Beer festival
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2008-06-24T10:17:36Z
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A '''Beer Festival''' is an organised event during which a variety of [[beer]]s (and often other [[alcoholic beverage|alcoholic drink]]s) are available for tasting and purchase. Beer festivals are held in a number of countries. A '''Beer Exhibition''' is usually [[synonymous]] with a Beer Festival but, whilst a beer festival may involve a limited range of beer styles or manufacturers, with an emphasis on entertainment, use of the term "beer exhibition" places emphasis on sampling or tasting a wide range of beers, usually craft-brewed in a variety of different styles by various [[brewers]]. There may be a theme; for instance beers from a particular area, or a particular brewing style such as winter ales. '''Beerex''' is a commonly used [[portmanteau]] word coined in [[1977]]<ref>[[Farnham Beer Exhibition]] programme, 1977</ref> as an [[abbreviated]] form of Beer Exhibition.
==German Beer festivals==
[[Image:Oktoberfest2.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Inside a tent at Munich's [[Oktoberfest]] - the world's largest beer festival]]
The largest beer festival in the world is [[Oktoberfest]] in [[Germany]]. Several other smaller beer festivals are held all over Germany all over the year. The 2nd largest beer festival in Germany and probably in Europe, is the [[Cannstatter Volksfest]] in [[Stuttgart]]. Its popularity increases and more and more people come from around the world to visit the festival every year. Many other places have beer festivals styled as "Oktoberfests", but taken on its own the name is generally taken to mean for the Munich event.
The second largest genuine Bavarian festival is the [[Gäubodenvolksfest]] in [[Straubing]]. The festival is similar like Oktoberfest but it has an own history and it is not a copy of the Oktoberfest.
Not called "Oktoberfest", but very similar in character, is the [[Cannstatter Wasen]] in [[Stuttgart]] which starts one week later and is the second largest fair in the world. Smaller beer festivals similar to the Oktoberfest are common in Germany and take place throughout the year in most bigger German cities. Some of them go on later into the night than the Oktoberfest.
Other major German cities that host large beer festivals include [[Hannover]] and [[Bremen (city)|Bremen's]], where the traditional beer festival is known as [[Freimarkt]]. Like the Oktoberfest and the Cannstatter Wasen, most German beer festivals are also [[funfair]]s. They are called "Volksfest" (festival for the people).
==British beer festivals==
[[Image:GBBF full.jpg|200px|thumb|right|London's [[Great British Beer Festival|GBBF]] beer festival]]
Festivals are often organised by the [[Campaign for Real Ale]] (CAMRA), by local pubs and occasionally by other groups. CAMRA festivals are run by volunteers under direction of the local CAMRA branch. There is an admission fee which is reduced for CAMRA members. Pub festivals use professional bar staff, and there are usually no entry fees. Beer festivals organised by student real ale societies - some CAMRA-affiliated and some not - have existed for many years, but are currently enjoying something of a boom. These festivals are typically held in students' [[students' union|union]] premises, and entry is hence sometimes restricted to students and staff, though exceptions may be made for card-carrying CAMRA members. Student beer festivals vary in size but can easily rival local CAMRA events, with beer numbers in the 80-100 cask region. Good examples include Cardiff and Warwick.[http://www.warwickale.co.uk/festivalIndex.html]. One of the last sporting bastions of real ale drinking is rugby. A number of rugby clubs organise festivals combining beer drinking with rugby and even live music. A good example is [[Ashford]] Rugby Club in Kent, which organises an [http://www.ashford-beer-festival.co.uk annual 3 day beer festival] each August.
The format of British beer festivals tends to follow a set pattern. Casks of ale from many different brewers are placed on [[stillage]] behind rows of trestle tables. Staff serve beer directly from the cask, and take payment in the form of cash or via a token system, where sheets of tokens are purchased at the entrance to the venue in bulk. Consideration must be given to cooling; this is commonly achieved using wet sacking or blankets for [[evaporative cooling]], though refrigerated cooling saddles and coils are increasingly being used. Some festivals in the winter months simply keep the whole venue, or a smaller tap room, at cellar temperature by leaving doors and windows open. Glasses are distributed at the entrance to the venue, usually for a small deposit although often included in the entrance fee. The glasses usually bear a design specific to the festival and are therefore considered to be collectable. A beer list is usually available, often indicating where in the venue the different casks will be situated. Food is usually available, and entertainments and games such as [[live music]], [[pub quiz]]zes or [[tombola]]s are often organised.
