Showing posts with label Festivals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Festivals. Show all posts
Saturday, March 21, 2020
A World Away
Here's a picture taken two weeks ago during the Winter Beer Fest at Bare Bones Brewery in Oshkosh. Hard to believe how much has changed since then. It seems like another world.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Fox Valley Winter Beer Fest
A few years ago, a beer festival like the one coming in January would have been impossible. We didn't have the breweries for it. All that has changed. It's time we celebrate the revival of our local beer culture.
On Saturday, January 13, 2018, Bones Brewery in Oshkosh will host the Fox Valley Winter Beer Fest. There's been nothing like this in our area before. All of the beer poured at the festival will be from local breweries. Eight of them in all: Appleton Beer Factory, Bare Bones, Fifth Ward, Fox River, HighHolder, Knuth, Lion's Tail, and Stone Arch. Rushford Meadery and Winery will be there, too, pouring cider, mead, and wine.
This marks the first time these breweries (and winery) have worked together on an event like this. So, of course, they're going to do something different. Each of the breweries will present beers that deviate from their core line-up. There'll be a host of barrel-aged beers, cellared beers, and one-offs brewed for this event.
There’s another thing we haven't seen before. A beer festival held outdoors in winter. The fest will take place in the parking lot at Bare Bones. It ought to be cozy enough. There'll be a bonfire, games, music, and barbecue from DD's BBQ Company. Wear your boots and let it rip. And when it's over there'll be an after party at O'Marro's Public House where The MadPolecats will play from 7-11 p.m.
OK, here's the where, the when, and the how of it....
This has been a long time coming. See you there!
On Saturday, January 13, 2018, Bones Brewery in Oshkosh will host the Fox Valley Winter Beer Fest. There's been nothing like this in our area before. All of the beer poured at the festival will be from local breweries. Eight of them in all: Appleton Beer Factory, Bare Bones, Fifth Ward, Fox River, HighHolder, Knuth, Lion's Tail, and Stone Arch. Rushford Meadery and Winery will be there, too, pouring cider, mead, and wine.
This marks the first time these breweries (and winery) have worked together on an event like this. So, of course, they're going to do something different. Each of the breweries will present beers that deviate from their core line-up. There'll be a host of barrel-aged beers, cellared beers, and one-offs brewed for this event.
There’s another thing we haven't seen before. A beer festival held outdoors in winter. The fest will take place in the parking lot at Bare Bones. It ought to be cozy enough. There'll be a bonfire, games, music, and barbecue from DD's BBQ Company. Wear your boots and let it rip. And when it's over there'll be an after party at O'Marro's Public House where The MadPolecats will play from 7-11 p.m.
OK, here's the where, the when, and the how of it....
Fox Valley Winter Beer FestTickets are now available at all the participating breweries. You can also get them up online at Brown Paper Tickets.
January 13, 2018, at Bare Bones Brewery in Oshkosh.
General Admission tasting runs from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
VIP tasting begins at 1 p.m.
General Admission tickets are $40.
That ticket includes 20 - 5oz samples and a commemorative glass.
The VIP ticket is $60.
VIP includes early access to the festival, 25 - 5oz samples, the commemorative glass, and access to the VIP lounge, better known as the taproom.
This has been a long time coming. See you there!
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Cask and Caskets 2017
Cask and Caskets is back. The Society of Oshkosh Brewer's fourth homebrewed beer fest takes place Saturday, November 4, 2017, at the Hilton Garden Inn Oshkosh from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m
Here's the kicker: this year, it's free. You do not have to pay to get in. No hitches, no bullshit. It's a free beer festival. But tickets are strictly limited. Right now, less than 150 remain. If you want to go, you’ll need to get moving. Here's how it works.
Everything served at Casks is homemade. There won't be a commercial beer in sight. And it's not just beer. There will also be a bevy of ciders, meads, and wines. The homemade aspect means this won't be a "normal" fest. This fest takes rare and local to the extreme. At Casks, you'll get to try stuff you've never had before and will never have again.
Despite all the free liquid, Cask and Caskets is still a charity event. It costs nothing to get in and drink, but there are a number of ways to contribute. When you enter, you'll be able to make a donation. And if you want to upgrade from a regular cup to a "Casks" glass, you can do so for $35. There's also going to be a bucket raffle and silent auction items including a Gretsch guitar. All money raised will go to the Oshkosh Hunger Network.
