Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival in Nashville

This past Saturday Steve and I headed downtown to the Municipal Auditorium for the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ festival. This festival tours around the nation, making stops in places like Manhattan, Richmond and Tampa besides Nashville. For a bourbon festival I was shocked to not see a stop in Kentucky on the list - those people know their bourbon! Anyway, we spent the day eating, drinking, talking to friends and having an all-around good time.

We started off with the Schlafly black lager which to me was just ok. I'm normally a big fan of this St. Louis brewery, but this beer didn't do much for me. Steve (who knows all things beer) said that it was smooth and black and all things that a dark lager should be. I would trust his opinion on beer more than mine. My second beer was the Leinenkugel Snowdrift Vanilla Porter. Porters are more my style and I loved this beer. You could really taste the vanilla and it reminded me of an ice cream float. I love dessert beer!

I was pretty surprised by the BBQ portion of the festival. First of all, the BBQ was not included in the door price. With BBQ in the title, I was expecting the opportunity to sample different types of pulled pork from multiple vendors. Nope. Food was extra $$ and there were only three BBQ vendors (Low and Slow, Jim 'N Nicks, and Whitts). In a city that has a growing BBQ culture, they needed more BBQ vendors and more local (non-chain) shops. I was hoping for Edley's or Peg Leg Porker. 

Since our options were so small we went with Slow and Low because neither of us had tried their food before. We went with the standard pork platter with their vinegar dressing, with cole slaw and mac & cheese for sides. The pork was good, tender and not dry at all. The mac & cheese was slightly disappointing. After having Edley's mac & cheese I feel like everything else will be an uphill battle. Steve and I both agreed that their peppery version of cole slaw was AMAZING. It's rare to say that about slaw, but it was just that good. 

Cabin Fever whisky is made in New Hampshire and infused with maple syrup. I instantly fell in love with their take on whisky- it was sweet but not so much that it burns your teeth, and it was deceptively easy to drink. It went down smooth and I'm pretty sure I could get in trouble with this stuff. I can only imagine how winter-time hot toddies would taste with some Cabin Fever.

Sticking with liquor, we tried the offerings from Filibuster. Their bourbon was just weird to me but I very much enjoyed their rye. I found the rye much smoother and easier to drink. Perhaps I'm becoming more of a rye girl these days. Who knew?

High West is from Park City, Utah and have a variety of blended whiskeys. On the company rep's recommendation we sampled the Rendezvous Rye- a blend of 6 year and 16 year rye whiskeys. The addition of the older spirit really elevates this rye. It went down very smoothly. I could imagine myself sipping this after a long day of work.

We tried both the bourbon and the the rye from Charred Oak. Their rye wasn't a spicy as what I had previously. It was mild and had a simple flavor. The bourbon on the other hand, was quite good with a complex sweetness. It went down smooth but left a spicy aftertaste.

After all that liquor it was time to slow down with some beer. I sampled the Wells banana bread beer which just wasn't my thing. I couldn't even finish a tasting glass. I'm not a fan of hefeweizens that taste like banana, so I'm not surprised that I didn't like a purposefully banana flavored beer. I followed that up with Young's double chocolate stout which I had enjoyed many times before. It continues to be delicious and rich.

We sampled the BBC bourbon barrel stout which was solid, but was missing the Oak and vanilla flavor that we love about Kentucky Ale's bourbon barrel ale. We then tried the Ommegang Game of Thrones Art of Darkness Belgian style beer. It reminded me of one of my local favorites, Calfkiller. It was a classic dark, fruity Belgian Abbey ale. It also left my mouth feeling very dry!

Steve then sampled some hoppy beers that I wanted nothing to do with. No matter how hard he tries, I doubt I will ever be converted into a strong hop drinker. Steve tried the Schlafly T IPA, which is a Tasmanian style pale ale. This was a special release beer, much like Yazoo's hop project. Steve said that the Australian hops had an herbal, earthy note. It had a fantastic aroma, but flavor wise it was a little too bitter, throwing it out of balance.

Steve then tried the Unita Hop Notch because I insisted. Why did I insist? The label was so well designed! I guess I'm that girl who judges beer based on the label. Steve liked this better than the Schlafly T IPA. He said it was solid, but nothing much stood out about it.

