Winter Warmer beer fest hits Cleveland this weekend

This Saturday brings one of the best beer festivals of the year.

Cleveland's Winter Warmer showcases local craft beer at its finest. Organized and run by the Ohio Craft Brewers Association, the highly-anticipated annual celebration of craft beer returns to Windows on the River in The Flats on Feb. 23. The epic beer tasting features sampling of cask-conditioned beers, rare releases and big brews.

This year's festivities include an outdoor tent filled with cask-conditioned brews from some of the best breweries in the business. Willoughby's Brewing Company brewmaster Rick Seibt will head this stellar edition to an already impressive festival.

Tickets are $35 and include a souvenir glass, 20 taste tickets for four oz samples, a lunch ticket and live entertainment courtesy of blues artist Austin Walkin' Cane. Designated Driver tickets are also available for $12 each and include one lunch ticket and non-alcoholic beverage. Tickets are limited, so when they are gone, they are gone.

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association has also just announced that a 20-year old barleywine will be unveiled at this year's Winter Warmer. Originally brewed by Market Garden's Andy Tveekrem and Thirsty Dog's Tim Rastetter when they both worked for Great Lakes Brewing Company, the beer has been loved and blended by GLBC's Luke Purcell over the years. Because of its extremely limited quantity, separate taste tickets will be available for $5.

Winter Warmer will take place on Saturday, February 23 from 2-6 pm at Windows on the River, First Energy Powerhouse at Nautica located at 2000 Sycamore Street, Cleveland.

Below are our picks for the Top 20 must-try brews at this year's Winter Warmer:

In the Cask tent -

Columbus: Habanero Bodhi

Fat Heads: "No Jolokia" Imperial Stout

Great Lakes: Phoenix Coffee Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Hoppin' Frog: Barrel Aged BORIS the Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout

Thirsty Dog: Coffee Infused Dry Irish Stout

Willoughby: Dry-Hopped Supernova Double IPA

Rest of the Fest -

Brew Kettle: BBA Jackhammer

Chardon BrewWorks: Chocolate Pomegranate Milk Stout

Columbus: Creeper

Fat Heads: IBUsive Experimental IPA

Great Lakes: BBA Blackout Stout

Hoppin' Frog: Natasha Rocks America Collaboration Imperial Stout

Jackie O's: Brick Kiln Barleywine

Lager Heads: Wild Banshee Barleywine

Market Garden: Market Centennial Extra IPA

Nano Brew Cleveland: Citramax IPA

Portside: Imperial Maple Stout

Thirsty Dog: BBA Siberian Night

Weasel Boy: Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout

Willoughby: Supernova Double IPA