The list is still being populated, but here’s a handful of beers that’ll pour at casks: Telephone Pole Pale Ale, a fresh-hop beer made with hops grown in Oshkosh. Gin Barrel Saison. Georgia Peach IPA. Peanut Butter Ale. Sour Apple Saison. Vanilla Java Porter. Raven's Breath Black IPA. The Hulk, an aged Barleywine. They're not all stunt beers. The SOBs will be slinging plenty of traditional styles including ESB, Porter, Wit, Kolsch, Cream Ale, and more.
Fellow SOB Jody Cleveland and I are teaming up for a mini-fest within the fest. We're calling it Old World Oshkosh. We've cloned six beers from Oshkosh's past. An 1840s porter of the sort that was shipped to Oshkosh before there were breweries here. An 1850 dark lager brewed in Oshkosh at the Schussler Brewery. An 1874 Vienna Lager brewed at the Glatz Brewery. An 1876 Berliner Weisse brewed at the Schiffmann Brewery. The Oshkosh Brewing Company's 1894 Export Beer. And the original Peoples Beer from the 1950s.
And then, there’s this...
A costume contest. But you’ll need to find a better get up than a wiener suit to win it. There’ll be live music at the fest along with door prizes. If you want to spend Casks night at the Hilton Garden Inn, call the hotel and mention the festival. They’ll give you a deal on your room – $89 for the Saturday night stay.
If you have questions, plop them in the comments section or hit me up on Facebook. I'll answer as soon as I can. Hope to see you there!
Here's the kicker: this year, it's free. You do not have to pay to get in. No hitches, no bullshit. It's a free beer festival. But tickets are strictly limited. Right now, less than 150 remain. If you want to go, you’ll need to get moving. Here's how it works.
UPDATE: Casks & Caskets 2017 is now sold out.
Everything served at Casks is homemade. There won't be a commercial beer in sight. And it's not just beer. There will also be a bevy of ciders, meads, and wines. The homemade aspect means this won't be a "normal" fest. This fest takes rare and local to the extreme. At Casks, you'll get to try stuff you've never had before and will never have again.
Despite all the free liquid, Cask and Caskets is still a charity event. It costs nothing to get in and drink, but there are a number of ways to contribute. When you enter, you'll be able to make a donation. And if you want to upgrade from a regular cup to a "Casks" glass, you can do so for $35. There's also going to be a bucket raffle and silent auction items including a Gretsch guitar. All money raised will go to the Oshkosh Hunger Network.
 |
| The Gretsch |
Fellow SOB Jody Cleveland and I are teaming up for a mini-fest within the fest. We're calling it Old World Oshkosh. We've cloned six beers from Oshkosh's past. An 1840s porter of the sort that was shipped to Oshkosh before there were breweries here. An 1850 dark lager brewed in Oshkosh at the Schussler Brewery. An 1874 Vienna Lager brewed at the Glatz Brewery. An 1876 Berliner Weisse brewed at the Schiffmann Brewery. The Oshkosh Brewing Company's 1894 Export Beer. And the original Peoples Beer from the 1950s.
And then, there’s this...
A costume contest. But you’ll need to find a better get up than a wiener suit to win it. There’ll be live music at the fest along with door prizes. If you want to spend Casks night at the Hilton Garden Inn, call the hotel and mention the festival. They’ll give you a deal on your room – $89 for the Saturday night stay.
If you have questions, plop them in the comments section or hit me up on Facebook. I'll answer as soon as I can. Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
A Eulogy for Brews n’ Blues
The longest running beer festival in Oshkosh is no more. For the first time in 20 years, there will be no Brews n’ Blues Festival this summer. It’s all over.
Brews n’ Blues was Oshkosh’s first, annual beer festival. It had a typically Oshkosh sort of beginning: it was dreamed up on a Sunday night in summer at the old Lizard Lounge. The plan was hatched by Janek Cieszynski, of the Oshkosh Jaycees, and Jeff Fulbright, who was looking for a way to promote his struggling Mid-Coast Brewing Company. More than a year later, the event took place.
The first Brews n’ Blues was held on July 21, 1996. By the standard of today’s beer festivals, it was a simple affair. It was more like a party, actually. The Jaycees set up a tent in Riverside Park, hired a couple of blues bands and served that new “Microbrewed” beer people had been talking about. Simple. And it worked.
More than 600 people attended that first festival. Tickets went for $15 in advance and $18 at the door. The big gate galvanized Cieszynski and the Jaycees. Brews n’ Blues became an annual event. And though the fest would develop, the basic premise it was founded upon remained intact. Which became part of the problem.
