How I Survived CanFest 2013

CanFest.  This annual celebration of canned beer was the one and only reason a 24 hour trip to Reno happened the weekend before I had to go back to work.  Throw in a couple of local brewery visits and an exciting road trip home, it soon became the one summer adventure I can't stop talking about.

After a day of Reno breweries that you can read about here, it was off to the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino for CanFest 2013.  Walking through the casino, one quickly joined the flow of beer lovers that were heading to the festivities.  A couple close by mentioned how this was their go to beer fest each year, they hadn't missed one.  Once I stepped into the ballroom and heard the live band, excited beer drinkers, and the constant opening of cans, I knew immediately why.  Here is how I survived.

Survival tip #1:  Create a plan of attack.

Walking into a room full of breweries, most you haven't even heard of, creates a sense of urgency to get in their line right away.  But stop and think.  Do you want to check off breweries on the list that you have mapped out and prioritized?  Or, do you want to just walk around the perimeter of the room hitting up the ones that sound appealing?  I have approached beer fests in both fashions.  For this three hour stint, it was easier for me to just walk the perimeter and enjoy sips at my leisure.

Survival tip #2:  Feel free to dump.
With free reign to try anything and everything as many times as you wanted, one had to get over the feeling that dumping beer equated to alcohol abuse.  The fact is, your palate will be wrecked, your belly full, and your memory failed if you drank every single sample it its entirety.  Did you notice a fill line on that festival glass?  Nope.  You didn't.  Because there wasn't one. 

Survival tip #3:  Meet the staff.

Most of the breweries represented there brought either one of the brewers or some sales staff to chat up willing imbibers about their wears.  Walk on up, ask them questions, even ask for a pic or two.  If you can, quickly step behind the table without getting caught.  You won't find a nicer bunch of people than those that live and breathe beer.

Survival tip #4:  Check out the other "stuff."
A live band, silent disco, mini bike riding, dancing, and a dress up photo booth were just some of the many offerings that CanFest had besides, well, cans.  Sporting some disco music filled head phones and dancing around to your own beat, literally, was a fun intermission between beer lines.  Even better, dressing up in boas, tutus, and hats and posing for the photo booth.  All of this while toting a freshly filled sample glass, of course.

While you might not have been at CanFest with me, these survival tips are transferable.  With beer fest season in full swing, be sure to get the most out of your allotted session time.  Wait, why weren't you at CanFest?  Next year, no excuses.  Get on it.  Keep an eye out.  And, I'll see you next year in Reno!

Must See Breweries in Reno

While my recent trip to Reno, Nevada was primarily to attend CanFest 2013 (which you can read about here), I made sure, as I always do, to get in a couple of local brewery visits.  Below are the places you can't miss the next time you are in The Biggest Little City in the World.

The Brew Brothers at the Eldorado Casino

I know what you are thinking.  What kind of brewery would be legit if it was inside a casino, right?  I thought the same thing at first.  But once I stepped foot inside and escaped the constant dinging of the casino floor, I was pretty impressed.  I enjoyed the Saison, an emerging style favorite of mine, and their Rye beer.  If the beertender hadn't mentioned that it contained rye, I wouldn't have known.  This lager had a unique depth and complexity that I wasn't expecting.  Once the sample was gone, I promptly ordered a full size thirst quencher.  Insider tip: feel free to order as many pints as you want.  No need to guzzle them prior to leaving.  Just ask for a to go cup and walk around the casino enjoying your craft beer.

 

The Brewer's Cabinet

A short walk from downtown led me straight to The Brewer's Cabinet.  After perusing their taplist online, the thought of their IPA on Nitro is what kept me trekking through the desert heat.  When I got to the bar, I realized that they only had three of their own beers on tap, none of which were the Nitro IPA.  Initially disappointed, I quickly built a bridge and got over it when the first few sips of their current offerings met my palate.  Their Phantasm IPA and even their Hopy Monk, a Belgian pale, were superb.  The offering of guest handles was also top notch, ranging from the tasty Enjoy By 9-13-13 from Stone Brewing and the intriguing Citra Hop from The Brewing Lair.  Hours passed and we soon forgot about what other breweries we wanted to go to.  Insider tip: order the fork and knife appetizer of tater tots.  Unlike anything you've ever tried, they are generously smothered with crispy bacon, fried egg, ketchup, and cheese sauce.  It was plenty for a shared meal.  

