All About Beer Magazine Announces 7th Annual World Beer Festival Columbia 2015 will Feature an Increase in South Carolina Breweries
October 22, 2014
January 17, 2015 ~
COLUMBIA, SC – All About Beer Magazine announced today that it will bring the World Beer Festival back to Columbia for the seventh straight year on January 17, 2015 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
“Columbia is now a bonafide craft beer community,” said Chris Rice, All About Beer MagazinePresident. “We are excited to see new breweries popping up here and this year we are partnering with Columbia’s River Rat Brewery to do a collaboration beer for the festival.”
S.C. is experiencing a boom in brewing. In the last year alone at least 10 new breweries have opened in the state. The World Beer Festival plans to highlight S.C. breweries, along with the national and international breweries it always brings. Columbia’s River Rat and Conquest Brewery are both on the list to offer tastings. Other South Carolina Breweries who have confirmed are: Benford Brewing Co., Brewery 85, Frothy Beard Brewing Company and Wooden Skiff Brewing Company.
“Columbia’s craft beer scene has exploded over the past few years and we are happy to be a part of it,” said Drew Walker, Head Brewer for River Rat Brewery. “We had a booth at the festival last year, but were not ready to offer tastings yet. We have come a long way in the past year to be able to partner with All About Beer Magazine and collaborate on a beer for the 2015 festival.”
“We are proud and honored to once again be a part of the World Beer Festival, said Andrea Mensink, Public Relations Director for the Midlands Authority of Conventions, Sports and Tourism. “Not only is this a fun event for local beer fans, but it also draws a large out-of-town attendance. Last year, approximately 55% of attendees came from outside the Columbia metro area.”
In addition to the collaboration beer and South Carolina section, the festival will also feature specialty cheese and beer pairings, beer education seminars and special tapings each hour. They will also bring back the silent disco experience that was a hit at last year’s festival.
Each year hundreds of Columbia volunteers help to put on the festival. Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR), is a community partner of the festival and helps with the volunteer effort.
“COR and the World Beer Festival have been partners since the first year,” said Anissa Floyd, Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR) Executive Director. “Each year our volunteers look forward to and love being a part of this great event.”
General admission tickets are $40 and come with a tasting glass and unlimited 2-ounce tastings. VIP admission tickets are available at $75 and offer access to a private hospitality area including private bathrooms, and a bonus selection of rare and unique beers, and a 3-issue subscription to All About Beer Magazine. Food will also be available for purchase.
The festival will be held on January 17, 2015 and offer two sessions, 12-4 p.m. and 6-10 p.m. Subscriber ticket purchases begins Wednesday, October 22nd and public on-sale begins Wednesday, October 29th. Tickets can be purchased online at www.worldbeerfestival.com or at both Green’s locations and Morganelli’s Party Store.
Volunteer registration is now open. Please visit www.worldbeerfestival.com for more information and to register.
A portion of the proceeds from the festival will go to COR. The mission of the World Beer Festival is to educate the public in beer appreciation and beer quality, and to build the local beer community. Every aspect of the World Beer Festival focuses on promoting the positive attributes of the growing beer culture.
All About Beer Magazine has presented over 35 festivals in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Virginia since 1996. We’re proud that our World Beer Festivals are among the premier beer events in the country, acclaimed by Forbes.com, USA Today and Wired Magazine.
