Have a cold one (or 10): a guide to summer beer festivals

It’s that time of year again, when nothing sounds better than sitting in the sun with a cold one (or a warm one, depending on what you’re into). In the spirit of the season, The A.V. Club found out where you can go this summer to drink lots of beer in the middle of the day under the guise of being a connoisseur.

Brau Fest
Selection: Brau Brothers Brewing Company’s classics and new releases: full-flavored “big” beers, brewed on site from homegrown grains.
Activities: An open house in the brewery itself, including a tour of its presumably adorable hopyard and barley patch. Plus, “Tour de Brau” (a bike ride to the Laura Ingalls Wilder house), beanbag toss contests, and a softball tournament among local teams. Friday is karaoke night, while Saturday features a dance party, with music by Hicktown Mafia. There is on-site camping alongside a pond, and a cozy central campfire where you can hang out with other home-brewers, talk shop, and try one another’s beer.
Food: Yes, including a four-course, beer-paired meal by a local chef, and barbecue by the regional Lions Club.
What makes this fest so special?: This is the fest for people who want to drive three hours for a small-town, community experience—kind of like sleep-away camp for beer lovers. Case in point: Fest organizers say they “hope to be able to pump beer from ‘Old 56,’” a beloved antique fire truck.
Vital info: June 4-5, 201 First St., Lucan. No tickets involved; just pay for the beer.

City Pages Beer Fest
Selection: New, classic, and summer beers from local breweries like Summit, Surly, Herkimer, Lift Bridge, and Crispin, plus popular domestic and imported beers like Guinness, Sierra Nevada, and Moosehead. Anheuser-Busch will provide unlimited samples of Shock Top, a newer Belgian White. There will also be lemonade and other “specialty drinks” for any non-beer-drinkers along for the ride.
Activities: Paintball shot practice, a VIP deck, and music by Sell Out Stereo.
Food: Yes, from a variety of local vendors.
Proceeds benefit: St. Paul Jaycees.
What makes this fest so special?: After 18 years, this is the most popular beer fest in town. Compared to other local fests, it’s not so much about the beer and beer culture, but it does afford the chance to wander drunkenly around in the sunshine and likely see someone you know.
Vital info: June 5, 5-9 p.m., 10th & Hennepin. Tickets: $26/$30, VIP $45, designated driver $8, available at select MGM Liquor Warehouse locations and at citypages.com/beerfest.

St. Paul Summer Beer Fest
Selection: Beer from 75 microbreweries around the country, making this the largest event for craft brewers in the state. Which, in turn, makes it one of the largest craft beer fests in the country. No imports, no big breweries, just finely crafted micros.
Activities: Unlimited samples, a beer education/appreciation tent, and a silent charity auction. Music will be provided by locals including Como Ave Jug Band, Jack Brass Band, Fiero, The Punchers, and a couple of The Alarmists.
Food: All the lovely ballpark offerings of Midway Stadium: hotdogs, burgers, sammies, etc.
Proceeds benefit: St. Paul Midway YMCA.
What makes this fest so special?: For the craft beer enthusiast, it doesn’t get any better than this. In the state recently named by the American Homebrewers Association as the best place to homebrew, this is a beer fest run by beer-lovers for beer-lovers, who can't wait to try out some beer-lovin’ beer.
Vital info: June 20 (Father’s Day!), 1-5 p.m. (the party starts at noon for VIPs), Midway Stadium, 1771 Energy Park Dr., St. Paul. Tickets: $30, VIP $40, available online at stpaulsummerbeerfest.com

Bell’s Fermented Eclipse
Selection: A smattering of the fullest-flavored beers from Bell's, including its Batch 9000, Black Note, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Hell Hath No Fury, Oatmeal Stout (making its tap debut in Minnesota), and some other hush-hush taps TBA. Also be on the look out for Expedition Stout, Cherry Stout, Double Cream, Kalamazoo, and Rye Stout.
Activities: Special releases of different Bell's products throughout the night, plus bar trivia with a fabulous first prize: a one-year supply of Bell's. Meanwhile, Romantica headlines the music lineup.
Food: The regular menu at Stub And Herb's, plus barbecue chicken smoked with chopped-up Expedition Stout barrels.
What makes this fest so special?: The smaller scale of this specialized fest means that hardcore Bell’s fans can brush up on their “Bellspertise,” while newbies can see what all the buzz is about. (Dumbass drinking pun intended.)
Vital info: June 26, 3-10 p.m., Stub & Herb’s, 227 Oak St. SE.

Highland Fest’s Beer Dabbler Showcase
Selection: A variety of beers, including imported regional and craft brews, from 50 breweries. Every 40 minutes, a different beer only available outside Minnesota, or made especially for the event, will be featured.
Activities: Everything Highland Fest has to offer, including Hammerschlagen, art vendors, and “Beer Class”: 20-minute crash courses in various food/spirits categories, including Cheesemaking, How To Launch A Brewery, Intro To Home Brewing, and Beer Science. The fest’s music lineup features Martin Zellar And The Hardways, Dave Matthews tribute band The Trippin Billies, and The Alarmists (all of them this time).
Food: Highland's fair-food offerings, plus some classes on pairings that probably involve samples.
Proceeds benefit: Free Arts Minnesota and Rock The Cause.
What makes this fest so special?: The flexibility. Classes are individualized, cheap, and short; the beer selection has something for everyone; and with the rest of Highland Fest going on, even the kiddies will keep busy.
Vital info: July 17, 1-5 p.m., 2065 Ford Parkway, St. Paul. Tickets: Unlimited beer tasting $25/$33, available at Thomas Liquor, 1941 Grand Ave., St. Paul, or online at thebeerdabbler.com/highland. Class passes sold separately, $3 per class.

Brew At The Zoo
Selection: This one is a ways off, but so far confirmed vendors include Minnesota's own August Schell, Lift Bridge, Blue Diamond, and Mantorville.
Activities: Singer-songwriter Tim Mahoney will vie with exotic animals for your attention.
Food: Complimentary appetizers.
Proceeds benefit: The zoo’s conservation funds.
What makes this fest so special?: The zoo is offering something no other festival can: “an evening of beers and bears." Just don’t start taunting the latter after a few of the former.
Vital info: Aug. 13, 7-10 p.m. Tickets: $45/$55, designated driver $30, available online at mnzoo.com starting June 24.