So it has been a week now. I promised you a post on the Parkville Microbrew Fest, and here it is, albeit a bit late.
Turnout was excellent – there were twenty four microbreweries in attendance, several of which I had not yet experienced. Crowd was great – people were quite friendly. Nice to have happy drunks around – not mean ones! That, and it reinforced my belief even more that beer, especially microbreweries, are all about community. After all, that’s how and why large-scale brewing started, right?
A couple of pictures form the event:
Walking into the festival
A line of beer tents, with Free State Brewing Co on the end
Boulevard Brewing Co's Setup
Boulevard had a one-off beer that was a cask-strength Imperial Stout – I was expecting something really cool and interesting, but instead I was assaulted with a mouth full of bad black licorice, and some burnt coffee. Might need a bit of work. They did, however, have a ‘Tank 7 Golden Ale’ that was really quite pleasant – think an American version of Estrella Damm from Barcelona. Classic notes of citrus and honey wrapped up into a palatable, well-rounded ale that satisfies even the most picky of beer snobs was more than enough to erase the fresh, bad memories of their failed Imperial Stout. While I didn’t ask for specifics, I’d expect to see this one as part of their regular lineup not far down the road.
Weston Brewery had a few interesting beers.
The Ladies from McCoy's Public House serving up brews.
Mattingly American Pale Ale - Awesome beer.
I was absolutely blown away by one brewery in particular – Mattingly Brewing Company out of St. Louis. No official website, but you can check out their candid blog at http://mattinglybrewing.blogspot.com/. They had two beers with them – a Belgian Wit that was chock-full of coriander and citrus, yet full on the palate and completely balanced. A phenomenal summer beer that would go great with just about anything. My favorite, however, was their American Pale Ale, and probably one of the best examples of the style that I’ve ever had.
Balanced in hops, only mildly acidic, and a wonderful mouth feel, this is exactly what a Pale Ale should be. Not at all boring, but easy to drink, this beer would go phenomenally well with everything from greasy pizza to a steak au poive. I’m hoping to see this beer in Kansas City soon, or I may just have to make a liquor run to St. Louis. Yeah, it was that good. If you’re in or around St. Louis, go visit these guys. Worth your time.
All in all, the Brewfest was pretty much what I hoped it would be. Not ridiculously huge, so I had the opportunity to get around to all of the breweries, and the crowd was just such where it was lively, but easy enough to get beer. If you are curious about new styles and local brewpubs/breweries, these events are definitely for you. Take a friend, and definitely designate a driver, because you won’t want to stop!
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