St. Louis festival brews up some fun

Visitors will have five chances to learn about Missouri brews at the annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival in Forest Park in St. Louis today, Friday and Saturday.

Nine brewing companies come together to provide 60 brews and a great time under huge festival tents in Forest Park. The St. Louis Dark Lager returns as the official festival beer. Each brewer crafts an original version of the dark lager as a tribute to history of St. Louis brewing, which early on used mostly a darker malt. A new special beer will also be brewed exclusively for the event.

Original St. Louis eateries, including Sqwires and LoRusso's, will set up stands with select menu options. Help is on hand to recommend a lager, ale or other brew to go with your food choice.

If you get to the VIP session at 7:30 p.m. today, you get a five-course meal paired with St. Louis brews and hosted by chef Dave Lieberman of the Food Network. You also can sit and dine with head brewmasters from each local brewery.

Proceeds from the festival are donated to Lift for Life, a not-for-profit gym in St. Louis that serves as a free year-round after-school center to encourage children to improve themselves and keep them off the streets. The gym is open five afternoons a week with an athletics area, tutoring, cooking classes and meals.