Back to liquor! We sampled both offerings from Red River, based in Texas. The Rye was really sweet and not that smooth. It tasted a lot like granny smith apples to me, giving the rye an overwhelming flavor reminiscent of cider. The bourbon was smooth and a lot less sweet. 

We sampled Belle Meade Bourbon, which is made right here in Tennessee. This bourbon was smooth, but lacked much flavor. It was super mild compared to everything else I tasted. I feel like this bourbon would be good in a mixed drink but because it doesn't have any strong flavors, probably won't be worth drinking by itself. 

By this time we were hungry again so we stopped by Jim 'N Nicks from some baby back ribs. Despite being a chain, Jim 'N Nicks make some pretty good BBQ. I really enjoyed these ribs. They were super tender and very saucy. The people were even nice enough to give me extra pickles! I have a feeling I'll be headed to Jim 'N Nicks in the near future just for the ribs. 

We then attended a whiskey tasting with Robert Kennedy of Charred Oak. This wasn't the most informative talk I've been to. He talked a lot about the joy of drinking and not at all about how to go about tasting his product. I wanted to learn what to look for when drinking bourbon and rye and instead I got an infomercial. I guess I was looking for something more substantial.

Overall, we had a really good time. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention a few things.

1. There was a notable absence of local products. Favorites like Yazoo, Jackalope, Calfkiller, Black Abbey and Corsair were missing completely. Perhaps because this a touring festival and not a local one, they focused more on the national brands. I totally understand that, but I think next year they should have a tasting station dedicated to Tennessee beers and spirits.
2. I overheard people in the bathroom complaining about the lanyard situation. Apparently last year you got a free glass holder lanyard with your ticket, but this year you had to pay $7 for them. People never like it when you give them something for free and then ask them to pay for it later.
3. I said it before, but more local BBQ and actual BBQ tastings for which you don't have to pay extra would be nice.

With all that being said, we still had an awesome time. I loved having the opportunity to try so many whiskeys back to back. It helped me actually get a better handle on what I liked, what I didn't like, and what makes a whiskey good. The crowd itself was fun, lively and overall very polite. 

I'll definitely be making a return appearance next year. 

The Faces of East Nashville Beer Festival 2013

East Nashville Beer Fest 2013

Shawn, Jeff, Me and Jen waiting in Line to enter

The East Nashville Beer Festival is probably one of my top five favorite days of the whole year. When I attended last year, it was my first beer festival ever. I surprised myself by how much fun I had. This year was no different. In fact, I enjoyed this year even more. Why? Because in the past year I learned a lot more about beer. I learned what goes into making it, what the different varieties are, and what I actually like. I was more focused about my tasting priorities this year and even more adventurous!

The first tent we went to had most of our local favorites. I really enjoy going to Jackalope brewery and my favorite is the Bearwalker maple brown ale. But, they didn't have that on tap so I went with the Bourbon barrel aged Rompo red rye ale. Let me just say that the Rompo is probably my least favorite of all the Jackalope offerings, but I loved the barrel aged version. The barrel flavor smoothed out the bitter hoppiness I normally find offensive. I hope this becomes a year round beer.

Yazoo is the hometown favorite and my personal go-to local drink. I tried their Beacon "high-tax ale" which is a collaboration with other Tennessee brewery Calfkiller. This beer's purpose is to raise awareness of and protest the incredibly RIDICULOUSLY high beer tax in Tennessee. I recommend going to Fix the Beer Tax to find out why you should support this movement. I thought the beacon was a middle of the road easy drinking Ale. I did try their Embrace the Funk, which I found a little too funky for my own taste.

The other Tennessee local beer that I love is Calfkiller. My friend Jeff is certifiably obsessed with them and exclusively orders their offerings at most local bars. They were the only brewery that had a huge line the whole time. And honestly, I understand why. They offer consistent amazing beers. They had a few classics on tap as well as some specials. My favorite was the Classic Spider which was a barrel aged mixture of their stout and brown recluse. I think most people in my group agreed that this was one of their favorites of the day. Another tasty offering was the Coffee Whiskey J. which was a woody J. Henry Mild with coffee beans and aged in a whiskey barrel. This was strong and delicious. I wasn't a big fan of their Cerveza de Jesus, which is a beer made with all the grains in the bible and aged in scotch barrels. There was too much going on in this beer I couldn't wrap my head around it. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Jen's love of the Scorched Hooker- her favorite go-to beer.