The expectations of beer drinkers has increased dramatically since that first Brews n’ Blues in ‘96. But the festival failed to evolve along with its patrons. When Brews n’ Blues began, good beer was difficult to find in Oshkosh. That, of course, has changed. And for the past several years, the line-up at Brews n’ Blues has been primarily composed of beer readily available here in bars, restaurants and grocery stores. The festival had come to seem redundant.
The end became official when the Oshkosh Jaycees voted to dissolve last fall. There was talk of the Society of Oshkosh Brewers taking over the event, but there wasn’t enough interest to make it happen.
Despite its shortcomings, I hate to see Brews n’ Blues go. In recent years, I’ve attended the festival more for the sense of prevailing camaraderie than for the beer. But that was enough and I’ll miss it. It just doesn’t seem like summer without it.
Here’s to what was. This is a little movie from Brews n’ Blues 2010…
The first Brews n’ Blues was held on July 21, 1996. By the standard of today’s beer festivals, it was a simple affair. It was more like a party, actually. The Jaycees set up a tent in Riverside Park, hired a couple of blues bands and served that new “Microbrewed” beer people had been talking about. Simple. And it worked.
More than 600 people attended that first festival. Tickets went for $15 in advance and $18 at the door. The big gate galvanized Cieszynski and the Jaycees. Brews n’ Blues became an annual event. And though the fest would develop, the basic premise it was founded upon remained intact. Which became part of the problem.
The expectations of beer drinkers has increased dramatically since that first Brews n’ Blues in ‘96. But the festival failed to evolve along with its patrons. When Brews n’ Blues began, good beer was difficult to find in Oshkosh. That, of course, has changed. And for the past several years, the line-up at Brews n’ Blues has been primarily composed of beer readily available here in bars, restaurants and grocery stores. The festival had come to seem redundant.
The end became official when the Oshkosh Jaycees voted to dissolve last fall. There was talk of the Society of Oshkosh Brewers taking over the event, but there wasn’t enough interest to make it happen.
Despite its shortcomings, I hate to see Brews n’ Blues go. In recent years, I’ve attended the festival more for the sense of prevailing camaraderie than for the beer. But that was enough and I’ll miss it. It just doesn’t seem like summer without it.
Here’s to what was. This is a little movie from Brews n’ Blues 2010…
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Barley's Wednesday Night Beer Sampling
At 7 p.m. Barley's will launch into the fourth year of its Beer Sampling Series. Wisconsin Brewing Company will be the featured brewery. And Nate from Barley's tells me that WBC brewmaster Kirby Nelson will be on hand with a few special beers to dive into in addition to the brewery's regular line-up.
Also offered will be a host of beers from Dogfish Head Brewery as well another 60 or so other brews, spirits and wines to sample. There's even going to be some homebrew pouring.
Tickets are just $20 at the pub if you pick them up before the fest. Otherwise, they're $25 at the door. Either way, it's a steal. Check it out, it's a great way to ease yourself over that mid-week hump.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
A Weekend Filled with Beer
This year’s Foxtoberfest pouring now at Fox River Brewing Company is fantastic. If you’re into malt, you’ll go for this one. It’s rich in toasted and caramel malt flavors, medium bodied, and has the clean finish you expect from a good Oktoberfest-style beer. They’ve been whistling through the beer at a rapid clip over at Fox River, so if this is your meat you might want to get over there sooner than later.
OK, let’s get into the weekend.
Friday: Bare Bones Grand Opening
Since opening in May, Bare Bones Brewery has developed nicely. Most importantly, the Bare Bones taproom now features the brewery’s own beer on draft (they have an altbier in works that I’m especially looking forward to trying). Friday they’ll celebrate with a grand opening party. Beginning at 3 p.m., the taproom will offer $2 pints of Bare Bones beer and $3 pints of guest taps. They’ll also have live music from Pat Pedersen, a pig roast and yard games. I guess this makes it official: we have a new brewery in Oshkosh.
Saturday: O’Marro’s 11th Anniversary party & Fall in The Blues Festival
At 2 p.m. O’Marro’s Public House will open its doors to celebrate 11 years of bringing good beer to Oshkosh. They’ll have food and drink specials throughout the day with four bands taking the stage over the course of the day and evening. The complete rundown is all right HERE. And here’s a look at how it all began back in 2004. Man, how time flies.
Saturday: Dublin’s 4th Annual Craft Beer Fest
This one goes from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and it's a great deal. If you buy your ticket in advance it's just $20. It's a mere $25 if you purchase it at the door. They’ll have over 100 beers to sample from more than 30 Wisconsin breweries. It all takes place under the big top in the parking lot in front of the pub with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh. For tickets, stop in at the pub.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Brews n’ Blues 2015 is Saturday
Tickets are available in Oshkosh at Festival Foods, Fox River Brewing, Oblios, and O'Marro's Public House. You can also purchase tickets online.
