12th Annual West Coast Brew Fest
Fills Miller Park
By John Benton
Staff Writer
The weather was gorgeous on Saturday, May 21,
2011 as thousands of beer fans flocked to Miller Park, nestled
along the American River, to partake in one of Sacramento’s most
memorable yearly events. Over 60 breweries were on hand pouring
their liquid gold for Sacramento’s beer enthusiasts. Vendor booths
were busy selling anything from Tibetan handcrafts to some of the
most amazing barbeque around. The stage rocked throughout most of
the day to the tunes of two bands. There were plenty of
Sacramento’s finest Police officers around to make sure the crowd
didn’t get too rowdy.
Photo by John Benton: the Line to get into the park.
Dogs, and kids, and beer and food, and music: the
West Coast Beer Fest (WCBF) had it all. American Craft Beer Week
(May 16–22) is fairly new with this being its 4th year. This year,
the week-long celebration was punctuated on either end by two
events here in Sacramento: Northern California Brewer’s Guild’s 4th
Annual Raley's Field Brew Fest, and WCBF. Like the Raley's Field
festival, the WCBF is all about the beer. Held on the coat tails of
the 12th Annual Commercial Craft Com-petition, we were all treated
to unlimited sampling of many of the winning brands.
Photo by Tim Dunn: Relaxing in
the shade
The competition winners, stretching as far West as Hawaii (Maui
Brewing Co.) and as far East as Maine (Shipyard Brewing Co.)
provided a wide range of brews for all types of tastes. There are
12 categories in which the brews are judged. Of the 36 winning
styles, seven were local Sacramento brews. Apart from Hoppy Brewing
Company’s 3rd Place Eclipse porter, they all belonged to River City
Brewing Company in Downtown Plaza. If you missed the WCBF, these
award-winning beers shouldn’t be too hard to find.
Each year that I attend the event I make it a goal
to try and find something that I have never had before. Of course,
as I am a big fan of beer, I have tried many amazing styles of
beer. Usually I end up starting off the day with some of the
heavier beers (porters and stouts) and finish off with some of the
lighter styles. This year I asked the friends I had with me to join
in and do the same. Photo
by Tim Dunn, Andrew U'Ren at the Brew Fest, a two-fisted drinker
There are so many amazing locally brewed beers, and I always want
to try to showcase them. That being said, one beer which really
stood out to us was an import; Strangford Lough Brewing Company’s
Legbiter Irish beer. With an alcohol content of 4.8%, it’s not
among the most potent brands. It sure tastes like it is. According
to the brewer’s notes from the website, Legbiter is a "Brilliant
golden ale with an inviting citrus fragrance of late added Cascade
and Glacier hops. The fine hop and light malt aromas carry through
to the palate to give an ale that is full but refreshing, with a
clean caramel malt bitter finish." My friends and I agree that it
is a full-bodied ale with a truly distinctive Irish flavor.
Another beer that really caught our attention
this year was from Bison Brewing, an organic brewery in Berkeley.
It was a toasted oat molasses brown ale. It was very smooth and
full of flavor. I haven’t had many organic beers, but I will keep
my eyes open for this one. The first beer that I sampled (although
it wasn’t a stout or a porter) and for me the most memorable, was
Widmer’s Nelson Imperial IPA. The name comes from the famous Nelson
Sauvin hop, found in New Zealand. Photo by Tim Dunn, Andrew and John Benton at the
festival
Very potent at 8.6% alcohol by volume, Nelson Imperial IPA was
crisp and malty, but not heavy. I look forward to serving this IPA
with a steak and salad this summer. Alongside the beer at WCBF was
the music. This year we saw the return of a band that impressed us
last year. Although the brothers, Morgan and Jaime May "wowed" us
last year with some fairly mellow acoustic pieces, they rocked the
brew fest this year along with bassist Brendan Delaney and
drummer/vocalist Derek Wilson. Their new sound, much heavier, but
still thought- provoking and melodic, was a perfect way to kick off
the festival.
Photo by John Benton, Tim Dunn enjoying the brew at the Brew Fest
Within the first 30 minutes, many listeners had
already moved away from the sample lines to engage the music.
Following 'Jokers and Jacks' was the Sacramento party band 'Mother
Mayhem'. Famous for playing some favorite rock anthem covers,
'Mother Mayhem' kept the energy level at the stage high as the
festival goers continued sampling. With all the partying and fun
that the West Coast Brew Fest brings to Sacramento beer fans, the
festival is also an opportunity to give back to those in need. The
WCBF is a fundraiser for the Make-A-Difference Project, a local
non-profit organization with a goal to improve communities by
enhancing civic involvement.
Photo by John Benton, one of the many tents at the festival
With the help of its sponsors XOSO Sport and Social League, Cordova
Restaurant Casino, Mad Cat Bicycles, Anytime Fitness, and
Metalcloak, the 12th Annual West Coast Brew Fest in Miller Park
was, once again, an event to remember. CreativeCATS brings the best
celebrations of skilled brewers to the thirsty fans in Sacramento.
For more information on CreativeCATS events, visit
www.matsonian.com Visit
Mother Mayhem and Jokers and Jacks at
http://mothermayhemband.com
www.jokersandjacks.com
to learn more about these bands.
Next year’s WCBF will be another great event. Plan ahead and get
your tickets early. For more information about West Coast Brew
Fest, visit
http://www.matsonian.com
"The West Coast will forever be known as the origin of the
Micro-Brew, and the revolution across the nation against
low-quality, low-variety beers. The West Coast Brewers Festival is
the first Brew Fest dedicated to celebrating the significance of
California, Washington and Oregon in the development of the Micro
Brew industry."
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