By Troika Brodsky
Executive Director, St. Louis Brewers Guild
St. Louis, which was recently named the nations’ “best beer scene” by USA Today, is gearing up to host its premier beer event, The 12th Annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival, Saturday, July 14, 2 to 6 pm at the Grand Basin in Forest Park. The Heritage Festival is the apex of the local festival scene, and honors and celebrates the rich traditions of St. Louis, a city built on brewing.
New for 2018, Heritage Festival is returning to its roots in Forest Park, where the first iteration of the festival in 2007 featured just 7 local brewers. The central scenic panorama that is the Grand Basin and adjacent wooded area is where thousands will enjoy hundreds of styles of beer from more than 50 greater St. Louis area breweries and homebrew clubs, great food, music and more.
Forest Park will provide a relaxed and idyllic setting along the water where fair-goers will find the sun shining and the beer flowing as St. Louis’ finest beermakers offer beer geeks and casual samplers alike a chance to check a brew off the beer bucket list, or try something new and out of their comfort zone. Try several different styles of beer from simple pale ales to flavorful lagers. Want to know more about fruit-forward sours or bourbon barrel aged stouts? This is the place.
Along with experimental beers, collaboration brews, and special tappings – a featured highlight this year will be a Cask Mini-Festival curated by the Saint Louis Hop Shop featuring pours from more than a dozen one-off casks from local breweries.
FOOD & FUN – Of course, one can’t live on beer alone. Heritage Festival will welcome five food trucks serving up various cuisines for you to enjoy at an additional cost. Everyone is also welcome to bring blankets, folding chairs, and snacks and turn Heritage Festival into St. Louis’ largest picnic, with plenty of lawn games, cornhole, and even life-sized beer pong to play as you enjoy the best beer in the city.
THE BREWERS – Participating breweries pouring this year include (with more still to announce):
- 2nd Shift
- Anheuser-Busch Research Pilot Brewery
- Augusta Brewing Co.
- Bluewood Brewing Co.
- Cathedral Square
- Charleville Brewing Co.
- Crown Valley Brewery & Distillery
- Earthbound Beer
- Exit Six Pub & Brewery
- Ferguson Brewing Co.
- Griesedieck Bros.
- Good News Brewing Co.
- Jackson Street BrewCo.
- Kirkwood Station Brewing Co.
- Main & Mill Brewing Co.
- Mark Twain Brewing Co.
- Missouri Beer Company
- O’Fallon Brewing Company
- Perennial Artisan Ales
- Public House Brewing Co.
- Schlafly Beer
- Six Mile Bridge Beer
- Square One Brewery & Distillery
- Steampunk Brew Works
- Stubborn German Brewing Co.
- The Old Bakery Beer Company
- Third Wheel Brewing
- Time in a Barrel Brewing
- Tin Mill Brewing Co.
- Trailhead Brewing Company
- Twisted Roots
- Two Plumbers Brewery + Arcade
- Urban Chestnut Brewing Company
- William K Busch Brewing Company.
General Admission is $40.00. Designated Driver tickets will be sold the day of the event for $5 at the gate for those accompanying GA ticket holders. All GA ticket holders will receive a commemorative tasting glass and unlimited samples. Must be 21+ to attend.
More information and tickets can be found online at: www.stlbeer.org or stlbeerheritagefest.eventbrite.com.