Author by : Dustin Marcus

The city is alive.

Summer has finally shown its face and the first truly hot day finds
the people of Montreal packing the streets, cafes, terraces bars and parks. The
pavement shimmers and pulses as if trying to keep time with the echo of the Tam-
Tams. Downtown people are milling along rue St-Catherine and Rene-Levesque.
There appears to be a common goal as the crowd masses in the same direction. A
familiar scent floats on the warm breeze – malt, hops, mmmm… BEER. Residents
and tourists mingle on the streets surging towards Windsor Station and the 12th
Annual Montreal Beer Festival (or as you say in French, the Mondiale de la Bierre ) –
Its Beer Festival weekend!

The Montreal Beer Festival is a showcase of Quebec Brewers and their finest beers.
Hundreds of brewers both large and small display their genius and offer samples of
their creations. Entrance to the event is free and the individual samples range
anywhere from $1 to $5 depending on which beer and how much you decide to
taste! Samples are purchased by way of coupons available from strategically located
booths, along with tasting mugs, t-shirts, caps and all sorts of other Montreal Beer
Festival related paraphernalia.

Once armed with a book of tasting coupons and a tasting mug (for those decadent
beer loving souls!) the fun begins. Back arched, nose to the air, elbows flexed and
jostling mode activated; its time to merge into the passing torrent of people and
swim your way to the first watering hole. The knowledge that after the first few
samples this exercise will become more like an enjoyable afternoon with friends
than a medieval tavern brawl should be enough to keep you motivated and moving
with the flow.

Ale, Lager, Blonde, Rousse, Stout, Blanche, Raspberry, Chocolate and all the flavors
in between! Beers of all kinds flood the senses. Throughout the chaos of beer stalls,
strategically placed food vendors offer tasty snacks and meals to compliment the
abundant flow of amber liquid. When you finally need to surface for some air the
large outdoor seating area provides the perfect setting. Here you can find some
breathing space and if you’re lucky maybe even a table and chair where you can sit
and reflect on your favorite brew.

All in all the Montreal Beer Festival is a beer lovers paradise but still offers plenty to
those of a festive nature with less of a thirst! Well worth planning an afternoon to
visit and enjoy.

This year’s Montreal Beer Festival will be held from the 31st of May – 4th June, 2006
at Windsor Station.

[tags]montreal festivals,montreal beer festival,montreal tourist[/tags]

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