The Whistler Village Beer Festival

was created when the desire to include craft beers within Whistler’s popular food and wine festival, Cornucopia, was presented. While some beers were introduced to Cornucopia, organizers decided a beer festival would be viable on its own. With samples from a broad variety of craft brewers, flavours ranging from tangerine wheats to oatmeal stouts, festival goers were not disappointed. After last year’s huge success, the festival’s return was inevitable. Festival organizer Liam Peyton says there’s much more on tap for 2014, as the festival has effectively doubled in size. In addition to the main tasting showcase on Saturday, September 13th, many other beer-related events will take place throughout the village from the 11th to the 14th. These events include seminars about beer, dinners featuring specially paired beers, industry mixer parties and more.

“We wanted to broaden it from just a bunch of parties to a full cultural experience,” says Peyton. “As well as parties, we have dinner pairings [and] more special events.” Peyton is particularly excited to see what unique brews will show up at the festival’s several cask contests, where voters will pick who earns the titles of ‘Best in West’ and ‘Best in B.C.’.

Be sure to check out Whistler Brewing Company and Squamish’s Howe Sound Brewing Company (local favourites!), as well as Deep Cove Brewers at this year’s festival. Don’t forget to cast your vote for the “Best in Fest” award, as the top three brews will be sold at several Whistler Village bars for the next year.

Whether you’re looking to study the science of suds, try a unique cask brew over an expertly paired entrée or simply wander the booths at the main event, the Whistler Village Beer Festival will leave a good taste in your mouth … and then another, and another!