20 Ontario breweries will team up with 20 Buffalo-Niagara breweries to create one-of-a-kind collaboration beers that will be exclusively available at the first annual Canadian-American (Can-Am for short) Beer Festival, set to take place April 7 in Niagara Falls, New York at The Conference and Event Center.

The inaugural cross-border festival will play host to 20 Ontario brews made in collaboration with 20 visiting WNY breweries and 20 WNY brews made in collaboration with 20 visiting Ontario breweries.

For the pairings, 12 Gates Brewing hosted Nickel Brook Brewing (Burlington, ON), Resurgence Brewing -Niagara Brewing (Niagara Falls, ON), Thin Man – Block Three Brewing (St. Jacobs, ON), West Shore Brewing – Niagara College Teaching Brewery (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON), Big Ditch – Beau’s (Vankleek Hill, ON), Woodcock Brothers – Cowbell Brewing (Blyth, ON), Rusty Nickel Brewing – Lock Street Brewing (St. Catharines, ON), Hamburg Brewing – Brimstone Brewery (Ridgeway, ON), 42 North – Shawn & Ed Brewing (Dundas, ON), Ellicottville Brewing – Flying Monkey’s Craft Brewery (Barrie, ON), Flying Bison – Great Lakes Brewery (Etobicoke, ON), Four Mile – Grand River Brewing (Cambridge, ON), New York Beer Project – Royal City Brewery (Guelph, ON), Community Beer Works – Redline Brewhouse (Barrie, ON), Five and 20 Spirits and Brewing – Niagara Oast House (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON), Buffalo Brewing – Railway City Brewing (St. Thomas, ON) and Southern Tier – Wellington Brewery (Guelph, ON).

On the flip side, the following Ontario breweries each hosted a respective Buffalo-Niagara brewery for another round of brewing with pairing including Beau’s – Flying Bison, Block Three – Resurgence, Brimstone, – Rusty Nickel, Cowbell Brewing – New York Beer Project, Grand River -12 Gates, Niagara College Teaching Brewery – Buffalo Brewing Company, Niagara Oast House – Southern Tier, Royal City – 42 North, Redline Brewhouse – Thin Man, Shawn & Ed Brewing – Community Beer Works, Wellington Brewery – Four Mile, Lock Street – Five and 20, Great Lakes – Hamburg Brewing, Niagara Brewing – Big Ditch, Nickel Brook – Ellicottville Brewing, Flying Monkey’s – Woodcock Brothers and Railway City – West Shore Brewing.

Can-Am will also feature the best of Canadian food and music culture, including Canadian-themed food stations featuring classic and new Canadian dishes paired with Can-Am brews. Chef Krista van Wagner will coordinate Meet the Brewer sessions, which will feature Canadian & American craft brewers leading the audience through beer and food pairings. International experts such as Toronto writer Stephen Beaumont (The Beer and Food Companion) and culinary expert Gary Toraville (head of the Canadian Food and Wine Institute) will be on hand to provide informative perspectives.

A full beer list will be made available soon.

For more information on the 2018 Canadian-American Beer festival and to purchase tickets, please visit canadianamericanbeerfestival.com. Tickets are $50 for General Admission (4-7pm) includes all beer tastings, access to the Meet the Brewer sessions ($5), 3 voting chips for the Can-Am Beer Cup People’s Choice Competition, 12 drink tickets good for a 4oz. pour, access to food & market vendors and a commemorative tasting glass. Buffalo Beer League members receive 1 hour early entry (membership card required) and Designated Driver tickets are available for $10 each.

Can-Am Beer Festival

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Conference and Event Center in Niagara Falls, New York

Tickets: canadianamericanbeerfestival.com