While the idea of a school that teaches its students about beer just begs for all manner of cheesy opening paragraphs about your "thirst for knowledge," or your "former studies" in campus bars, I'm not going to go there (expect insofar as I just did).

Instead, I'm just going to tell you that, tonight and for the next three Mondays, WVRST, the gourmet sausage eatery on King West, is hosting a beer school, where keen learners will be introduced to the art of drinking beer and pairing sausages. Each of the four evenings will feature a representative from one of Canada's top craft breweries who will lead the class in a discussion of the ins and outs of beer and, naturally, there will be plenty of samples so as to ensure that everyone involved leaves with some firsthand knowledge.

According to the course outline, the sessions will "begin with a brief discussion on defining different styles of beer" before entering into more in-depth consideration of "deep porters and full lagers." Tonight's featured speaker is from Flying Monkeys and subsequent lectures include speakers from Black Oak, King Brewery, and Beau's All Natural. Classes are $25 each and will run from 7pm to about 8:30pm.

Admission is being offered on a first come, first served basis and classes will be capped at 18 people, so if you're interested I recommend you book a spot as soon as possible. The series seems well-suited to newbies and beerophiles alike, promising to cover some of the basics of beer before moving on to some of the complexities of beer tasting and food pairings.

Here's hoping there's plenty of homework (sorry)!

OTHER BEER HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK

• The newly renovated Mill Street Brew Pub reopens today.
• Black Oak Brewery is hosting a Valentine's Day party on Saturday February 18th from 5 to 9 pm.
• If you missed it, yesterday's Globe and Mail featured a good article about The Beer Store and the state of Ontario's liquor legislation.
• And if you're wondering what to do with all your empties after your Grammy Party (people have those, right?), you might consider making a bed out of them to generate a little extra dough.