The full beer list is down below, but first let’s take a look at a few other things in store for this year’s Brews n’ Blues.
Music
And that would be Blues, of course. Donnie Pick & the Roadband, and The Young Revelators will be playing throughout the day.
VIP Tent
O'Marro's Public House will host a VIP tent that includes a catered meal and private tasting area. The other benefits of the general admission tickets are also included. The VIP ticket is $50.
Vintage Car Show
The Central Wisconsin Auto Collectors Club will be have vintage automobiles on display on the fest grounds.
Let’s get to the important stuff... beer.
Well over 100 different beers (as well as some cider, wine & spirits) will be served, but there are a couple of spots you might want to hit early.
5th Ward Brewing Company
Ian Wenger and Zach Clark will be on hand sharing a first taste of some of the beers they’re working up for the new brewery they’re planning for Oshkosh. More on 5th Ward here.
Homebrew Alley
Lots of homebrew again this year. If you’ve been to Brews n’ Blues over the last few years, you’ve noticed that Wisconsin homebrewers bring it strong to this fest. There will four homebrew clubs pouring more than 25 of their beers. This is where the action tends to be as the fest gathers steam.
And without further ado, here’s that full list of brewers and the beer they'll be pouring. Prepare to scroll...
5th Ward Brewing
Brown Ale
American Wheat
Imperial Oatmeal Stout
Red Rye Ale
American Pale Ale
The Fermentorium
Belma Amber Ale
Coffee Hefeweizen
Smoked Wild Rice Ale
3 Sheeps Brewing
Really Cool Waterslides IPA
Baaad Boy Black Wheat Ale
Rebel Kent the First Belgian Style Amber Ale
First Kiss Imperial IPA with Honey
Appleton Beer Factory
Blonde
Hefeweizen
APA
Light Lager
Riverside Brewery
Feelin’ Lucky Irish Stout
Muggles’ Fuggles ESB
Unrivaled Wit
Stillmank Brewing
Wisco Disco
The Bee’s Knees
Super Kind IPA
Double Disco
Bock to the Future
Pigeon River Brewing
Townie Cream Ale
Wet Willie Oatmeal Stout
German Hefe
Mershon’s Artisan Cider
Mershon’s Artisan Cider
Chatterhouse Brewery
Chatterhouse Ale
Hard Apple Cider
1893
Wisconsin Brewing Company
Inaugural Red (lager)
Blister In The Sun (India White Lager)
Zenith (Farmhouse Ale)
Yankee Buzzard (IPA)
Badger State Brewing
Bunyan Badger Brown Ale
Green Chop Session IPA
Walloon Witbier
Fox River Brewing
Crooked Dock Pale Ale
Blu Bobber
Levee Breaker IPA
Trollycar Stout
Winnebago Wheat
Buzzin Honey Ale
LakeFront Brewery
IPA
Growing Porter
Cherry Lager
New Grist Ginger
James Page Brewing
Casper White
Chai Tea Porter
Gluten Free Pale Ale
Healani Pineapple
Horny Goat Brewing
WisconZin IPA
Watermelon
Brownie Porter
Tango Delta
Archer Apple
Ciderboys
Pineapple Hula
Peach Country
First Press
Magic Apple
Stevens Point Brewery
Coast Radler
Beyond the Pale Ale
Onyx
Smiley Blue
Nude Beach
Lake Louie Brewing
Warped Speed
Pale Ale
Coon Rock
Milk Stout
Bull Falls Brewery
Five Star
Midnight Star
Hop Worthy
Hefeweizen
Holzhacker
New Glarus Brewing
Moon Man
Scream
Yokel
Totally Naked
Serendipity
Belgian Red
Raspberry Tart
Society of Oshkosh Brewers (Homebrew Club)
Stoutly
Berry Mead
Pineapple Wine
Apocalypse Amber
Golden Alt
Cherry Melomel
Belgian Summer Ale
Screamsicle Orange Ale
Lemondrop Hefe
Coffee Porter
Elderberry Port Wine
Appleton Libation Enthusiasts (Homebrew Club)
Irish Red Ale
Cottonwood Cream Ale
Cream Ale
Berliner Weisse
Romanov RIS
Various Wines
Central WI Vinters & Brewers (Homebrew Club)
Electric Lollipop
Zev
Granny's Belgian
Fish's Oktoberfest
Rye Pale Ale
Strawberry Blonde Honey Ale
Tangerine Honey Wheat
American Amber
American Wheat
Bicentennial (Lite) Stout
Cheese City Brewers and Vintners (Homebrew Club)
Ultimate Ginger (Ginger Infused Blonde Ale)
Wheat IPA
3rd Times A Charm Milk Stout
Black Hole Stout
Rusford Meadery and Winery
Chilean Moscatel
Swenson White Pyment
Cyser
Frontenec Port
Traditional Port
Vines & Rushes Winery
LaCrescent
Sadie’s Charm
Wiley Hard Cider
Wiskonsan
Marquette
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
The Summer Beer Season
Wednesday, July 15: Cask tapping at Dublin’s Irish Pub. At 6 p.m. get into a cask of Lakefront Brewery Cherry Lager conditioned on cacao nibs. Lakefront co-founder Jim Klisch will be on hand. Might as well have dinner while you’re there. They’ll have a featured dessert to pair with the beer.
