Windsor-Essex is hosting an event this weekend to help celebrate the area's colourful history of alcohol production.
The Collectors of Canadian Brewery Advertising Items (CCBA) is holding its 45th annual convention through Saturday.
Steve Peters with the CCBA told WindsorNewsToday.ca that the beer itself is a small but important part of the convention.
"We are gathered as collectors," said Peters, a St. Thomas city councillor. "We collect Canadian beer memorabilia, whether it's bottles, cans, advertising signs, bottle caps, labels, anything to do with Canadian beer, all of our group are collectors of it."
This will be the first time the CCBA will hold its convention in Windsor, though Peters did say there was a joint meeting in 1983 between collectors from London and the Detroit area.
Peters said Windsor was the perfect place to hold the convention, thanks to its long history of producing beer, wine, and spirits, as well as its colourful history that included the rumrunners who brought booze across the Detroit River during Prohibition. He said Windsor-Essex's beer production has a modern touch.
"We all like beer, and one of the great things we've seen in Ontario is the great revolution in craft beer, and Windsor-Essex County are a wonderful example of the popularity of craft beer," said Peters.
About 40 people have registered to attend the meeting, with more expected to drop in at various times. Attendees will spend their time touring various breweries throughout the region. A stop at the nearly-complete Gordie Howe International Bridge is also on the agenda.
While most of the convention is a private affair, the event will culminate in a public Breweriana Show and Sale on Saturday.
Anyone interested in buying, selling, or trading beer memorabilia is invited to the Stonecroft Inn on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., located on Dougall Avenue south of the E.C. Row Expressway.
Additional information about the CCBA can be found on its official website.