Beerfest is very quietly becoming Canada’s biggest beer festival. Last year, with just under 9,000 in attendance, it outpaced the Mondial de La Biere in Montréal, Canada’s largest beer festival. Besides the sheer size of this huge festival, it provides a great chance to discover and celebrate one of the world’s underappreciated and least understood beverages — beer. This two-day sampling begins Friday, April 25 and runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and winds up on Saturday, April 26 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., in the Big Four Building at Stampede Park. It’s conveniently close to public transportation, so please don’t drink and drive.

The festival will feature numerous world classics, some of Canada’s finest beers and some products yet to appear in Calgary’s better stocked liquor stores, as agents often use this festival to test-market new wares.

At this year’s festival you can sample some barrel-aged beers that are relatively new to Alberta. Brew Dog, an upstart Scottish microbrewery with an independent DIY attitude, will be in attendance for the first time. This brewery is getting raves from around the world and cleaned up in the medal department last week at the World Cup of Beer in San Diego. Brew Dog won two medals, which is virtually unheard of for a new brewery. One of the brewers will be in attendance this weekend, as a division of the Scottish government’s “Scottish enterprise” is paying half of Brew Dog’s expenses for the festival.

The festival gives you an opportunity to experience beer’s great diversity without having to commit to buying a six-pack of gimmicky beer. You don’t have to be beer addicted to enjoy it, either, and you may just find a new favourite to enjoy the playoffs with. For more information, visit www.get-a-life.ca/calgarybeerfest.