Beer Festivals

Imagine six million liters of beer, enough to fill a small lake or pour a glass for every man, woman and child in Germany. Add a few thousand traditionally-clad, voluptuous Bavarian waitresses carrying up to 22 liters of beer at a time, the equivalent of 66 12-ounce bottles.

Have you heard of Starkbierzeit? It's German for 'strong beer festival,' an event held every March in Munich. For two weeks, Münchners take a break from Lenten self-denial, breweries bring out their most potent beverages, and beer halls throw noisy parties with Bavarian food and entertainment. Locals call it their 'fifth season.'

Fasching in February' sounds like an accident involving ligaments torn in a winter storm. But in fact, Fasching is a crack-up of another kind, a big costumed carnival, the German version of Mardi Gras, and one last loop-dee-do before Lent.

Okay, I know lederhosen becomes you and slapping those ample red thighs keeps the accordion player in synch, but pull up a barrel and take a breather. It's time you and I talked about beer.

There's no better place to get acquainted with new beer styles than at a beer festival. That's especially true of barleywine. The best showcase for the style, and one of the world's biggest, is The Great Alaska Beer and Barleywine Festival in downtown Anchorage.

For five years now, the Mondiale de la Bière in Montreal, Quebec, has proclaimed its mission: 'To restore beer to its rightful and noble place, by offering the general public the opportunity to taste beer from five continents, while encouraging responsible consumption.'