Beer geeks steel yourselves: Cask Days 2012 will be bigger than ever

Bar Volo, the Yonge Street den for beer geeks, seems perpetually restless. It was just voted the city’s best spot to grab a craft pint; it operates a “nano-brewery” onsite (micro-brewing not being quite small enough); it hosts an IPA challenge; and every year, it runs Cask Days, the cask-conditioned ale festival that has emerged as one of Toronto’s premiere beer events. This year’s iteration is massive: Hosted for the first time at Evergreen Brick Works, it will feature more than 150 brews from over 75 breweries (up from 80 and 50, respectively). Just a taste of this year’s participants: from Ontario, local favourites like Muskoka Brewery, Bellwoods Brewery and Beau’s; the Quebec contingent includes Dieu du Ciel and Le Trou du Diable (they’re bringing five different casks); and from B.C., Dead Frog Brewery and Tree Brewing Company, among many others. The culinary ante has also been upped: Chef Guy Rawlings (Brockton General, Bellwoods Brewery) has been put in charge of organizing the grub, and has recruited the Parkdale taco savants behind Grand Electric for their first off-site appearance. There will also be DJs and, new this year, an art gallery space. A word of warning, though: This thing sells out well in advance. Tickets include four quarter-pint beer samples (extras can be bought for $2.50) and a souvenir pint glass. $35. Oct. 27–28, caskdays.com