Beer Festival Crankiness

Drinking in Toronto is always an expensive proposition - I'm someone who likes good value for money.

And that brings me to today's post, the ridiculous amounts of money that beer festivals cost in Toronto.

I'm picking on Session in particular here, mostly because the Toronto Festival of Beer is something I have no desire to go to. From what I can tell, it is filled with frat boys and macro beer. Boring, and boring.

Session is, however, a craft beer festival, one I would actually like to go to. I'm not going to though - because it costs $35 to get in.

$35. Let's pause and consider that, shall we? Here's what $35 will get you beer-wise, anywhere else in Toronto.

- 4 pints at C'est What, Bar Volo, Rebel House - all places where you can get quality local beers. 4 pints is more than I want to drink in an evening.
- Significantly more beer at cheaper beer venues - the Only Cafe, the Rhino - again, quality local beers.
- At-least 2 6-packs of almost any beer. Sit on your balcony, have some friends over, get the grill going. A perfect summer evening.

Here's what you get for $35 at Session. (From BarTowel.)

- Entrance to the fest
- limited addition glass tasting stein
- access to approx 100 different craft beers from Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, B.C, Oregon, New York
- live music throughout the day (acts TBA)
- opening ceremony with garrett oliver -
- unique entertainment all day - blue mushroom circus (sword swallowing, strongman, dancers)
- Cooking with beer demonstrations (pairing etc)
- Chances to win beer prizing (vote for the best of fest)
- Meet and chat with beer makers, marketers, sellers, creators throughout the day
- Spend the day drinking with 2000+ like minded folks.

So, essentially, you get a glass for $35.


- The bands? Free at the Harbour Front. And at a million of free summer festivals in Toronto. Go there instead.
- Opening ceremony? Meh. Brooklyn Brewery does make good beer. I'm not sure if I'm going to pay $35 to meet a brewer though. They drink around town, they are normal people, I'm sure you can meet them for free. (OCB Week has a ton of Meet the Brewer events - they are all free.)
- Cooking with beer. Again, meh.
- Drinking with 2000+ like minded folks? Ok, that's an amazing way to spin 'crowded as heck'.

I know I sound cranky. I am cranky.

Sorry. I think $35 is just greedy. In addition, $35 encourages me to drink entirely too much, in an attempt to spread out the cost of my entry fee over multiple samples. I'm sure over-imbibing is something the organizers are trying to prevent, not encourage.

Yes, people in Toronto seem to have a ton of money. But me? I'm going to spend my money on Mondial instead. Where the entry is free, and the beer is just as good.