With more than 3,000 hop heads in attendance and over 250 beers from more than 70 breweries to sample, it was easy to get overwhelmed at Motley Brews’ Downtown Brew Festival—that is, until you got a nice beer buzz going.
Well, Weekly was on site, sipping and sampling as much as we (safely) could. A few of our favorite pours from the fourth-annual installment:
Banger Brewing: Morning Joe
While many breweries often infuse dark styles of beer like porters and stouts with coffee, Banger went in a different direction by crafting this coffee kölsch. The lighter style really let the roasted coffee flavor shine, and the crisp finish helped to cleanse the palate—a welcome change, considering coffee beers usually get old real quick. I wanted to drink this all night.
Maui Brewing Company: Mana Wheat
I’m upset with myself for first trying Maui’s Mana Wheat during a fall brew fest, because this beer is simply a sip of summer. Infused with pineapple from the brewery’s namesake Hawaiian island, the fruit really complements the bready taste of the wheat ale without overpowering it.
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company: Big Eddy Cherry Doppelschwarz
Tart cherry flavor blends with the toasty malt and subtle notes of dark chocolate and coffee in this shwarzbier (German for “black beer”). The result? The best damn liquid chocolate-covered cherry you’ve ever tasted. And at 8.5 ABV, this delicately sweet imperial could be dangerous.
Left Hand Brewing Company: Oktoberfest
Bold and nutty up front with a caramel-y sweetness at the finish, all balanced quite nicely with a light hoppiness. This is one delicious Märzen. Prost!
New Belgium Brewing Company: Le Terroir
This dry-hopped sour ale starts out with the lip-puckering tastes of green apple and stone fruit (specifically apricot) and ends with faint notes of citrus and a crisp bite. If you’re into sours, this is a must-sip.
Note: I did not have the opportunity to try Alpine’s Nelson IPA (it was all gone by the time I made it to the VIP area), which another Weekly staffer praised as “the best beer I’ve ever had.” Looks like I’m going to the liquor store tonight!
