My Adventures at the Southern Brewer’s Festival

The Southern Brewer’s Festival occurred in August of 2009. In keeping with my lazy characteristic I didn’t write this recollection up until several months later. I sent it to the fine gentlemen over at Beer School Blog to be posted at their site but they must be really busy and haven’t gotten around to checking their email. Anyway, I decided to post it here and maybe it would be read by some person(s) who might happen by this most neglected site.

The day began with a couple of friends and me warming up for the brewer’s festival at the Terminal Brewhouse. While there I must always start with the famed Southsidenstein Stout (the Terminal’s oatmeal stout) followed by a Terminally Ale (their American pale ale). After sufficient, known commodity craft brews we were headed downtown. First to check in to our hotel (safety first, kids!) and a short walk down Chestnut Street to Chattanooga’s Downtown Riverfront park for the 15th Annual Southern Brewer’s Festival.

This is my second year attending this festival hosted by Chattanooga Kids on the Block (all proceeds went to this group) and the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Inc. This year seemed significantly more popular than last year’s event because the place was crowded way earlier than the year before. We, unfortunately, arrived too late and we missed the Krystal Square Off eating contest. Apparently, some guy won the qualifier.

When approaching a brewer’s festival one has to be slightly methodical about it. As much as I’d love to walk down the row of brewers with cup held out for them to pour their fine wares into my vessel that’s just asking for trouble. I have my favorites that I drink all of the time (Highland Brewing Company’s Gaelic Ale if anyone would like to know) but unless they are offering something new at the festival I tend to avoid breweries that I can get at the grocery store and drink on a regular basis. With that said, according to the scrawl in my moleskine beer journal, I brought forth my commemorative mug to six brewers in order to taste their fine offerings.

The first brewery that I tried was Yazoo Brewing Company from Nashville, TN. I had to revisit this fine brewery’s booth because I have yet to find it here in Chattanooga and I miss it so. When I arrived I asked the fine Yazoo representative about the latest offering from them, “‘Sue’, a deliciously smoked porter brewed with cherry-wood smoked malts.” (from their blog). But due to the high alcohol content of this fine mistress I was not able to introduce myself to Sue. Instead, I had a Dos Perros. Which is their interpretation of a Mexican beer style and was as good as I had remembered it. Like, seeing an old friend and clicking together like you’d never been apart.

My next craft brew choice was a brave one. Last year I tried a brew from the Barley Mob Brewers of Chattanooga and it was a horrible experience. Not only was it the worst beer I’ve ever had, I poured it out (and I don’t pour out beer!). However, this time  decided to give them another try and got the Cascade Pale Ale. And wouldn’t you know it? They have redeemed themselves with a decent pale ale. And by decent I mean I didn’t pour it out.

For the third taste test I decided to take a trip down south on A1A and had the Red Brick Ale from A1A Ale Works, a Gordon Biersch brewery out of St. Augustine, Florida. This typical red ale was just that: typical. Nothing too special about it in my opinion. Not bad but also not memorable. Which is pretty much what I think of most of the beers out of the Gordon Biersch conglomeration of breweries/restaurants.

My fourth choice of suds came from Starr Hill Brewery. I decided to stop by this booth because I have never heard of this brewery out of Charlottesville, Virginia. I decided on trying The Festie. The Festie is their interpretation of an Oktoberfest lager. I must say, “Yay” for the Festie. It reawakened my taste buds after a couple of lack luster brews. I am excited to try their other wares. I just need to find them somewhere!

Next on the list of beers that I tried was the Motorboat from the fine folks of Sweetwater Brewing Company. The Motorboat is their fine interpretation of an ESB. This one was, and still is, one of my favorites from this day of beer tasting.

For the final tasting of the day (because at this point I could barely write whatever I was drinking in my beer notebook) was New Belgium Brewing’s Hoptober. It’s a very nice golden ale with five different hop varieties. I continue to return to this seasonal every time I stand and look at the beer selection that my local grocery store offers. When the Hoptober season is over I will be one distraught beer drinker.

The Southern Brewer’s Fest is a fine gathering of the crafters of the beverage we all like to call home. The only complaint I have about it is the lack of water to rinse out our commemorative sampler mug. Every other craft beer festival has offered this and, to me, proves that these festival’s are hosted by professionals. Come on SBF! Get it together! Besides that one complaint it’s a fine festival at a great location along the river here in Chattanooga.

B-double-E-double-R-U-N

Went to the Music City Brewer’s Fest on Saturday.

Mmmmm. . . beeeeer. . .

Mmmmm. . . humidity . . . ugh.

Lots of great brews, including my all-time favs The Highland Brewing Company.  I hovered around their booth for a little while but figured I should branch out.  I would write about my impressions of all the different beers that I tried that day but I can’t really remember.  I must have drunk too many good ones.  The heat is really the only thing that I can remember.  Oooof.

I do remember that I missed having a little water to rinse out my cup at each booth.  You should be able to wash out the remnants of the prior beer before you tried a new one.  I feel that I didn’t get a good representation of taste because they were really all mixed together.  Oh well.  This was my first time away from my favorite brewer’s fest, the Brewgrass Festival, and maybe they don’t offer that everywhere.  At least it gave me a hint of beers that I’ll try to find the next time I’m at Midtown Wine and Spirits.

I did a lot of comparisons between the Music City Brewer’s Fest and the Brewgrass Festival.  My apologies to my partner in brew, I  sounded like a guy talking about his old girlfriend that just dumped him.  I must have sounded like such a putz (no real connection for this link I just love the name of this company)(a shout out to my buddy Mountain Kilter).

On the subject of beers and festivals, walking around amongst the throng of amatuer and professional beer drinkers in downtown Nashville in the humidity I came to realize that I really love to listen to bluegrass drinking fine brews in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Here I am talking about my old girlfriend again.  So sorry.

Sigh . . . well, the introvert/extrovert clan may have to take a trip come September 22 to Asheville, NC.

**UPDATED: Peter Rabbit vs. Jesus Christ*

*But not that vampire hunter version. That wouldn’t be fair for that poor rabbit.

The other day the crew (Young Extroverted One, Elder Extroverted Holy One and I) went to the 12th South Taproom to attend the CD release party of Leslie McClure. We got there a little too early but we sort of planned to eat before the show. After finishing our meal the YEO started to get restless and began singing Easter songs which mostly consisted of bunnies and stuff.

While we aren’t freaky and fundamental about it we do try to be intentional about the Christian holidays. So, EEHO brought up that we also, and mostly, celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at this time of year. “So, why don’t we sing songs about Jesus instead of Easter?”** thus spake the YEO. Because in her mind Easter is the candy and bunnies and chicks and that annoying fake grass you put in baskets.

It’s kind of difficult to keep a balance between the secular, commercial side of holidays and the other religious side. For Pete’s sake (ya like that don’t ya?), the YEO is a potential preacher’s kid. She shouldn’t go through life just celebrating the Roman-pagan holidays. I think she needs to see both sides of the festivities (while not demanding the double-up of goodies).

Not only do we like to be religiously appropriate but also historically appropriate. It’ll make for a nice clash of ideals for teachers/authoritarian figures to deal with later. Maybe we’ll send her to a private Christian academy of some sort in Kansas.

**UPDATE: Apparently, my recollections of the YEO’s quote were clouded by the many Highland Brewing Company’s Gaelic Ales that I consumed. I suppose the EEHO should be my editor before I publish my posts. But that would take way too long.

The Young Extroverted One actually said, “Why would we sing songs about Jesus at Easter?” I apologize for my misquoting of the YEO lest she sue me for libel.