The Commercial Tasting on Saturday afternoon has been dubbed “one of the best collections of beer ever seen in one place”. The selection of beers is extremely varied; Belgian lambics and mead highlight the lighter end of the spectrum, while the Barleywines and Strong Ales dominate with specialty beers from some of the most creative commercial brewers in the country. The Commercial Tasting includes events throughout the afternoon, including the Big Beers Homebrew Competition Awards Ceremony (2:30pm) and two Educational Seminars (3:30 & 4:30pm). To volunteer for the event, please contact Laura Lodge.

The Educational Format of the Tasting portion of the festival is something unique dreamed up by the festival’s founder, Bill Lodge, of High Point Brewing, and has been well received by our guests. Each guest is limited to one taste of each beer for the first two hours of the event, as tracked by the extensive event program dedicated to educating the guest. This system encourages the guest to learn about the various breweries and beers available from around the world, and also slows consumption of the rather high octane brews available (7% alcohol minimum on the Barleywines, Imperial Stouts and Strong Ales.)

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