Last month I was sitting in the beer garden at Troegs in Hershey PA, enjoying a Kolsch. I’ve written before that visiting a favorite brewery is like seeing an old friend and that day was no exception. It was a Monday afternoon, and while I had a beer garden to myself, I was impressed with the brisk to-go sales I witnessed as patrons took cases of beer to their cars, I have always been a fan of this brewery, and look forward to their annual release of Mad Elf which is a robust Belgian style ale complimented with honey and cherries. Autumn brings us closer to the releases of the winter and spring beers that I cherish, and as I sat there, I was looking forward to all the festivals that were to come as well.
This year has found me busier with beer festivals than I usually am, and the spring and fall months in particular have been heavy with lots of good festivals. Memorable festivals here in Indiana have included Taxman’s Death & Taxes, HopLores Lore’d of the Hops, and Pax Verum’s Way Out. There were countless other great festivals, and some of them I was able to go to, but I realized in the spring that almost every weekend saw multiple beer events to choose from, and this fall has only taken that further.
As I sat at Troeg’s’s, it was only two days after I had enjoyed my volunteer work at Hops & Coaster Drops at Indiana beach. This event took place the same time as Brewed IN the Fort which is a festival in Fort Wayne, I’ve always wanted to attend, but conflicting schedules have kept me from being able to be at both places. I learned years ago how hard it is to cross the state just to attend multiple events, so I’ve practiced balance when picking and choosing.
This month began with a similar happenstance when commitments had me at the Michiana Festival of Beers while 450 N’s Corn Maze was taking place downstate. I am used to this, and last weekend saw festivals in Knox and Indianapolis at the same time. I guess it’s a good thing that we can choose from different beer festivals and craft beer is certainly in a good place to offer this many events across the state. Corks & Bottlecaps in Elkhart always seems to fall the same day as the festival in Terre Haute, but that’s just life! It is just another reason why there really is so much beer and so little time!
So there are still many festivals going on as we approach Halloween, and at least for the next couple of weekends, I have beer events everywhere. As I write this, Indianapolis has a beer and chicken festival, but I’m excited about an event at Deviate. And there will be festivals as long as the weather holds out, and then of course, it will start back up in the spring. I like being able to choose between so many events because it’s good to have options. If you want to be informed, check what breweries are going to be at what events to help you choose the ones you want to go to!
And late autumn also puts us close to so many great beer releases, some of which I have already mentioned. Black Friday is almost here as is the winter solstice, and in just a few weeks there will be great winter releases for us to enjoy! I will be making many treks to Pennsylvania over the next couple of months, picking up special releases there as well. We all know that Dark Lord Day will be here this spring, but I’m also equally excited for Buckley Day which will be the Sunday following Dark Lord Day in Bridgman, Michigan. It should not be missed! And that will all coincide amid what promises to be a busy spring full of festivals!
So I’m enjoying the good craft beer that is available and I hope things continue to stay the way that they are. Breweries may come and go, but I’m always looking forward to try new ones. Last weekend got me to Jackson Michigan, where I discovered two new breweries, and I had a lot of fun doing so. I got to hang out with friends and make new friends and the camaraderie that I find in the craft beer culture is one of the reasons I’m drawn to visiting new breweries, especially with good friends. So if we know each other, I would just like to say thank you for being a good friend to me and I enjoy drinking beer with you when I get a chance and if we haven’t met yet, I’m sure somewhere down the line we may have a pint together. Our time is short, so enjoy the beer you drink, and I will as well!
So Much Beer So Little Time 