Beer tastings planned for first festival

Try up to 15 different beers at Brandon's inaugural Beer Festival.

Got a thirst for variety? An international beer fetival planned for next month will let you try up to 15 different brews — and it's all for kids.

The festival is a joint venture between the Rotary Club of Brandon (Sunset) and the Brandon Rotaract club, and will be held on April 21 from 7–9:30 p.m. at the Victoria Inn's Imperial Ballroom.

Beers will come from England, Scotland, Ireland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, France, Austria, China, Japan and Singapore, and will range in strength from 3.9 per cent to 8 per cent.

Tastings are limited to 2 fl oz by the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission, but the glasses, made from unbreakable acrylic, are designed to be taken home as a souvenir of the event.

A bowl of chili is included in the $25 ticket cost, which also allows up to five tastings. Additional tastings are $5 for a further five samples.

The festival will also include silent auctions and a door prize; money raised will go towards children’s programs at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.

The city of Brandon is sponsoring a limited number of bus tickets at the event, to curb drinking and driving.

There are a limited amount of tickets, available from either the West-Man Foot Clinic on Victoria Avenue, or any member of the Rotary Club of Brandon (Sunset) or the Brandon Rotaract club.