Brewery Spotlight: Geaux Brewing

After successfully coordinating the schedules of a traveling beer blogger and a super busy brewer, I was finally able to spend a summer afternoon up at Geaux Brewing in Bellevue, WA.  Conveniently located near two Eastside highways, Geaux's facility is a half barrel brewhouse that focuses on small batch brews.  Formed by a group of home brewers, the mission of Geaux is to not only make high quality beer, but to also spread the love of home brewing to everyone.  As you know, I kinda like to brew too.  So, I was obviously intrigued with how the crew was going to make this happen.  Sitting down with my first sample of their Lakeshore Golden Lager, I chatted with Jeremy, Geaux's founder, about what this up and coming brewery was really all about. 

Jeremy's "real" job is right next door to the brewery.  After seeing how much he was spending on his employees each week for Beer Friday, he entertained the idea of actually making beer for the week end celebration.  Voila...Geaux Brewing was born.  Themed after a New Orleans street corner, Jeremy showcases his love of back home to the Pacific Northwest.  Each authentic piece of Louisiana that he has brought in to decorate has its own story.  From the salvaged shutters to the swamp wood bar, I couldn't stop looking around in amazement.  I mentioned that Jeremy and his crew wanted to help spread the love of home brewing, right?  Small group brewing classes are in the works so that regular Joes like you and me could come in and learn to brew.

Let's get back to the beer tasting.  While I was impressed with all of their beers, my favorite, by far, was their Ragin' Cajun Imperial IPA.  Apparently I wasn't alone in thinking that since they have a hard time keeping it on tap.  This IIPA was hoppy and malty without a trace of alcohol burn, even though it weighed in at a hefty 9% ABV.  Their Gulf Coast IPA, a sessionable ale, had ample hops and wasn't just a watered down version of this popular style.  The Poydras Porter was also quite quaffable, providing a roasty but light flavor.  Great beers along with an urban beer garden right out front surrounded by hop bines, it wasn't a matter of if I will come back, but rather a matter of when.

Angry Orchard: Juice for Grown Ups

It is often said that one should never go grocery shopping when hungry.  The same is true about one's thirst for beer.  When an early afternoon grocery shopping trip led me straight to the beer aisle, a case of Angry Orchard inevitably ended up in my cart, alongside necessities such as Eggos and Pizza Rolls.  The need to research all of Angry Orchard's offerings soon became the task for the day.
Crisp Apple:  This was the closest cider that tasted like apple juice.  Sweet.  Delicious.  Since you can find this on tap just about anywhere, I usually order it with my late breakfast/early weekend lunch.  Just like the pint, this bottle disappeared soon after opening.
Traditional Dry:  Closest to beer in smell, Traditional Dry had a distinctive taste.  At first I was a bit taken back, since I was expecting something a little more appley.  While this one wasn't my favorite, I could see my domestic beer loving dad enjoying it without even knowing that it was cider.
Elderflower:  Alright, confession time.  The mention of the Elderflower cider actually is what prompted me to get the variety pack.  Well, that and the fact that I didn't have any ciders at home.  With four stocked beer fridges I needed some cider representation, right?  This one had a floral sweetness, almost like a cross between tea and wine.  A neat gateway cider for wine lovers.
Apple Ginger:  My new favorite beer addition flavor is ginger.  I am loving Ginger IPAs, Ginger Pales, really Ginger anything.  This Apple Ginger cider was spot on.  As it came to room temperature, the ginger married well with the sweet apple.  It was difficult not to enjoy every single one of those bottles.
Special Note:  Check out the Angry Orchard Cocktail recipes.  Using their cider and mixing it with the likes of beer, juice, and even liquor, the possibilities for enjoying were endless.

The Final Days of Summer Beer Month 2013

Day 28:  Sixpoint Brewery Sampler

Refreshed from my final all nighter at BBC 13, I cracked open a trio of beers from Sixpoint Brewery.  Luckily these cans made it past TSA in my travels back home.  Some of my loot from my East Coast beerventure included their Righteous, Sweet Action, and Resin.  My favorite of the three, by far, was the Resin.  Any ale that boasts over 100 IBUs gets my attention.  Whether it was my thirst for hops or my overall love of this 9.1 percenter, I wished that this twelve ounce can lasted all night.