Tuesday, July 21: Door County Brewing Company cask tapping at Gardina's. I don’t have the full run-down on this one, yet, but I believe they’ll be tapping a special cask of Silurian Stout with some extras happening in the cask. The beer begins flowing at 6 p.m. with an optional dinner menu planned around the beer.
Saturday, July 25: 20th Annual Brews n’ Blues Beer Festival at the Leach Amphitheater. Once again the centerpiece of Oshkosh’s summer beer events. The fest runs from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance or $45 at the door. There's also a sweet VIP tent being operated by O'Marro's (tickets for that are $50). Tickets are available in Oshkosh at Festival Foods, Fox River Brewing, Oblios, and O'Marro's. Or you can get them online RIGHT HERE. Also, see the Facebook event page for more. If/when the beer list becomes available, I’ll post it here.
Friday, August 14: The Magnet is chartering a beer bus to Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. The trip includes a tour of Lakefront, a fish fry and boat trip. The bus departs at 2 p.m. with “pre-game” beginning at The Mag at noon. Check out the Facebook event page for more info.
Saturday, August 15: O’Marro’s Public House is chartering a luxury coach to Irish Fest in Milwaukee. Your seat on the bus includes breakfast at O'Marro's, beer on the bus, and an in coach movie. See the Facebook event page for more info.
Wednesday, August 26: Beer Dinner at Dublin’s Irish Pub. The featured brewery is Milwaukee Brewing Company. Among the beers will be a cask beer. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30 and available at the pub.
A couple of other things, I want to pass along.
The inaugural brew at Bare Bones Brewery is scheduled for early tomorrow (Wednesday, July 15) morning. As of Saturday, the plan was to brew a brown ale that should go on tap at Bare Bones near the end of this month.
Back in May I posted about Oshkosh’s Sawdust City Brewing Company, a new brewery in the planning stages. Things are still going according to plan, but the name Sawdust City Brewing is no longer a part of that plan. Seems a brewery in Canada, got their hackles up over the use of that name. Not to worry. I’m sure the boys will come up with something clever for their new moniker.
OK, that’s it. And I think that’s enough.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
An Oshkosh Bus to the Wisconsin Micro-Brewers Beer Fest in Chilton
Here’s the full rundown...
The Price
For $55 you’ll get a ride to and from Chilton and a ticket into the fest (tickets for this year’s fest are $40). The price also includes a sub sandwich and water for the ride home.
Transportation
The bus will leave Dublin’s Irish Pub at 11:30 a.m. (Dublin’s will open at 10 a.m.)
The bus back to Oshkosh will leave Chilton at 6:30 p.m.
Beer is allowed on the bus.
Wisconsin Micro-Brewers Beer Fest
The fest goes from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Here's a LINK to a flyer for the fest.
Sign up now!
Tickets and seats on the bus are limited to the first 40 people paid. If interested, contact Steve Wissink @ 920-589-2602 or wiss@centurytel.net
This is easily one of the best beer fests in Wisconsin. Don't miss it!
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Is Hops & Props Overpriced?
Most of those I speak to about these things are beer geeks. These are people who might attend three or four beer festivals each year. When they compare the ticket price for Hops & Props to similar festivals, you can understand why they experience sticker shock.
For example, the Wisconsin Micro-Brewers Beer Fest in Chilton charged $40 last year. The Great Taste of the Midwest in Madison will have a $60 ticket this year. Hops & Props is an excellent festival, but it’s not in the same league with either of those. Especially if you’re looking at it strictly as a beer event.
