The 5th Annual Montana Brewers Fall Festival is this Saturday, September 28, 2013, at Caras Park in Missoula. It’s shaping up to be the biggest and best brew fest ever held in Montana. But with 80+ all Montana made beers, you’re going to need a plan of attack.
We’ve got you covered. Read on as Alan (Growler Fills) and Ryan (Montana Beer Finder) weigh in on their tips for making the most of this fantastic celebration of Montana craft beer.
Alan’s Tips:
1. Adopt a pacing plan.
With your price of admission you’ll get a 9 oz tasting glass. Refills are $1. This is unusually generous for a brew fest and not the best way to take advantage of the festival. While it’s great to get a pint of fantastic Montana craft beer for under $2.00, getting 9 oz at a time is going to set you back in no time. There’s a lot you’re going to want to sample. Don’t be afraid to ask for a half (or even quarter) pour. It will still be plenty cheap, you’ll last longer, and you’ll get to enjoy a wider variety of beer.
2. Branch Out
This is second nature to beer geeks, but start with a brewery or beer style you’ve never tried before. That will be very easy at this festival. Homestead Ales in Eureka is Montana’s newest brewery. Odds are you can count on one hand the number of festival attendees who have had a chance to check them out. Several other breweries far from Missoula will be on hand such as Uberbrew from Billings. Once you’ve tried a new brewery, try a new style. The festival will boast a barrel aged octoberfest (Tamarack), a helles bock (Bowser), a pumpkin cream ale (Higherground) and a cologne-style kolsch (Bozeman) among many others. In other words, there’s likely a style or two you’ve not tried before. Then, revisit a brewery you may know well and see what’s new, like an imperial stout from Blackfoot River. Branch out. Have fun.
3. Seek Out Some Fresh Hop Ales
Quite the debate rolls on about what to call these beers (fresh hop/wet hop) and what composition is appropriate (it is common in the industry to use some dried hops), but one thing remains clear: these beers are designed to showcase the unique qualities of this year’s recently picked crop of hops. At least four such beers will be available at the festival and all feature hops that went from bine to kettle in very short order: Chain Reaction Fresh Hop Ale (Draught Works), Frog Hop 2013 (Great Northern), Bine Hopper Harvest Ale (Tamarack) and Fresh Hop Harvest IPA (Blacksmith).
Ryan’s Tips: