Last week we shared with you the Top 12 ‘Must Attend’ Music Festivals Of 2012, and today we’re going to let you know about the World’s Top 15 Beer Festivals.

#1 Oktoberfest – Munich, Germany

German peoples have celebrated the mother of all beer festivals, and easily our number one choice, since 1810. Oktoberfest has now grown into a 16-day festival attracting 6.2 million people from all over the world. This festival should be on the bucket list of any beer connoisseur, or anybody for that matter.

#2 National Winter Ales Festival – Manchester, UK

Hosted by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ales, this winter beer festival has been taking place every January since 1997. NWAF, as it is commonly known, features more than 200 different types of beer and its mandate is to showcase the best winter ales, such as stouts and porters, that are produced in the UK.

#3 Great American Beer Festival – Denver, Colorado, USA

Boasting over 1600 different kinds of American beer, this three-day annual festival takes place at the end of September each year. Located in the Denver Convention Center, beer connoisseurs from all over the world sample the wares of over 450 domestic breweries.

#4 Qingdao International Beer Festival – Qingdao, China

This two-week long event is the largest beer festival in Asia, and features beer tasting from all over the world. Packed with both drinking, and of course karaoke, competitions, this is probably one of the best beer festivals outside of Oktoberfest.

#5 National Capital Craft Beer Festival – Canberra, Australia

Over 80 craft breweries get together each April in Canberra, Australia to add a touch of class to the once thought lowbrow act of beer swilling. With gourmet food and beer pairings you will never look at beer the same way again.

#6 Great British Beer Festival – London, UK

The sister event of NWAF, the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF), is the summer event organized by CAMRA. Offering over 450 beers from British breweries, as well as 200 foreign beers from countries including Belgium, Germany and the USA, this is a great warm up festival for those who plan on heading to Oktoberfest.

#7 Cape Town Festival of Beer – Cape Town, South Africa

This November festival celebrates “all things beer”, and features over 20 breweries, with more than 50 different kinds of beer. If you plan on attending, shell out the extra cash and go for their King Package, which comes complete with an individual draught tap, a keg, a branded mug, and you’re your own personal beer wench… but just don’t call her that to her face.

#8 Great Japan Beer Festival – Tokyo (June), Osaka (July), Yokohama (August), Japan

This three-part beer festival runs over the course of three months during the summer and occurs in three different locations. Offering more than 270 beers from over 50 local and 30 international breweries; the Great Japan Beer Festival attracts over 20,000 Japanese and foreign beer lovers alike.

#9 Thai Beer Festival – Bangkok, Thailand

Although when one thinks of Thailand, being a great producer of beer does not naturally come to mind. However, if you have ever had a chance to attend this annual festival, which occurs in late October, then you know that Thailand is more than just about its beautiful beaches and tasty food… their beer is pretty damn good as well.

#10 PINT Bokbier Festival – Amsterdam, Netherlands

The best-known, and largest beer festival in all of Netherlands is without a doubt the PINT Bokbier Festival. Taking place each year in late October at the Amsterdam Beurs van Berlage, this beer festival hosts more than 50 varieties of bokbier.

#11 Czech Beer Festival – Prague, Czech Republic

This two-week long beer festival occurs each year in May and offers over 70 brands of Czech beer, all served in authentic glass pitchers by over 200 beautiful Czech barmaids wearing traditional Czech costumes.

#12 Mondial de la Biere – Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Canada’s largest beer festival takes place every June in Montreal. Known for its beautiful women, and gourmet dishes, Montreal is the perfect backdrop for beer connoisseurs to samples beers from all over Quebec, Canada, and the World.

#13 The Belgian Beer Weekend – Brussels, Belgium

Hosted at the Grand Place in Brussels, this three-day beer festival occurs every September and features over 250 different kinds of beers, from pilsners to trappist beers.

#14 Oregon Brewers Festival – Portland, Oregon, USA

Over 80 craft breweries from across the United States come together each July to take part in this four-day event, one of the nation’s longest running craft beer festivals. Serving up more than 20 styles of handcrafted brews to over 80,000 beer connoisseurs, this beer festival is the best place to learn everything there is to know about craft beer.

#15 Bitter and Twisted International Boutique Beer Festival – Maitland, Australia

Serving over 50 craft beers from around the globe to over 4 thousand attendants, this Australian beer festival takes place inside the ‘yard’ of an old maximum-security jail and is definitely a must attend event for any beer lover.

Author: Corey Rozon