This marks the beginning of the good weather for festivals, although that doesn't always hold true. A few years ago, the festival was on a day with a blistering 15F as the high. This year, we did quite nicely with around 70F, so no complaints at all.
Coren and I arrived on a Friday, albeit in less than optimal conditions: my cell phone was damaged beyond repair and I'd gotten a speeding ticket to start our trip. Did that stop us from getting to our destination or having a fan-freakin-tastic time? In short: not a damn bit.
As we arrived to the festival on Saturday, the stage was getting prepped for the band to keep our toes tapping all day long. One small note about bands at festivals: I really don't want you to be super loud or have a ton of lyric-heavy songs, because it means I cannot focus on my friends and of course the beer. As a result, I tip my hat to Swing DeVille for not only being a great group overall, but they didn't require me to shout to be heard. Huzzah!
Continuing on, this festival holds a dear spot in my heart because Schlafly invites guest breweries to show off their stuff. Past invitees have included Alaskan, Midnight Sun, Deep Ellum, and Shorts. This year, it was time for Iowa to represent, and they did with Great River, Backpocket, and Peace Tree.
So, as the festival started up, Coren and I took up our positions: pouring for Backpocket. This is a big deal to pour for one of the guests, so needless to say, I was pretty stoked. Coren was stationed next to me, so it was nothing short of perfection. As the festival started, however, we soon realized that she was in for a rough day. Her chosen beer was a touch over-carbonated, and as a result, she really had to focus on getting a decent pour to each patron. She gets some serious credit for holding strong and never backing down, even when she got the stink eye from a certain fella (yeah, I saw you...you watch your ass bucko).
The day continued on with little to no issues that I noticed, unless you count my allergies deciding that the festival was the best time to overreact to the world (seriously, I hate allergies). We managed to finish up our shift, and go about and enjoy the offerings around us and our buddies.
Coren was a HUGE fan of the Dirty Blonde from Great River, which shouldn't be shocking because it was a golden ale brewed with chocolate. I have to admit, it was probably the biggest WOW beer of the festival if for nothing less than its contrasting color & flavor.
For me, I was torn in a few directions with my choices. I poured a really nicely balanced Munich dunkel from Backpocket, which was located next to their peated bock that was meant for someone that likes a good scotch (THIS guy right here). I also found plenty of joy in the complex barrel aged farmer brown from Great River and the easy-drinking rye porter from Peace Tree. Each of them brought a nice hoppy offering too, so trying to name a favorite beer is just far too difficult for me (but I'm happy to keep trying them...he he he).
Schlafly, of course, had plenty of their wonderful beers available to try, including a few I was itching to get my hands on. The Belgian golden and Scotch ale were really just fun departures from the beers they have made in the past, and I was pleasantly surprised with how easy they were to enjoy. I fully plan to have more of each from my stockpile I returned home with over the next few months, so don't be shocked to see a review of either (wink wink).
Overall, this was a festival that can be crazy or easy, and I'm happy to say that this one went off quite well. Coren and I even got to see 2 beer festival newbies get their feet wet this year, one of which is the wife to a good friend and fellow beer geek (shout out to my man Stewart and his super cool wife Kristin!). I look forward to the next festival, considering how well this one went for us. Thanks to everyone that made this weekend one to remember: You know who you are!
As always, drink well and be merry. Slainte!
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