5 Beer Festivals You Need to Visit Before You Die (Or Before Your Liver Gives Up)

Let’s cut to it: if you love beer and a good story, you owe it to yourself to hit at least one of the world’s best beer festivals. These aren’t just events—they’re where beer meets wild stories, unfiltered memories, and the kind of laughter that makes your cheeks hurt. We’re not here to talk about polite tastings or delicate sips. This is about the loud, unhinged, pint-in-each-hand kind of fun that makes you want to slap that weekend on a shirt.

And yeah, we might be biased. We live for this stuff. If your vibe is beer mixed with bold humor and just enough edge to make your aunt raise an eyebrow, you’re in the right place.

So, let’s talk beer festivals—the kind you should hit before you call it quits or before your liver waves a white flag.

Munich’s Oktoberfest: Lederhosen, Lagers, and Poor Life Choices

Every beer fan needs to hit Oktoberfest at least once—ideally while your knees still work. This is where it all began. Literally.

Started in 1810 to celebrate the royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, it’s grown into the largest beer festival on the planet. Six million people show up every year to drink over six million liters of beer. That’s not a typo.

And the beer? Traditionally brewed for the fest, it’s actually on the lighter side—designed so you can have more without face-planting by noon (in theory).

Why it Slaps:

• Beer tents that feel like sporting arenas

• Polka bands you’ll ironically love

• Pretzels the size of your head

It runs mid-September to early October, and yes—book ahead unless you enjoy sleeping on cobblestones.

Can’t swing the trip? Check out what’s On Tap here for beers that bring the vibes without the jet lag or lederhosen rash.

Great American Beer Festival (GABF) – Denver, Colorado

Think of this one as Oktoberfest's younger, wilder cousin. Less tradition, more experimentation. Hosted in Denver, GABF is where craft breweries pull out their weirdest, boldest, most unhinged creations—and we mean that as a compliment.

Why You’ll End Up Drunk-Tweeting:

• Over 2,000 beers from 500+ breweries

• Brews that taste like desserts, breakfast, and campfires

• Beer nerds and party people co-existing in harmony

You’ll taste beers you didn’t know existed, meet strangers you’ll overshare with, and leave with a lanyard full of tokens and a phone full of blurry selfies.

Pro tip? You don’t have to survive the Denver altitude to try something bold. Our Full Tap Menu has flavor profiles that range from "easygoing sipper" to "dare your uncle to chug this."

Mondial de la Bière – Montreal, Canada

Canadians don’t mess around when it comes to beer. And Mondial de la Bière in Montreal is proof. It’s laid-back, a little weird, and perfectly bilingual—just like your favorite brewery playlist.

What Makes It Special:

• 600+ beers from 100+ breweries

• A mix of local microbrewers and international flair

• It feels like a block party that got out of hand in the best way

This one happens in June and is basically summer in a pint glass. It’s a mix of serious drinkers and curious sippers, with food trucks and live music pulling everyone into the same groove. Bonus: you can work off your buzz with an awkward attempt at speaking French.

Don’t wait for festival season to indulge your weird beer cravings. Hit our Special Taproom Drafts (STDs) lineup—where we push boundaries, not buttons (ok, maybe a few buttons).

Toronto’s Festival of Beer – Ontario, Canada

Toronto’s Festival of Beer brings together big flavors, loud music, and over 400 beers from around the world. Held at Bandshell Park near Lake Ontario, it blends Canadian charm with party-hard energy in a setting that feels more like a summer concert than a tasting event.

Why You’ll Want In:

• 40,000+ attendees over a weekend

• Breweries from across Canada and beyond

• Big-name musical acts to pair with your pints

Happening every July, this fest keeps things light, loud, and sudsy. It’s a beer-fueled block party with just enough structure to not lose your wallet.

If Toronto’s a stretch, bring the experience to your doorstep. Line up a flight from our On Tap list and host your own backyard beer bash. Fewer crowds. Better bathroom access.

Qingdao International Beer Festival – China

You weren’t expecting this one, but here it is. Qingdao throws one of the wildest beer festivals on the planet. It’s got lights, music, mascots, and more beer than you can count.

Why It Feels Like a Fever Dream:

• 1,300+ beers from every direction

• Beer pong on an arena scale

• Mascots that haunt your dreams—and absolutely own the dance floor
  

It runs from late July to mid-August and leans way more party than tasting. Think EDM meets steins.

Save yourself the 14-hour flight and scroll our On Tap collection. Nobody wants to deal with customs when all you wanted was a cool t-shirt from the merch counter.

What Happens at Beer Fests (Sometimes Stays There)

Let’s be real. Beer festivals aren’t just about what’s in the glass. They’re about the people, the terrible dance moves, the "accidental" crowd surfing, and the inevitable moment someone asks, "Is it weird if I sleep in the car tonight?"

These moments make the shirts you keep, the inside jokes that become legends, and the photos that never make it to Instagram. They’re stories soaked in beer foam and built on bad decisions. Our favorite kind.

Planning a Festival-Inspired Night at Home?

We’re here for that too. Grab a few of your funniest friends, throw on some ironic band tees, and line up a beer flight featuring everything from easy blondes to heavy hitters. Add in some pub snacks, questionable trivia, and an impromptu karaoke machine, and you’ve got a vibe.

Start by checking out our Full Tap Menu. We’ve brewed something for every taste—and every level of self-control.

Sip Happens. Make it Worth It.

Beer festivals are more than a place to drink—they’re a mood, a movement, a chance to raise a glass to the weird, wonderful ride we’re all on. And while not everyone can fly off to Munich or dance with a foam mascot in Qingdao, you can still channel that same wild energy right at home.

Cochrane Balzac Brewing & Cider Co. is your go-to for beer with personality and apparel that doesn’t play it safe. We bring beer culture and bold humor together like they were always meant to be—loud, cheeky, and totally unforgettable.

Hit up cochranebalzacbrewing.com to explore our tap lists, wild designs, and gift-worthy gear that makes every pour feel like a party.

Pour something that makes you smile. Wear something that makes 'em stare.