This coming weekend marks something Canadian beer drinkers look forward to all year. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the Great Canadian Beer Festival. For those south of the border who are unaware of this event let me tell you, it’s nothing to be scoffed at. Great American Beer Fest it’s not, but with the rate of growth and ever quicker sellouts year to year, it might not be long till the GCBF is being talked about with the same regard. Instead of rambling on about it myself I’ll quote the GCBF site:

The Great Canadian Beer Festival has become one of the worlds’ must attend beer events. People from all over the globe seek out Victoria and the GCBF every year; we get brewers from Australia, volunteers from England and beer lovers from all over. Our little annual beer festival first held in 1993 has blossomed into a truly international event.

The GCBF is held each year on the first weekend after Labour Day with over 45 craft breweries from across Canada, Belgium and the Pacific North-Western USA and more than 7000 happy people coming together in the beautiful city of Victoria to celebrate the diversity of the brewers’ craft.

Once again, this year, we will feature non-stop entertainment by local acts and as always there will be a fantastic selection of food offered by local restaurants and caterers.

Clearly there are good things going down in Victoria this weekend. I’m going to miss the festivities due to a business trip to Edmonton; however if a small miracle happens I may be able to attend the Saturday portion of the festival. With offerings from Deschutes, Mill Street, Dogfish Head, Brooklyn, Dead Frog, NBC, as well as so many other amazing brewers (full list here), it would be a crushing blow for me to miss this event.

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