MONTREAL, QC – The organizers of Mondial de la Bière – one of North America’s largest and most diverse beer festivals – have announced advance details for its 24th annual edition, which will be taking place at Palais des Congrès de Montréal on June 14 to 18, 2017.
Set to feature hundreds of beers, ciders and meads from a wide selection of local, national and international breweries and producers, this year’s edition of Mondial will include the following highlights:
- MBeer Guided Tours led by beer experts, featuring beer sampling throughout the festival, and ending with a beer and cheese pairing.
- Workshops on various themes including and cheeses, beer and chocolate, beer and finger food, and beer and music.
- The 12th annual MBeer Greg Noonan Contest, a juried tasting competition named for the late brewing expert Greg Noonan that will award one platinum and 10 gold medals to the best beers available at the festival.
- The replacement of paper tasting coupons with a smart card that will be pre-loaded with the initial number of tasting credits purchased by the attendees, with kiosks throughout the hall to check balances and add additional credits.
- A selection of pre-paid packages, including a $25 package for early access and lunch on Wednesday to Friday, and 1- and 5-day VIP packages with access to a private tasting area with a selection of International beers and finger foods, as well as other perks.
- Live music, DJs, and other entertainment.
Outside of the festival proper, La Semaine Brassicole will run from June 12th to 18th, featuring beer events at bars and breweries throughout the city, and a Sorties Flaveurs series of beer dinners and pairing menus at select Montréal restaurants.
General admission to Mondial de la Bière is free, with sampling tickets available for $1, and 2 to 8 oz beer samples being served for between 2 and 8 tickets each. Festival hours of operation are 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Wednesday June 14th to Saturday June 17th, and 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Sunday June 18th.
For more information, see the Mondial de la Bière Montréal website, and watch for further details about the festival and surrounding events to be announced at a press conference in May.