This last Saturday (July 28th) was the third annual Milwaukee Brewfest (milwaukeebrewfest.com.) This is an event that I really like, and I’ve been fortunate enough to go all three years. (Next year’s is July 27th, 2013 - If you haven’t made it to one, I suggest you save the date!)Milwaukee Brewfest is held at McKinley Park on the lakeshore, and it is a great location for this event: the beauty of the lake, the open space for the tents and grass instead of pavement. It is perfect for sampling beer, enjoying the weather, and plopping down just about anywhere if you’ve had a bit too much.
This year brought a couple of small, but important changes. They had a waiting area where you could get your wristband and glass before they opened instead of standing in line and then having to take care of business when they opened the gate. Great idea! There was still a line to get in, and the waiting area filled up before the line cleared, but it definitely got people in more smoothly. Amanda and I arrived 30 minutes early, which meant we were able to find a place in the shade to wait.
The drawback of being there early was watching with longing as the people who had purchased VIP passes casually sampled without the crowds. VIP passes get you in early, get you samples to several VIP beers that aren’t available to the thirsty masses, and also gives you a chance to talk with the people pouring beer. Even after the gates open for general admission, the crowds in the beer tents rarely prevent you from getting a sample right away (unless you choose to stand in the one or two long lines that inevitably form somewhere,) but if you want to ask someone about their product you’ll either get the 30 second intro, or you’ll seriously tick off the people behind you.
The other difference this year was the ballots for Brewfest Queen voting. The first two years they were un-crimped Lakefront Brewery caps to drop in the container for your chosen queen-hopeful. Unfortunately, it seemed like a lot of them were thrown away. This year the caps were replaced by a paper ballot with blanks for name and email address. Although less cool, it advertised the possibility of winning free beer. Who doesn’t love free beer?
I had a blast, and tried plenty of beer and cider. I haven’t yet figured out how to take any real notes while taking full advantage of the event, so I’ll just give you two quick lists with my tops and my bottoms.
Tops:- Svea Liljas Sasquatch Stout
- Four Horsemen Hop Rush IPA
- Dale's Old Chub Scotch Ale
- Delafield Brewhaus Pomegranate Ale
- Ale Asylum Sticky McDoogle Scotch Ale
Bottoms:
- Big Bay Summer Tide
- Lagunitas Gnarly Wine
Everything else fell somewhere in between. I had a great time, and I plan to make it next year - maybe I’ll get my rear in gear early enough to get VIP tickets, though. Happy Hop Day!
