It's Winter Beer Fest time again! For those of you who missed the inaugural event last year, it was spectacular. Michigan's best breweries presenting their best big, high-gravity, cask and barrel aged beers ... what more could you want?

Even though the event is outside in Michigan in February, it was suprisingly warm and toasty in the beer tent (the big beers probably helped).

This year the board has improved things even more with bigger tents, more porta-potties, and some lower octane offerings thrown into the mix.

Once again, Arbor Brewing Company will be providing bus service to and from the festival. The festival is Saturday, February 24 from noon to 5 pm. Enthusiast hour will be from 11-12. The bus will depart Corner Brewery at 9:00 and will depart Arbor Brewing Company at 9:30. We will provide complimentary carry-out coffee at Arbor Brewing Company for all passengers. The bus will depart Lansing's Old Town at 5:30.

Tickets for the bus are on sale now at both Arbor Brewing and Corner Brewery. Tickets are available for an early-bird price of $25 now through the end of the month and for $30 beginning Feb 1. We only have a limited number of tickets (55) so don't wait until the last minute! Tickets can be purchased over the phone with a credit card (Arbor Brewing Company 213-1393 or Corner Brewery 480-2739) or in person at either bar. Tickets are not location specific so you can purchase tickets at either location and board at either location.

All tickets are pre-purchased and non-refundable but if we can re-sell your seat we will refund your ticket. Tickets to the festival should be available next week. I don't know who exactly will be there or how many tokens you get so please direct festival-specific questions to the MI Brewers Guild special events coordinator specialevents@michigan[nospam]brewersguild.org . Questions regarding bus transportation can be forwarded to me.