Cask Days at Volo – The Ontario Cask Ale Festival

Cask ales are small-batch beers that allow brewers to experiment with unusual ingredients and new techniques. Once the cask is open, it must be finished within a few days. Just once a year, Volo (587 Yonge, 416-928-0008) hosts Cask Days, a rare chance to sample the bounties of Ontario's breweries.

This year there will be 46 firkins on tap from 35 Ontario brewers and four guest breweries from Quebec and England, with flavours both expected and not, including strawberry, peanut butter & jam, pumpkin, vanilla, ginger and lime. This is a unique opportunity to get to know more about the wealth of Ontario's craft beer industry, and a must for beer aficionados.

October 26 to 28 are Pre Cask Days, featuring traditional English ales (a half-pint for $4.50 or a full pint for $6.50). October 29 is the date of the Final Four Recap, featuring the final four beers from the Ontario Cask IPA Challenge.

Cask Days are October 30 to November 1, with all 46 brews available for tasting at $2 for a quarter-pint, $4 for a half and $8 for a full pint. Admission is $10-$15. Tickets are already on sale, and some sessions are already sold out.

On Monday, November 2, they'll sell off the remaining cask beer (if there is any left); admission is $5.