Beer is a simple pleasure with surprising depth — just ask any beer aficionado at the annual World Beer Festival, which opens on Saturday at the Columbian Metropolitan Convention Center.
The festival has been running for over a decade, picking up accolades from Forbes.com and USA
Today along the way and making itself a mainstay in the beer enthusiast circuit.
It’ll require putting aside the Bud Light for a day, but consider the assortment of varieties available: witbiers, IPAs, pale ales, ciders, stouts, pilsners and many more. In addition to the variety on display, many new features are coming to this year’s World Beer Festival, including a section specifically for South Carolina beer, an on-site and active brewery, beer pairing demonstrations and a silent disco.
It’s glamorous stuff, but don’t be fooled; the World Beer Festival still belongs to the hardworking craft labels that strive for good, satisfying beer. The craft beer industry is on the rise in South Carolina as a result of a number of restrictions being lifted on breweries in the state in the past few years.
With the hundreds of beers from hundreds of breweries open for sampling at the Festival, enthusiasts and amateurs alike should find something to their liking.