 

Day 29:  Sierra Nevada Brewing Company: Ovila

One of the many beer styles that I came to appreciate at the Beer Bloggers' Conference was the Saison.  A style that originated in Belgium during the 19th century, it was one that, over the years, I haven't exposed myself to.  My recent trip opened my eyes to this Farmhouse style ale.  What I loved about Ovila was the combination of pepper and mandarin oranges.  The sweet funky finish was delightfully sippable.  As it warmed to room temperature, the complex palate just kept going and going.

Day 30:  Anthem Cider: Hops

What says summer more than a cider with hops?  Anthem prides itself in making "true cider", pressing whole apples, and using some of my favorite apple varieties: Honeycrisp and Fuji.  So when you put my favorite apple in a hard cider and then hop it up with one of my favorite hops, you get a winning combination.  Dry hopped with Cascades for about three weeks, this hophead might have just found a new breakfast favorite.

Day 31:  Yakima Craft Brewing: Heather

On the last day of my Summer Beer Month, I found myself in Yakima, WA.  Regardless of what needed to get done that day, beer was on the agenda.  After a quick pint at The Beer Shoppe, I headed over to Yakima Craft Brewing.  My eyes must have lit up when I saw that they had Heather on tap.  Ok, I know, I might be a bit partial.  This ale had a mild honey sweetness that just popped with the addition of Heather tips.  So much so, that it was decided at that very moment to make a Heather ale of my own.  Maybe even barrel age it. All Heathers get better with age, right?

SBM 27: BBC Day 2

After a morning full of presentations, it was time for our beer paired lunch sponsored by The National Beer Wholesalers Association.  From Gazpacho to Boston Cream Pie, our taste buds were tantalized with the unique tastes from coast to coast.  While I couldn't enjoy the Crab Cake with Fennel Salad, the chef made sure to create a Tofu version of the same flavor profile for me to enjoy, pictured here.  With beers from Rogue, Stillwater, Lagunitas, and Allagash, it was difficult not to fall in love with every pairing.  Our bellies full, we settled in for a few more talks prior to heading out for Live Beer Blogging.

Live Beer Blogging.  At first, I didn't quite understand what this was all going to be about.  When we got to the Burke Distributing/Massachusetts Beverage Alliance event, a dozen tables were spread out amongst the racks of beer.  Wifi hotspots, tasting glasses, and antsy brewers were everywhere.  This was going to be Beer Speed Dating.  While my experience with real speed dating was tiring and unimpressive, this version was highly entertaining.  Brewers came around with their creations, poured samples, chatted about their passion, and answered our rapid fire questions in five minute intervals.  While they were presenting, us bloggers were busy snapping pictures, taking notes, and Tweeting.  A live Twitter feed projected our thoughts on the front wall of the warehouse. Some notable tastes were the Backyahd IPA from Foolproof Brewing Company and the Catalyst DIPA from Backlash Beer Company.  Needless to say, this hophead was finally happy with these darn good East Coast IPAs.

Next stop, Harpoon Brewery.  How can you not love being greeted with trays upon trays of delicious local Boston beer?  Being New England's largest brewery, Harpoon did it right with a reception in their warehouse, which turned into a brewery tour, and ended with an amazing dinner in their Beer Hall.  I quickly became a huge fan of their Black IPA and Cider.  With flatbreads, a variety of salads, and free flowing beer, we were beyond satisfied.  Another event was still on the horizon:  the well talked about and often referenced Beer Social.

What are two girls to do when the beloved Beer Social is running a bit late?  Crash a haunted graveyard tour and seek out the Cheers sound stage bar, of course!  With my partner in crime, NW Beer Babe, we ventured off on foot downtown Boston.  We first came upon a haunted tour entering a small yet distinctive cemetery.  With memorials from the likes of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Benjamin Franklin, this Ghost and Gravestones tour was fascinating.  Afterwards, we headed to Cheers for some cold beers, great bartenders, and a mysteriously scored staff polo.  Then it was back to the hotel for the Beer Social, that was now in full swing, and an after party beer tasting that lasted right up until I needed to return my rental car to the airport.  What a way to close out a fantastic weekend!

SBM 26: BBC Day 1

After a much needed stop at a Starbucks in Portland, ME, I was back on the road.  This time, the oldest brewery in New Hampshire was on the agenda for lunch.  The Portsmouth Brewery opened its doors to all of us bloggers, letting us taste everything we wanted and serving us tasty morsels to boot.  My favorite pint was the Ginga Ninja, a ginger IPA with lots of flavor and just the right amount of ginger to compliment the hops.  Before leaving Portsmouth, I made sure to check out the Redhook Brewery facility.  Looking just like the one back home, I circled the parking lot and headed down to Boston.