In all British festivals the beer is sold in quantities of half or full [[pint glass|pint]]s. From 2006 the GBBF additionally served beer in "[[nip]]s" (one-third of a pint), for the benefit of those who wish to sample many beers wthout consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.
====Notable British Beer Festivals====
* The [[Great British Beer Festival]] held annually in August in London is the largest and most famous beer festival in the UK, and is organised by CAMRA. The "GBBF", as it is known, was founded in 1977 and was attended by over 66,000 people in 2006, and 350,000 pints of ale were consumed over the five days of the festival.
* The CAMRA [[National Winter Ales Festival]], designed to showcase beer styles which may not be readily available when the main summer festival is held, takes place in January at various venues across the country.
* The [[Farnham Beer Exhibition]] in [[Surrey]], having been held every year since 1977 at the [[Farnham Maltings]], is the longest-running beer festival to be held annually on a single site in the United Kingdom, and every year sells over 29,000 pints of real ale during its 3 day opening.
* The [[Cambridge Beer Festival]], held since 1974, is the longest running beer festival, although it has changed venue three times. Currently, it is held for a week each May in a large marquee erected on Jesus Green in Cambridge. It is the second largest festival outside of London and had 32,000 people attending in 2007.
Numerous other festivals are held in [[London]], [[Nottingham]], [[Peterborough]], [[St Albans]] and [[Reading, Berkshire]], to name a few, are both very large and offer an interesting and distinctive selection of British and foreign beers.
==Festivals in other countries==
===Europe===
*In [[Tallinn]], [[Estonia]], festival [[Õllesummer]] is held every year in July.
*In [[Trondheim]], [[Norway]], an Oktoberfest is held every second year during the student festival [[UKA]].
*In [[Braşov]], [[Romania]], a large Beer festival is held every year in October.
===Asia===
*[[Hong Kong]] has celebrated the 3-week [[Oktoberfest (Hong Kong)|Oktoberfest]] since [[1991]] and it is organized by the [[Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel]] [http://www.gbfhk.com/ (German Beerfest Hong Kong)]. Many other clubs, hotels and restaurants have an Oktoberfest celebration evening or weekend.
*[[Ho Chi Minh City]], [[Vietnam]] has celebrated Oktoberfest since [[1992]] and it is held at the [[Hotel Equatorial]].
* In the [[Philippines]], the Oktoberfest is celebrated all throughout the archipelago. The Philippine Oktoberfest starts every first of October and ends thirty days later. The event is marked by concerts and parties usually sponsored by [[San Miguel Corporation]] and [[Asia Brewery]], the top two beer companies in the Philippines.
===Australia===
* [[Brisbane]], [[Australia]] has many small celebrations of Oktoberfest. Mainly supported across the local university populations, it has spilled over into local restaurants and pubs, looking to join in the festival.
* [[Sydney]], [[Australia]] celebrates Oktoberfest at the Fairfield Showgrounds in the Suburb of Prairiewood.[http://www.germanaustriansoc.com.au/Oktoberfest.html]
* [[Canberra]], [[Australia]] celebrates Oktoberfest at the Thoroughbred Park, Lyneham.[http://www.harmonieclub.com.au/]
* [[Adelaide]], [[Australia]] celebrates Schuetzenfest in January at Bonython Park just outside the CBD.[http://www.saadv.com.au/schuetzenfest/].
* There previously was an annual Oktoberfest Beer Festival at the [[Royal Melbourne Showgrounds]] in [[Flemington, Victoria]], after a break of two years another Oktoberfest was celebrated in 2007 at the [[Dandenong Showground]].[http://www.melbourneoktoberfest.com.au]
===New Zealand===
* [[BrewNZ - Beervana]] is organized and run by the [[Brewers Guild of New Zealand]] to showcase the diversity of great beer available in New Zealand
* [[The New Zealand Beer Festival]] most popular beer festival in [[Auckland]]
* [[Blues, Brews and Barbecues]] run by charity groups to raise funds for the local communities of [[Tauranga]], [[Hawkes Bay]] and [[Blenheim]].
