Cities and towns all over the world host beer festivals, bringing people together over the common love of a pint. Many are Bavarian in nature and some are more of the micro-brew type. There are those which serve interesting food to the masses and those where getting through the doors is more difficult than landing a ticket to the Super Bowl. There are a few festivals that every beer enthusiast must visit, if only once. The flavors of beers you’ll try at these events varies as greatly as the cultures which developed them and the hosts are generous in sharing their craft and hospitality. With the great drinking month of October just around the corner, get your drinking hat and cash in those frequent flier miles, there’s beer calling.

Oktoberfest Brazil - Blumenau, Brazil

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The city of Blumenau, a city in the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil, looks as if the German settlers who founded it brought sections of their cities with them on the boats they crossed the ocean in. It is a very surreal environment, the old German architecture surrounded by sub-tropical forests in a valley of steep hills. But you're not flying all the way to Brazil for some damn architecture, beer floods the streets of this city of 300,000 once a year in celebration of its population’s resiliency. The city’s location in a valley was the leading factor in the flooding of the streets in 1984. The city was rebuilt after being isolated for weeks by the flood waters; the citizens needed a fuckin’ drink and thus the festival was born. Blumenau is a typical Bavarian beer festival, claiming to be the largest Oktoberfest outside of Germany, with nearly 700,000 participants in 2007.

Great British Beer Festival - London, England

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Entirely staffed by unpaid volunteers (they get paid in beer I‘m sure), the “biggest pub in the world” is a festival of the highest pedigree and home to the Champion Beer of Britain Awards. GBBF features over 600 beers, most of which come from British breweries. Other countries including their entries are Belgium, Germany and the U.S. The beer is served in one-third pint increments if preferred, allowing visitors to taste the widest variety of casks possible. The above picture shows that full pints are available and that foam doesn't count towards your allotment. Some of the unique elements to the Great British Beer Festival are the numerous pub games and music offerings.

Great American Beer Festival - Denver, Colorado

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If you can manage to navigate your way peacefully through the throngs of liver transplant candidates, this is a very enjoyable festival. The portions are small by typical beer fest expectations, but the excitement in America for “craft beer” is off the charts and over 2,800 stouts, India pales and lagers can be sampled. On second thought, small portions may be an advantage. Nearly 500 breweries from eastern to western seaboard are represented.

Kerstbierfestival - Essen, Belgium

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The best of Belgian beer fests, it is overran by superb breweries showcasing their finest seasonal offerings. They don't skimp on serving sizes (as evidenced by the passed out dude above), the atmosphere is relaxed, and the profiteering ideals of many beer fests is completely absent. The people here are united by their shared passion for drinking beer.

Pilsner Beer Festival - Plzen, Czech Republic

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The Pilsner Beer Festival is one of the oldest beer fests (166th anniversary to be exact) and home to beer itself. These people have been brewing since 1295 and were the first to begin brewing lagers in 1842. Three days of non-stop music and drinking in the motherland of the Pilsner is an unbelievable experience. Be sure to visit the Brewery Museum, known locally as Pivovarské Muzeum, located in an authentic medieval brewing house.

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest - Ontario, Canada

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Another festival claiming to be the largest Oktoberfest outside Germany, Canada's Great Bavarian Festival also reaches around the 700,000 attendee mark and lasts nine days. The festival has loads of character, featuring mascots like Onkel Hans and Tante Frieda. There is also a Miss Oktoberfest competition with entries coming from all over North America. The festival is jump-started by an official ceremonious tapping of the keg. Events included in Ontario's Oktoberfest are Rocktoberfest, Hip-hoptoberfest, Dogtoberfest, and for all of you wondering, Pridetoberfest (use your imagination).

Cannstatter Wasen - Stuttgart, Germany

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A beer festival with much more to offer than beer (great excuse for getting the wife and kids to attend), the Volksfest begins one week after Oktoberfest and reported an attendance of 4.2 million last year. Unique to this festival is the assortment of attractions. It has a complete fairgrounds and boasts the world's largest mobile Ferris wheel. One of the most recognized icons is the "fruit pillar," a 2.5 ton wooden pillar decorated with fruit. Be sure to check out the French Village for a wide variety of traditional French music and food. If you've visited the 7 large beer tents at the festival, finding a seat and having some food might do you some good and recharge your drinking spirits.

THE Oktoberfest - Munich, Germany

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With stats like 6.2 million visitors, 6,940,600 liters of beer consumed, 521,872 chickens, 142,253 pairs of pork sausages, 58,446 schweinshaxen and 38,650kg of fish served, Oktoberfest is the beer enthusiast's mecca. Drinking begins with the traditional tapping of the keg at 12 noon by the city's Mayor, accompanied by a shout of, "O'zapft is!" ("It's tapped!"). Attending the world's largest Volksfest (People's Fair) is something every man should experience before his wife inevitably--and I'll admit, sometimes necessarily--cuts him off from the booze.

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