While the rest of the country has turned its attention to beer cities like Portland, Ore., Burlington, Vt., or Ft. Collins, Colo., there is one place  that will always hold a high place in the history of American brewing  – St. Louis, Mo.

True to that memory, the annual St. Louis Brewer’s Heritage Festival is scheduled for June 11 to 12.

This year’s festival will feature more than 60 beer styles from 14 St. Louis breweries, including Amalgamated/The Stable, Anheuser-Busch, Augusta Brewing Company, Buffalo Brewing Company, Cathedral Square Brewery, Highlands Brewing Company, Mattingly Brewing Company, Morgan Street Brewery, O’Fallon Brewery, Ray Hill’s BrewHouse, Schlafly Beer, Six Row Brewing Company, Square One Brewery and Trailhead Brewing Company.

Proceeds from the event will benefit a local charity, Lift for Life, that funds after-school programs that give St. Louis kids a safe, nurturing home away from home.

“This city has a strong history and passion for brewing, and the festival is an ideal opportunity for St. Louis brewers to collaborate and honor that heritage," said Keith Levy, vice president of marketing for Anheuser-Busch, one of the world’s most well-known  breweries.

Held in the middle of Forest Park at the Central Fields, this year's festival will offer a chance to meet brewers, groove to local music and sample food from St. Louis restaurants. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the festival.

More information may be found at www.stlbrewfest.com

“The festival has been a highly-successful event that allows us to connect with the St. Louis community and celebrate our history,” Dan Kopman, the co-founder of Schlafly Beer, said in a statement.  “We have the chance to exhibit the wide array of styles of beer offered in St. Louis and give beer drinkers the chance to try something new and different.”

-- by John Holl

John Holl writes about craft beer and the culture of drinking. He may be reached at johnholl@gmail.com.