Edmonton Craft Beer Festival celebrates 'burgeoning' local breweries and distilleries
If you are a fan of craft beer and local distilleries, this is your weekend.
The Edmonton Craft Beer Festival takes place this Friday and Saturday at the Edmonton Expo Centre. More than 500 beers from 170 breweries will be featured at the event alongside ciders, meads, and other alcoholic spirits.
In addition to tastings, the event will have seminars exploring how to cook with beer or how to pair it with different foods.
Bill Robinson, Alberta Beer Festivals president, told CTV News Edmonton the popularity of craft breweries has skyrocketed in the city in recent years.
“There’s a wide range of things people can come and try,” Robinson said. “Edmonton has a burgeoning craft beer scene and craft distillery scene.”
Interest was not impacted by the COVID-19, Robinson shared, as during the pandemic more than 20 craft breweries and 12 craft distilleries opened throughout the province.
This weekend’s festivities will mark the first time the event has been celebrated since 2019 after COVID-19 postponed the event. Robinson said small-scale and craft breweries rely on events like this in order to survive.
“The larger companies can get by with increasing their marketing budget,” Robinson said. “But the smaller guys, the local guys, they really need to be able to get out in the community to talk to people, to share their passion and stories.
“It’s something we are all missing,” he added. “We’re doing everything we can to make it as safe as possible.”
The event will be using the Restrictions Exemption Program, meaning all attendees need to demonstrate proof of at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot, a negative test result within 72 hours of the event, or a doctor’s exemption letter.
Masks will need to be worn at the event except when seated or standing at a table and when actively sampling a beverage or food.
“Come celebrate community,” Robinson said. “It’s brewed here, it’s drank here, the money stays here and it goes right back into the agriculture.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.