On a good tip from local beer blogger Two Girls One Beer, I headed into the Belmont area to stock up on some canned beers from the Craft Beer Cellar.  Over the years, I have realized that stashing cans in my luggage, in lieu of bottles, decreased the likelihood that my cargo would turn everything I owned into beer soup.  I picked up a dozen or so cans of East Coast brews and then was off to fight some downtown Boston traffic.

With the tour bus full of all my Pre Conference friends stuck in traffic, I perused the trade show in the hotel lobby.  Lots of samples kept me entertained until 150 beer bloggers boarded three tour buses to head on out to the Boston Beer Company.  Greeted with a can of Boston Lager, we all gathered in the brewhouse to hear some words from Julia Herz of the Brewers Association and Jim Koch from the Boston Beer Company.  Small group barrel room tasting of the ever sought after Utopia, buffet style small plates made with Samuel Adams beer, and lots of great conversation made this evening a hit.  It was hard to believe that once we got on the bus there was yet another event to attend at Stoddards.

Pyrates, pints, and poets...oh my!  Arriving at Stoddard's Fine Food and Ale we were met with tasting glasses, eyepatches, and limericks to solve, courtesy of Heavy Seas.  When it didn't seem like we could taste yet another beer, we rallyed and enjoyed them all.  My standout favorite was Heavy Seas Peg Leg Imperial Stout aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels.  I eagerly passed around my tasting glass for others to try, which left me with an empty glass.  Good thing unlimited tastes were the theme of the night.  A couple more brews down the hatch and then we all called it a night.

SBM 25: BBC13 Pre Conference

Picture this.  You've been up all night in an airport.  You've just driven through three New England States.  All you want is to check in to your hotel, take a shower, and nap for days.  But wait, you are at the Beer Bloggers' Conference.  There will be no rest.  There will be no nap.  Instead, you are whisked away on an 18 person tour bus to your first stop:  Allagash Brewing.  An impressive brewery tour, including an exclusive koelschip siting, ending with four unique samples (my favorite of these being the Curieux: a Bourbon Barrel aged Tripel) allowed for some much needed get to know you time among bloggers.

Rising Tide Brewing Company
With time for one more stop before our official BBC13 Pre Conference, we stopped in at Rising Tide.   Food truck, Cornhole boards, and a distillery next door made this locale all around perfect.  A local truffle maker was present with chocolate morsels to pair perfectly with the beer samples.  While I didn't indulge on those, I did sample RT's wears.  My favorite sip was Ismael, a malty rich Copper Ale weighing in at 4.9%.  While I could have spent the afternoon hanging out at this laid back brewery, it was time to head downtown Portland, ME to taste some much anticipated Cabot Creamery Cheeses and Geary's Beers.

Beer pairing dinner at Sebago Brewing Company.
Satisfied with the ample cheese and beer tasting over at Cabot's, along with the meeting of the rest of the Pre Conference bloggers, we all headed over in the light drizzle to Sebago Brewing Company.  Who would have thought that back home in Seattle, I was missing out on 90 degree temps.  Highlights of the beer dinner included the Brie, Apple, and Caramelized Onion flatbread, the blogger brewed Citra Saaz Down, and this Bonfire Rye Ale that had yet to be released.  Being on the Eastern Seaboard lent itself to many offerings including shellfish.  The staff at Sebago went above and beyond to make sure that I had a delicious alternative that didn't land me in the hospital.

SBM 24: Traveling to Beer Bloggers' Conference

Let's be honest here, folks.  When the Starbucks line at SeaTac airport wraps around half of the N Concourse, the last thing one wants at 7am in the morning is a beer.  Wait, on second thought, maybe it should have been the first thing I reached for.  Not knowing if I was going to get on the 9am flight or the 10:30pm one, I loaded up on the caffeine needed to camp out in a carpeted corner among bitter travelers.  Equipped with a five shot Americano, my fully charged GearPower, and plenty of backlogged blogging to accomplish, I settled in for the long haul.  Turns out, when you have plenty of patience, waiting at an airport all day isn't that bad.  With days upon days of drinking beer ahead of me, I knew that I could catch up on this day's lack of barley brew in no time.

www.starbucks.com