But Hops & Props has never really been about the beer. It’s about generating money for the EAA, which says it uses the proceeds to “support museum activities offered by EAA.” If you think that’s an initiative worth supporting, then you can hardly say the festival is overpriced. If that’s not something you care about, then I think it’s hard to argue that Hops & Props isn’t overpriced.
If you’re on the fence, I’d say go for it. Especially, if you haven’t been there before. Drinking beer in the AirVenture Museum while you wander among all those incredible airplanes is a memorable experience.
Tickets are still available. Visit the EAA’s Hops & Props website, to order tickets, see the brewery list, the bands that’ll be playing (Dead Horses!), and all the other little details that’ll make for a fun Saturday night in Oshkosh.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Fond du Lac Brewfest is this Weekend
I’ve been to this fest a number of times and it’s always been a blast. This year they’ll have 27 different breweries pouring. More important than the brewery count is the kind of breweries they’ll have on hand. The great majority of them are small producers and brewpubs; i.e. you won’t see a bunch of distributors standing around pouring the same stuff you can find at the grocery store.
Here’s a random pick of six, just to give you an idea: MobCraft Beer, Sweet Mullets Brewing, Vintage Brewing, Ahnapee Brewery, Plymouth Brewing, Grumpy Troll... it’s definitely not your everyday selection.
In addition to the pro brew they’ll also have 13 Wisconsin homebrew clubs, the SOBs among them, pouring more than 100 different home-made beers. I know how these things go. By the end of the night, homebrew row is where the real fun will be found.
In addition to all that beer, there will be mead and wine and live music and food and that ought to be more than enough to make Saturday night memorable. If you can remember it.
Tickets for the event are $35 in advance or $45 at door. I’d strongly suggest getting the advance ticket. It looks like they stand a decent chance of selling the fest out this year.
In Oshkosh tickets are available at O'Marro's Public House. You can also get them online HERE. In Fondy, tickets are being sold at the The Green Dragon Brewpub on 156 Western Ave.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Tonight’s Beer Sampling at Barley’s Canceled
Just like the title says: the Barley & Hops beer sampling that had been scheduled for tonight (Wednesday, Dec. 3) has been called off. It also appears that the Barley’s sampling scheduled for February 4 will not happen either. However, Nate at Barley’s is saying that the sampling scheduled for April 1 will go ahead as planned. I guess we’ll see when the time comes. At this point, there’s little being said about the the abrupt cancellations.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Casks & Caskets Recap
Over 400 people, many of them draped in Halloween finery, gathered at the Oshkosh Convention Center last Saturday night to drink homebrewed beer, cider, mead and wine. The Society of Oshkosh Brewers Casks & Caskets Homebrew Event for Charity was a smashing success and a wicked good time. Here's 80 seconds of visual proof...
Thursday, October 30, 2014
How to Have a Blast at Casks & Caskets
This weekend, the Wild West of beer sets up shop in Oshkosh. The Society of Oshkosh Brewers Cask & Caskets festival is Saturday night. If you’re going, you’ll encounter a beer selection like you’ve never seen before. It’s not like going to one of those places that sports an outrageous number of taps. At those places, there’s a ring of familiarity to most everything you’re offered. At Casks, an outrageous number of taps will be offered, but you won’t know a damned thing about any of the beers until you let them pass through your lips. Don’t let that worry you. It’s easy to master this funhouse of beer. Here’s how.Ask Questions
Let’s say you walk up to one of the serving tables and encounter a beer with a name like Electric Lollipop. What the hell is that? Just ask the brewer. That'll be the person pouring you the beer. And they will be more than happy to tell you all about it (in excruciating detail). You’ll find many of these homebrewers to be loquacious to a fault. And if they won’t shut up, tell them to cork the chatter and pour the beer. They won’t mind. I know this crowd. Believe me, you won’t be the first person to have told them to pipe down.
Be Adventurous
You ask one of the brewers about their beer and he or she tells you it has bananas in it. Just because you’ve never tasted a beer with bananas in it is no good reason not to try one now. You may never have this opportunity again. It may turn out to be the best beer you’ve ever tasted. You’ll be surprised by what some of these folks are able to do with offbeat ingredients. A lot of these brewers tossed their beer-style books out the window years ago. What they shoot for are flavors that are unique and delicious. They’re a creative bunch. Go with the flow and indulge in a world of beer you’ve never encountered before.
