By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published May 08, 2016 at 3:01 PM

The Wisconsin Beer Lovers' Festival is back!  and this year takes place on Saturday, June 18 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Bayshore Towne Center.

It also happens to be Father's Day weekend, so it might be the perfect prelude to dad’s big day, or just an excuse to sample a wide variety of tasty brews in an outdoor setting.

Hosted by Bayshore Town Center, DRAFT MagazinePalermo’s Screamin Sicilian, Welcome to Glendale (the City of Glendale’s Convention and Visitors Bureau) and the Wisconsin Brewer’s Guild, the Wisconsin Beer Lovers Festival is the premier all-Wisconsin craft beer and tasting festival, featuring more than 100 craft beer selections from more than 40 craft breweries throughout the state.

And that’s not all. Each brewery is paired with a local restaurant who will serve up delicious fare that pairs exceptionally well with the accompany beer, ensuring that you won’t go hungry during your Wisconsin beer tasting excursion.

The festival will also feature musical entertainment, along with the annual "mountain of beer," an impressive collection of brews which will be raffled off to one lucky attendee, with proceeds going to benefit the Wisconsin Brewers Guild.

"Whether you’ve come year after year, or you’re attending for the first time, Wisconsin Beer Lovers Festival is the place to be every June," notes Jeff Hamilton, president of Sprecher Brewery in Glendale and member of the Wisconsin Brewers Guild. "This gathering allows visitors from across the nation to sample the state’s best craft beers and food, as well as the opportunity to meet the brewmasters and chefs behind the day’s creations."

Tickets, which include admission, a souvenir glass, and unlimited sampling of both beer and food are $45 per person. VIP passes for $65 include all the benefits of a general admission ticket, plus early access (one hour before the gates open for general admission) and admission to a special VIP tent featuring a collection of unique beers that won’t be served elsewhere onsite. Food lovers tickets, which allow unlimited sampling of food only, are also available for $25 each. Hotel packages are also available.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit wisconsinbeerloversfest.com.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.