The Washington Winter Beerfest kicks off today. There will be 35 breweries pouring more than 90 different beers.
There will be a lot of great beer poured this weekend at the Washington Winter Beerfest (see the complete list). It's always a challenge to decide where to start, but this year I have my eye on few things in particular.
Don't forget to buy your tickets in advance. This festival often sells out and you don't want to be left out in the cold, so to speak. Click here for details.
Below is the list of beers about which I am most excited.
Cabin Fever Vertical - Boundary Bay Cabin Fever is probably my favorite winter beer year in and year out. I tend to have an annual favorite each year, but I always reach into the bottom drawer and pull out the same old wool sweater when the temperatures drop and the snows start to fall. This year Boundary Bay Brewery will be pouring 2008, 2009, and 2010 Cabin Fever. I seriously cannot wait!
Back by Popular Demand - Two beers that blew everyone's minds at the Washington Brewers Festival last June. Both of these beers are made in smaller batches, so we'll call them rare. I'm sure some of it will be available at each of the three sessions, but it will go fast. First is Big Al Brewing's Peanut Butter Stout, which is made with real peanut butter and presents a real challenge for the brewer as well as the "assistant brewer" (the person who cleans up after the brewer). The other is Black Raven Brewing's La Petite Mort, a barrel-aged Belgian dark ale (bourbon barrel).
Sweet and Sour - Elysian Brewing's Bifrost Winter Ale—the seasonal offering from one of Seattle's most revered breweries—might not qualify as sweet, per se, but it is a beer that we consider a wintertime staple around these parts. This year, they'll be pouring it alongside Bret Frost, which we can reasonably assume is a soured version of the Bifrost.
Coffee Brews - Nobody will be pouring 4 Loko, but artisan brewers are not shy about their love of coffee. There are three coffee-themed beers that we are looking forwards to enjoying at Winter Beerfest: Daybreak Breakfast Stout, an oatmeal coffee stout from Flyer's Brewery in Oak Harbor; Sumatra Coffee Stout from Trade Route Brewing; and Jive Espresso Stout from Two Beers Brewing, an outstanding beer with which we are already familiar in its regular form, but not the cask-conditioned version they'll be pouring at the festival.
A Winter Welcome - Paradise Creek Brewery is located Pullman and is a newcomer to the festival this year. Actually, they're a fairly new brewery overall. They will be pouring three different beers: Hopocolypse Black IPA, Dirty Blonde, and Over the Hop American IPA. We look forward to sampling their beer without driving all the way to Pullman.
We will be at the festival this weekend. Look for us in our "Follow Me to Good Beer" shirts. Be sure to say hello. Tell us about your favorite beer.
Pictures from last year's Winter Beerfest:
We were the first people through the door last year.
Later in the evening the crowd picked up, as expected.
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