Don’t Feel Committed
One of the brewers pours you a beer and it’s just not your thing. No big deal, it happens. Pour it out and move on to the next adventure. Nobody will take offense. Remember, these are folks who refer to themselves as SOBs. Some of the more perverse among them might see you heading for the dump bucket and consider it a compliment. Go figure.
Go Easy
The beers at Casks tend to be a bit stronger than your standard commercial beers. Homebrewers like to push the limits and ABV is one of those things they pay little heed to. It’s just something to keep in mind. Sunday morning is going to come. You don’t want it to hurt, too much.
Enjoy Yourself
That’s the most important thing. This is a rare event we’ll partake in. At some point in the evening step back and take it all in. Consider how lucky we are, all of us there together, enjoying this special thing that few of our type will ever experience. It’s going to be a great night.
For ticket info and more visit CasksandCaskets.org
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Here Comes Casks & Caskets 2014
I’ll put all the pertinent links down below concerning ticket outlets and such, but first let’s get into the why of why you’ll want to be there Saturday night.
Casks & Caskets Features Fresh Beer
Truth is, most of the beer we get around here has been sitting on a shelf – either in a grocery store or in a distributor’s warehouse – for a good long while before we uncap it. That’s not good. Time is not the friend of most beers. But the beers you’ll be served at Casks will be ridiculously fresh. In almost every case, these are beers that have been brewed within the last 30-50 days. They’ve been given enough time to ferment and rest. When they’re poured on Saturday, they’ll be at their peak. You’ll see what a difference fresh beer makes.
Casks & Caskets Features Real Beer
Not that the brew you buy at the beer depot isn’t real, but let’s not fool ourselves; it’s a commercial product and commercial brewers are often required to make compromises to meet the expectations of the market. Filtration and pasteurization are just two of those compromises. These processes extend shelf life, but they also mute flavor. You won’t get stripped down beers at Casks. You’ll get the real thing, with all of its intended flavors intact.
You’ll Get to Stand Face to Face with the Brewers
At most beer festivals the beer is poured by some poor schlub who has little knowledge of what they’re dumping into your glass. Not so at Casks. You’ll get to meet all of the brewers and find out first hand what they’re about. To me, this is one of the best things about this festival. You get the full, immediate experience of a beer without all of the mitigating middlemen who stand between you and its source. That’s a rare thing.
Casks & Caskets is Not Just Beer
It’s wine, mead and cider, too. And not just a couple bottles of each to placate the non-beer drinkers. There’ll be a wide selection of each with an array of flavors you’ll find nowhere else.
A Few Other Good Reasons
• It's for a good cause. All of the beverages are donated by the homebrewers who made them. They receive nothing (but a good time) in exchange for their work. This means that all of the money taken in goes directly to the Oshkosh Hunger Task Force.
• Sly Joe & the Smooth Operators will play.
• There’ll be a silent auction with everything from beer memorabilia to hand-made soap up for grabs, with proceeds benefitting the Oshkosh Hunger Task Force.
• It’s the best beer festival in the area. Seriously, there no other beer fest like this one.
All right, here are those links.
• Ticket information.
• The Casks & Caskets webpage.
• The Casks & Caskets Facebook Event Page.
• Silent Auction Items.
• Beer List.
• All About Casks.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
What to Look for at Brews n’ Blues This Weekend in Oshkosh
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!
Monday, June 16, 2014
Born in a Bar – the Birth of Brews N’ Blues
The idea for Brews n’ Blues was born in the place where all the most brilliant and terrible plans are made... in a bar. In this case, the old Lizard Lounge at 141 High Avenue. It was a Sunday afternoon in late summer, 1994. Jeff Fulbright and Janic Cieszynski had gotten together for a beer at the Lizard, as they often did on Sundays.
As Fulbright worked at his beer, he bounced ideas off Cieszynski. He needed a new angle to promote Mid-Coast Brewing, Fulbright’s struggling beer company and maker of Chief Oshkosh Red Lager. Of the ideas Fulbright tossed around, there was one that resonated with Cieszynski. A beer festival in Riverside Park. The more they talked about it, the better it sounded. They’d throw a party in the park sponsored by Chief Oshkosh Red Lager. They’d rent a tent, hire a couple of blues bands, and serve Fulbright’s beer alongside a few other Wisconsin microbrews.
But it was getting too late in the year to make it happen in 1994. It would take time to get this properly organized. They decided that by the time they’d be ready, it would be too cold to stand outside drinking beer in Riverside Park. They aimed for the summer of 1995.
The following summer would come, but by then Fulbright’s brewery was a thing of the past. The last batch of Chief Oshkosh Red Lager was brewed on December 30, 1994. There’d be no beer festival in Oshkosh in 1995.