Rivertown gets the award for "Brewery that I never heard of but I loved the most." These guys know their beer. Their Roebling Porter was one of the best porters of the day. Heavy on espresso and chocolate notes while being thick and filling. I love porters, but I generally despise blueberry beers. Whelp, Rivertown showed me I was wrong. Their blueberry lager was possibly the best blueberry beer I have ever had. It's a beer I would actually pick up at the store and drink.

I've been enjoying Huntsville's Straight to Ale brewing since I first tasted them at the fest last year. I'm a sucker for their kitschy space-age marketing and their flavorful beers. Steve went to the Straight to Ale tasting at Craft Brewed for Craft Beer Week and brought me home the lovely Laika Russian Imperial Stout. At the fest I tried their Hellfire Quadruple. Jen and I loved it and thought it was delicious, smooth and yummy. This was probably my favorite Belgian-style ale not from Belgium of the whole festival.

I have a soft spot for the He'Brew beers from Schmaltz. Last year, the Funky Jewbilation was my favorite beer of the entire festival. I knew that they were having a special tasting of the 2013 version at 2pm and I was lucky enough to eek out the last glass. This is the beer to end all beers- a mixture of 6 ales and lagers aged in bourbon and rye whiskey barrels. This beer will put hair on your chest and make you feel like a manly man. For such a loud beer, it is positively delicious and still one of my favorites. L'chaim, He'brew! 

Left Hand Brewing from Colorado makes my favorite drinkable stouts. We tried their Smokejumper which is a smoked imperial porter. It was a little too "campfire" for me and tasted more like liquid smoke than anything else. I'll stick to their milk stout.

A big shout out to Rhizome productions for doubling the amount of port-o-john's this year. There were always plenty of available toilets. I didn't have to wait more than 2 minutes for the facilities, and at a festival designed around drinking this is key. Things were great on the potty front.

This fine guy is Sean and he works at Craft Brewed, a new local tap room and bottle shop. Craft Brewed hosted a bunch of the Craft Beer Week festivities and it's one of Steve's favorite new hang outs. If you haven't been, I highly recommend stopping by for a tasty brew.

Here is a run down of some of our favorites:

Starr Hill Brewery: Psycho Kilter Wee Heavy

He'Brew: Funky Jewbilation

Calfkiller: Classic Spider and the Coffee Whisky J.

Rivertown: Roebling Porter and Blueberry Lager

Crispin: As You Wish Cider

Kentucky Ale: Bourbon Barrel Ale

Our not so favorites:

Green Flash: Park West Porter

Red Brick: Brick Layer Ale

New Belgium: La Folie Quad

Lazy Magnolia: Southern Pecan in a Pinot Noir Barrel

Clearly, we had an amazing time. Can't wait for next year! I also can't wait to brag about all the awesome beers I got to sample.

*Disclaimer: While I received free tickets to this event, my opinions are wholly my own. I would like to thank Matt from Rhizome Productions for taking a shot on a local blogger with a major love of beer.

Check it out: East Nashville Beer Festival

I love my neighborhood. East Nashville is truly my favorite place in the world. Despite all the hipster jokes and Portlandia references, this place is pretty amazing. Where else can you go to Kroger and run into 5 friends? Or attend a Twin Peaks prom? Or a delicious beer festival?

Well my friends, this little (best) part of town hosts the annual East Nashville Beer Festival and it's one of my favorite events of the year. It's marked on my calendar way in advance and I'm always telling people that they REALLY NEED TO GO. So mark your calendars for March 23rd this year! I had the best time ever last year. I got to try a ton of tasty beers, talk to the brewers themselves and meet tons of other awesome beer fanatics. I'm going again this year and promise to bring you a full post on this thing. As you know, I love reviewing beer and food. Just take a look at all the breweries you can sample from! The beer is not the end of it, either. Seeing as I'm a food blogger I want to try the delicious offerings from the local food trucks that will be there including Riff's, The Grilled Cheeserie  and Biscuit Love. But the best and newest addition is the beer and food paring put on by Whole Foods. They will pair 12 specially selected beers with 12 small plates and you can eat as much as you like. This is a special additional $45 ticket and is limited to 200 people, but hopefully I can get in on this.

