It HOT in North Carolina this summer, and the only cure (aside from more cow bell) is a good beer festival.

This weekend, June 26, head on down to New Bern, NC for the Brew Bern Festival – it’s the perfect combination: A riverfront attraction on a hot day, historic New Bern in the midst of their anniversary celebration, an opportunity to support our troops and the North Carolina Brewers Guild and, of course, lots of great beer. Just get a load of the breweries that’ll be in attendance:

Abita Brewing Company, Atwater Block Brewery, Big Boss Brewing Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company, Blue Point Brewing Company, Boston Beer Company, Boulder Beer Company, Brooklyn Brewery, Carolina Beer Company, Clipper City Brewing Company, Craggie Brewing Company, The Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery, Foothills Brewing, Front Street Brewery, Gordash Brewing Company, Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, Green Mountain Beverage, Ham’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, Highland Brewing Company, Huske Hardware House, Kind Beers, Kona Brewing Company, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Lonerider Brewing Company, Magic Hat Brewing Company, Matt Brewing Company, Michelob Brewing Company, Mother Earth Brewing Company, Natty Greene’s Pub and Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company, Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Orange Blossom Pilsner LLC, Pyramid Brewing Company, R.J. Rockers Brewing Company, Redhook Ale Brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Smuttynose Brewing Company, St. George Brewing Company, Stoudts Brewing Company, Sweetwater Brewing Company, Thomas Creek Brewing Company, Weeping Radish Farm Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Yuengling Brewery

But wait – there’s more! Coming up on July 31st is the Pleasure Island Brewery Invitational – a beachfront beer fest!

They’re still getting breweries lined up, but you an expect a line up of almost exclusively North Carolina beers, and all set a block off the beach in Carolina Beach. Great music and great beer? What better excuse is there for a beach vacation?

They’ve got a handful of breweries on board already and more are committing every day. Expect to see beer from:

Terrapin Beer Co., Thomas Creek Brewery, Lonerider Brewing Co., The Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery, Natty Greens Brewing Co, New South Brewing Co., Huske Hardware Hhouse, Front Street Brewery, White Wolf Beer Co, Good Vibes Brew

Proceeds benefit the North Carolina Brewers Guild and the Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project. $30/ticket in advance, $40 day of the event.

See you there!

Last week’s Friday Field Trip on DRAFT Magazine’s website is a little trip to Asheville Brewing. Check it out:

A message from Paul at Duck-Rabbit:

Friends,

Recently, we at The Duck-Rabbit Brewery have been very proud to receive recognition for our flagship brand, Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout. First, in the most recent United States Championships of Beer, Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout was named best stout in the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast region. Second, at the highly competitive World Beer Cup in Chicago, Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout won gold in the sweet stout category. Finally, at the Carolina Championships of Beer in Hickory in April, Duck-Rabbit won two gold and two silver medals and Milk Stout was awarded Best in Show.

Now, we want to celebrate that success with an open-house here at the brewery! Please join us on Saturday May 8 from 3 pm until people are tired of hanging out here at the brewery (no charge!). We’ll have beer, some food, some live music, badminton, cornhole (maybe even a cornhole tournament!) and who knows what else! I hope we’ll see you here!

Cheers!