First, there’s the commercial side of things. This year, there will be 30 commercial beer, cider, mead and winemakers pouring their fluids. All of them are from Wisconsin. You can see the entire line-up HERE.
There’s probably at least a couple on that list who will be new to you. For example, there’s Badger State Brewing in Green Bay. They launched last December and have been getting good notices, including winning a Silver Medal for their Walloon Witbier at the New York International Beer Competition.
Also be sure to check out the Rushford Meadery & Winery table. This is a new meadery that’s in the works just a few miles to our west in Rushford. They haven’t opened their doors to the public yet, so this will be an exclusive look into what they’re all about. It’s operated by Shane and Laurel Coombs. Shane is an award winning homebrewer and mead maker. I’ve been fortunate enough to dip into a few of his creations and everything I’ve tasted has been stellar. Try a sample of the Ginger Lime Habanero Mead Shane will be pouring on Saturday and you’ll taste what I mean.
What makes Brews n’ Blues unique this year, though, is the amount of homebrew that will be offered. There will be five homebrew clubs pouring their beer, including our Society of Oshkosh Brewers. The SOBs alone will have 24 different beers, ciders and wines pouring. With the other clubs kicking in, you could easily spend the entire fest wandering around Homebrew Alley. Not to take anything away from the commercial brewers, but Homebrew Alley is where the real action is going to be. You can get a first look at the SOB list HERE (check out that Mango Pale Ale!).
Finally, I’ll be there giving a homebrew demonstration during the fest. After Monday’s post about the origins of Brews n’ Blues, I thought it would be fitting to brew Chief Oshkosh Red Lager during the event. After all, this is the beer responsible for this festival happening in the first place. If you’re there, stop by and say hello. Let’s have a beer together!
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