and Resort, Tunkhannock, PA
Highlights: More than 50 microbrewed and imported beers; live music.

February 27-28: Cardiff University Real Ale & Cider Festival

Location: Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Cardiff, Wales
Organized By: Cardiff University Real Ale & Cider Society
Highlights: The U.K.'s largest student-run beer festival, with at least 80 firkins of Real Ale, along with the biggest cider & perry bar in Wales; live music, a pub quiz, snacks, and non-alcoholic options; proceeds benefit Ty Hafan, a children's hopsice.

February 27-28: Victorian Microbreweries Showcase

Location: The Atrium at Federation Square, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Highlights: Beer from Melbourne and Victoria's boutique and microbreweries, with brewmasters in attendance; event is held in the heart of the city.

February 27-29: Warwick University Real Ale Festival

Location: Students Union, Warwick University, Coventry, England
Organized By: Warwick University Real Ale Society
Highlights: The UK's largest student-run beer festival, with more than 100 ales, plus ciders, fruit wines and mead; and live music at some sessions. Email Conrad Bebbington at publicity (at) warwickale (dot) co (dot) uk for more information.

February 28-March 1: Bradford Beer Festival

Location: Victoria Hall, Saltaire, England
Organized By: Bradford Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: More than 100 Real Ales, ciders, and foreign beers, plus country wines (beer list TBA); stalls and tombola; entertainment Friday evening and Saturday sessions; Leisurewear merchanidse; and cold food provided by Saltaire Sandwiches.

February 29-March 6: Beveridge Place Pub's Barleywine Bacchanal

Location: Beveridge Place Pub, Seattle, WA
Highlights: Washington State's oldest week-long barleywine festival; a rotating selection of 35 of the world's strongest beers, including vintage, rare, and new barleywines; 16 taps, plus a selection of bottled beers.

February 29-March 1: Elysian Beer Festival

Location: Larkfields Resource Centre, High Barns, Ely, England
Organized By: Ely & District Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: About 40 Real Ales, mainly from East Anglian Breweries, along with a selection of ciders; food, including barbecue, sandwiches, pork pies, and snacks.

February 28-March 1: Harrogate Charity Beer Festival

Location: Harrogate International Centre, Harrogate, England
Organized By: Harrogate & District Round Table
Highlights: "For lovers of beer and football all over the world"; more than 30 beers from over 20 breweries, including a special "Forever Bury" festival beer, along with cidera and perries.

February 28-March 1: Forever Bury Beer Festival

Location: Bury FC Social Club, Bury, England
Highlights: "For lovers of beer and football all over the world"; more htan 30 beers from over 20 breweries, including a special "Forever Bury" festival beer, along with ciders and perries.

February 29-March 1: Salisbury Winterfest XI

Location: Castle Street Social Club, Salisbury, England
Organized By:Salisbury & South Wiltshire Branch, Campaign for Real Ale
Highlights: Twenty-one very different, seasonal Real Ales; live music Saturday evening; cooked food and cold snacks at all sessions.

February 29-March 1: White Friars Beer Festival

Location: White Friars Olde Ale House, Coventry, England
Highlights: Inaugural event, featuring 12 beers from a number of smaller breweries in the Midlands; festival site is Coventry's oldest alehouse on its original site.