Cieszynski still liked the idea, though. In 1996 he presented it to the Oshkosh Jaycees. The first Brews n’ Blues took place in Riverside Park on Sunday, July 21, 1996. The successful event went off as planned. The only thing missing was Chief Oshkosh Red Lager.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Brews n’ Blues 2014 Draws Near
Tickets are available now and you’ll want to pick them up before you get to the event. If you buy your tickets in advance they’re $35, but they’ll set you back $45 if you wait to get them at the gate.
You can purchase advance tickets online HERE, or you can get them in the flesh at Oblio’s, O’Marro’s Public House or Festival Foods. And if you want to go whole hog, O’Marro’s will have a VIP tent at the event that includes food and other sundries. That ticket goes for $50.
One thing that’s different about this year’s fest will be the sea of homebrew. The Society of Oshkosh Brewers will be there as usual, but in addition to our SOBs there will be a number of other homebrew clubs from around the state bringing in brew. If you’ve ever been to a beer fest with a healthy selection of homebrew, you know where the real action is going to be.
I’ll be there with a brew of my own and I’ll also be doing a homebrewing demonstration. I’m going to make that Sesquicentennial Ale I was blogging about the other day. If you show, stop by and say hello.
In addition to all that beer, there’s going to be live music throughout the day from Swamp Shag, featuring Chris Aaron & Jim Schwall, and Tin Sandwich.
If I’ve missed anything, you can probably get what you’re looking for HERE. Hope to see you next Saturday!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Spring Into Some Beer
We have a good crop of beer events hitting town in April and May. Get your beer calendar out and let’s fill ‘er in.
Tonight, Wed, April 2: Barley’s Beer Sampling Series
Part four of this go-round of Barley and Hops' Beer Sampling Series starts at 7 p.m. You can get tickets at the pub right up until they ring the bell. All the details are HERE.
Thursday, April 10: Oblio’s Alaskan Brewing Company Sampling
Oblio’s Lounge will welcome Alaskan Brewing Co. from 9-11 p.m. They’ll be handing out samples of Alaskan’s Hopothermia Double IPA, Amber Ale (Alt Beer), Freeride American Pale Ale and Summer Ale (Kölsch).
Tuesday, April 15: Central Waters Firkin Tapping At Gardina’s
Chapter 9 of Gardina’s Beer Bar Series will feature a firkin of Central Waters Illumination Double IPA racked onto coconut and pineapple... an Illumacolada, if you will. The firkin starts flowing at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16: 3 Sheeps Beer Dinner at Dublins.
Sheboygan’s 3 Sheeps Brewing and Dublin’s Irish Pub are teaming up for a beer dinner at the pub. 3 Sheeps beer will be paired with gourmet food prepared by the Dublin’s crew. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 and available at the pub. Checkout Dublin’s Facebook page for updates.
Saturday, May 3: Big Brew Day with the Society of Oshkosh Brewers
The SOBs will host their annual communal brew in front of O’Marro’s Public House. The public is invited to see how beer is made and find out what the SOBs are all about (and don’t be surprised to find a few homebrews passed around). The brewers will set up around 9 a.m. and the brewing will run until approximately 3 p.m. Visitors are free to wander in, out and all about at their leisure.
Thursday, May 29: The Wisconsin Premier of Beer Hunter: the Movie
Beer Hunter, the documentary about the life of beer writer Michael Jackson, will make its Wisconsin debut at the Time Theater in downtown Oshkosh on Thursday, May 29 at 7 p.m. Adam Carlson of Gardina’s is driving this event. There’ll be more info to come in the near future.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
New Glarus Brewing Coming to Barley's Beer Sampling Series
This time the featured brewery will be the mighty New Glarus Brewing Company, which will be serving its full line-up. Also in the spotlight will be hop-head favorite Lagunita's Brewing. The Society of Oshkosh Brewers will be on hand pouring homebrew and rounding out the fest will be another 40-50 craft brews and a selection of liquor and wine for the tasting. If you’ve never been to one of these, you ought to check it out. The Barley's tastings have grown into a nearly full-on beer fest.
If you pick-up your ticket at the pub before next Wednesday, the price is just $20. Get your ticket at the door and you’ll pay $25 (if they’re still available). I wouldn’t dally too much on this one; judging by the turn-out at the last couple of these I think there’s a decent chance that it may sell out. The sampling runs from 7:00pm - 10:00pm. Visit the Facebook event page for more info.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
