Eleven Traverse City breweries will compete for the distinction of "Best IPA" at an inaugural competition at The Little Fleet on Thursday, November 6. At the TC Ale Trail IPA Challenge - produced by TC Ale Trail and Create TC - each participating brewery will produce and submit their best India Pale Ale (IPA) to be sampled and voted on by 200 ticketholders and a panel of local celebrity guest judges. All tastings will be blind. After the votes are tallied, the winner will be announced at a closing ceremony and awarded a trophy and bragging rights for "Best IPA in Traverse City."

Participating breweries include The Filling Station Microbrewery, The Workshop Brewery, Brewery Ferment, North Peak Brewing Company, Old Mission Beer Co. at Jolly Pumpkin, Brewery Terra Firma (collaborating with Rare Bird Brewpub), Right Brain Brewery, Bravo Zulu Brewing and Beggars Brewery (collaborating with Mackinaw Brewing). The event will begin at 5:30pm with the first round of tastings for 100 ticketholders, followed by a second round of tastings for the remaining 100 ticketholders at 7:15pm. Judge tastings will take place from 7-8:30pm.

Tickets (limited to 200) are $30 in advance and include a custom taster glass, 11 sample tickets (one taste per beer), a $5 food token for a food truck and a ballot. Additional tastes can be purchased for $1-$2 at the event.