===South America===
*A huge Oktoberfest is held in the [[Brazil]]ian city of [[Blumenau]] (more than 600,000 visitors in 2004), and many other Brazilian cities founded by Germans have their own Oktoberfest, such as [[Santa Cruz do Sul]] (more than 500,000 visitors in 2004), [[Igrejinha]] (more than 200,000 visitors in 2006), [[Rolândia]], [[São José do Cedro]], [[Seara]] and [[Itapiranga]].
*In [[Argentina]], a town called [[Villa General Belgrano]] in the [[Córdoba Province, Argentina|Córdoba Province]] has an Oktoberfest that is well-known and the biggest in the country.
*In [[Valdivia, Chile|Valdivia]], [[Chile]] host each summer a so-called ''Bierfest'' that organized and sponsored by ''Kunstmann Bier'', a local high-quality beer company.
*[[Llanquihue, Chile|Llanquihue]] also in Chile hosts a once a year a ''Bierfest'' during summer. The main sponsor is ''Cerveza Cristal'', Chiles largest beer company.
===North America===
*The largest{{Fact|date=November 2007}} Oktoberfest outside Germany is [[Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest]], held in the cities of [[Kitchener, ON|Kitchener]] and [[Waterloo, ON|Waterloo]], [[Ontario]], around the time of Canadian [[Thanksgiving]]; the twin cities have a large ethnic German population.
*Also in Canada is the [[Toronto's Festival of Beer]] held in August in the city's historic Fort York. This is a relatively young festival but has grown into a major events for thousands of visitors from across southern Ontario. (http://www.beerfestival.ca/)
*[[Montreal]]'s [[Mondial de la Bière]] is the biggest beer festival in [[Canada]].[http://www.festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca/]
*In [[Mexico]], in the cities of [[Puebla]], [[Mexico City]], [[Mazatlan]] and [[Tapachula]] Oktoberfest is celebrated by the descendants of [[German people|German]] immigrants in these cities. The largest ones are held in [[Puebla]] and [[Mexico City]] where the [[German people|German]] community is very important and one can hear German music and be delighted by German food and folk dresses.
*The largest{{Fact|date=October 2007}} and most famous beer festival in the [[United States]] is the [[Great American Beer Festival]].
*Another large event in the US is in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]]; over 500,000 people visited during the 2002 [[Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati]].
*The pseudo-Bavarian village of [[Leavenworth, WA]] in the US holds Oktoberfest during the first two weeks in October yearly.
*The Kelowna Beer Festival located in central British Columbia raises funds for local charities. It was created to promote and enhance the awareness of craft beers, ciders and quality imports from around the world. To allow people to enjoy these beverages responsibly in an atmosphere filled with entertainment and in combination with great food. And in the great Bavarian tradition, to sample these unique beverages in an environment that fosters new friendships and strengthens old ones. (http://www.kelownabeerfest.com)
* The largest and longest running beer festival in [[New York City]] is Brewtopia: The [[Great World Beer Festival]] (http://www.brewtopiafest.com/)
==See also==
* [[Great British Beer Festival]]
* [[National Winter Ales Festival]]
* [[Oktoberfest]]
* [[Cannstatter Wasen]]
* [[Volksfest]]
* [[Great American Beer Festival]]
* [[Great World Beer Festival]]
* [[BrewNZ - Beervana]]
==References==
<references />
==External links==
*[http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/ Octoberfest]
*[http://www.camra.org.uk/SHWebClass.asp?WCI=ShowCat&CatId=235 Great British Beer Festival]
*[http://www.beerfestivals.org Beer Festivals calendar]
*[http://www.beertown.org/events/gabf/index.htm Great American Beer Festival]
*[http://www.brewtopiafest.com/ Brewtopia: The Great World Beer Fest]
*[http://www.brewnz.co.nz/ BrewNZ - Beervana]
*[http://www.beerfestival.co.nz/ The New Zealand Beer Festival]
*[http://www.edmontonsfestivalofbeer.com/ Edmonton's Festival of Beer]
*[http://www.atlantisbeer.com/ Atlantis Beer Festival]
[[Category:Beer culture]]
[[Category:Beer festivals|Beer festivals]]
[[he:פסטיבל בירה]]