If you’re not all festivaled (yes, I did just make up a word) out yet then Saturday, June 28th is your next chance to get yourself a sampler glass and enjoy some Missouri beer.  Westport Plaza is hosting a Beer and Brat Festival from Noon-6PM next Saturday to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.   Here is a list of the breweries who are attending:

• Schlafly
• Buffalo Brewing
• Anheuser-Busch
• Alandale
• Boulevard
• Griesedieck
• Gruhlke
• Ray Hill

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 dollars at the door.  Not too many things go better together than beer and brats.

I received an email from Dan Kopman, the VP of St. Louis Brewery last week and I thought it posed an interested thought, what’s my ultimate list of local beers? Here’s the email:

Just a quick thought (run on sentence to follow). I saw a posting about your perfect beer list or something like that. Moving on from that idea and as a big believer (instilled in my beer DNA from my early days at Young’s in London) that freshness is the key and that locally made is the key to freshness, what would be your perfect list for a bar with say 4 to 6 taps and then some bottles, of locally made beer including what AB makes in StL? I ask this with Heritage Fest approaching and many retailers looking to feature local beers during that week.

I thought this was a clever idea and really gave me something to ponder. Unfortunately a lot of my local favorites are seasonal so I’ll actually be making two lists, the first list will be of beers that are available year round and the other list will be comprised of my favorite local beers. Also remember, I made these choices based on beers that are actually distributed in St. Louis just so people don’t think I was looking to shun local craft brewpubs. The lists are after the jump. Read the rest…