I get to attend a good number of beer festivals, both as a volunteer and a patron. As things have opened up this year, we seem to have even more festivals than usual, and here in Indiana it has been a busy summer for beer fests. Some of them are quite large including next months Hops and Coaster Drops which has already sold out their 5000 tickets. I enjoy a lot of these festivals, and the great variety of beer available, but I have come to like the more intimate ones as well. I already wrote about one at Saint Benedict’s earlier this summer, and I would like to tell you about the second festival I’ve been able to attend at 2Toms this year.
What I like about 2Toms besides the awesome beer that they make is how they decide to run their festivals in their parking lot. Rather than offering many different selections from just a few breweries, these festivals feature a beer from many sought after breweries. I got to attend their Firkin Fest in February, and braced the cold to drink some amazing beers, many of them barrel aged. It brought a good crowd, and I got to try beer from over a dozen different breweries. The brewery seems to like to keep their festivals intimate while offering very excellent selections. I enjoyed that Saturday afternoon in February, and was very excited to have a chance to attend their third anniversary luau.
The way 2Toms does their festivals makes it feel like you’re at a party at their brewery where they just have lots of guest taps. I think that’s the way a brewery should host a festival, and one of the things I liked about the luau was that representatives from some of the breweries on tap at the festival were able to mingle with guests. I had friends from both Windmill and Hop Lore who made the trip to Fort Wayne, and it was a pleasure to be able to drink with them. The festival drew people from large portions of the state, so it was a very diverse crowd!
I arrived around noon to the brewery after having excellent brunches at both Junk Ditch, and Trubble. I love the breweries of Fort Wayne, and I wanted to visit a few others while I made the trip up for the festival. At Trubble, I had some excellent fried green tomatoes, and a breakfast poutine like dish that had me quite full as I stood in line amidst a large group of people all clad in Hawaiian shirts. I could tell it was going to be a fun festival, and when I was handed a large mai-tai glass for samples, as well as a lei, my suspicions were confirmed.
I was able to try quite a bit of beer at this festival. One thing that appealed to me about the selection was how many breweries out of the Chicago area that are not readily available in Indiana would be on tap here. Half Moon, Pipeworks, Whiner, and Spiteful were some of breweries I was looking forward to trying. There was also a lot of excellent beer from around the state, and Harry Stuff and Dot & Line both had memorable offerings. 2Toms delivered some great beer as well, and POG and Lava Flow both were standouts. I was able to try a lot of Sours, IPA’s, and dark beers, and even a beer made with chai from Pipeworks.
It was a nice crowd, and I ran into a lot of good friends from around the state. I usually don’t have a problem going to a festival by myself because I always meet into people I know. There was excellent music from a jazz band, and great food from the resident barbecue expert who had an excellent creation which included smoked spam! It was nice to be a part of this crowd, and Tom and Company did excellent job. It was a hot day, so it was nice that the brewery had ample seating inside as well in their temperature controlled taproom. There was also a nice area for patrons who had paid for the VIP experience. There was only a limited number of those tickets, so I’ll try to get a ticket earlier next year!
I enjoyed the festival as long as I could, but eventually I had to go home. I cover the state of Indiana, and excites me that some of the most exciting things going on in the brewing world happen hours from where I live. The Fort Wayne beer scene has impressed me on my multiple trips up here, and I probably will make it back up the first weekend in August for Fortlandia’s anniversary. 2Toms may host the best festivals in Fort Wayne, but they are an anchor to what is one of the most exciting beer scenes in Indiana!
So while lots of big festivals loom in the future, it’s nice to know more intimate festivals still exist. I look forward to afternoons like this where I have a chance to try interesting beer, and make new friends. Festivals are not for everyone, but I think the festival scene does offer something for everyone. And if you’re not into huge bustling crowds, smaller intimate festivals are a great place to sit at a table, and stand in a sample line whenever you want to. It makes for an enjoyable afternoon, and the kind of day I look forward to.
If you’re not familiar with 2Toms, I encourage you to look for their beer if you live in Indiana. If Fort Wayne is near you, please visit their beautiful Taproom. It is a great place for food and drink, and has been the backdrop for two excellent Saturdays for me so far this year. We still have lots of festivals here in Indiana, and maybe I’ll see you at one. In the meantime I hope you enjoy the rest of this summer and drink excellently!
So Much Beer So Little Time 