Hey beer geeks, want a preview of The Festival?

The Bier Cellar will hold a Festival Warm-up Tasting from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Shelton Brothers, the beer importer that created The Festival, will be coming to the Bier Cellar, at 299 Forest Ave. in Portland, with 14 beers from breweries that will be at the event in June.

The Festival is a gathering where fans of craft beer get to rub shoulders with some of the best brewers in the world.

The inaugural festival was held last year in Worcester, Mass.

Here in Portland, it will be held June 21 and 22 at the Portland Co. complex on the waterfront.

The tentative line-up for the Festival Warm-up Tasting includes two beers that have never been in the United States before, and are extremely limited, according to Bier Cellar owner Greg Norton:

• De Struise Pannepot Gran Reserve 2005 (limited, new to the United States)

• De Struise Black Damnation II (limited, new to the United States)

• Trois Dames Expesso Stout

• Panil Barrique

• Kerkom Bink Grand Cru

• Blaugies D’Arbyste

• High & Mighty Beer of the Gods

• De La Senne Zinnebier

• DeRanke Hop harvest 2012

• Het nest Kleverentien

• Anchorage Galaxy IPA

• Mikkeller I Beat You

• 8 Wired Superconducter IPA

• Thirez Blonde

• Adnams Blonde

Staff Writer Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:

mgoad@pressherald.com

Twitter: MeredithGoad