Plus, the whole week leading up to the beer festival is Craft Beer Week! There are tons of events around town at breweries and bars where you can get into the craft beer spirit. Last year I went to an event at Woodland Wine Merchant (Thanks Green Flash!) and got to have a delicious and FREE beer tasting. I highly recommend checking out these events- and you can probably find me at the Sexy Beer Night at 12 South Tap Room or the Brooklyn Brewery Night at Craft Brewed.

So mark it on your calendar folks! Tickets go on sale February 21st at 9am sharp (and get your fingers on the button because this event will probably sell out in under an hour, if not 30 minutes). So head on over to Rhizome Productions and get your tickets- I'll see you there!

The Fort Collins Brewery and Funkwerks

After our trip to New Belgium we stopped in downtown Fort Collins for a quick bite to eat and then we were back on the beer trail. Our next stop was Fort Collins Brewery which was a nice departure from the insanity of the New Belgium tap room. This tap room was smaller, quieter and just plain peaceful.

FCB offers a nice variety of special flights for tasting. Here myself and Alice stare wistfully at the bar while deciding what we want to drink.

It was lovely outside by the time we got our beers so we decided to have a drink on the patio. This is me making the most horrible face when a car alarm started going off. It ruined my tranquil beer moment.

So, on to the beer! I love stouts and porters and FCB offers a seasonal porter flight. Perfect! It came with a Vanilla Porter, Coconut Porter, Mint Chocolate Chip Porter, Double Chocolate Coffee Stout and some beer that Steve picked (the red one).

Clearly we had no problem drinking all these beers. My favorites were the mint chocolate porter and the coconut porter. Mint chocolate is my favorite food combination and I wasn't disappointed by that flavor in beer.

After FCB we took a little trip down the road and ended up at Funkwerks. Besides having a delightfully funny name, they have very Funky beer. This is because they only offer Saison style beers which have a slight tangy yogurt flavor to them.

I totally dig their drunk looking glass mascot.

They stamped FUNK on my hand. I had the FUNK all day.

As this was later in the day, I can't remember exactly all of the beers that we ordered. Their taproom site has a good list of what they offered. I remember trying the Montage, Saison, Tropic King and the Mistral. The others, not so sure. I was pretty beered out by this point. And I was getting sleepy. Day drinking is a tiring proposition.

And just look at this beautiful sunset that waiting for us as we stepped out of Funkwerks. Man, I love Fort Collins.

New Belgium Brewery Tour!

When Steve and I planned our Colorado trip, we knew there would be lots of beer. Both Steve and Matt are avid home brewers and I knew they wanted to geek out over beer. When Matt suggested we spend a full day in Fort Collins drinking all sorts of tasty brews and touring local breweries, how could we say no? So Saturday we headed out bright and early to the New Belgium Brewery. The tours book up way in advance and we didn't have tickets, but we were told if we got there early and waited around, we could get on a tour. We got to the tap room just before 12, gave our names to the hostess and ordered a taster from the bar. Before I even took my first sip we were informed that there was a cancellation and we could jump on the 12:30 tour. Talk about good timing! Also, the tour is free. And filled with LOTS of free beer.

New Belgium is now entirely 100% employee owned and it seems like one of the best places to work. All of the staff were not only friendly to us, but really good friends with each other. Every employee gets a special bike on their one year anniversary so the brewery is filled with assorted bicycles. For their fifth anniversary employees get to a trip to Belgium with their brew-master to try tons of beers. For their 10 year anniversary they get a 6-week paid sabbatical to do whatever the hell they want. That is my kind of company!

Doesn't this look like a church that worships beer? The pointed ceiling, bright lights and mosaic floors made this the prettiest mash tun I've ever seen.

Throughout the tour we got to taste lots of beer. LOTS OF BEER. They were handing it out so frequently that I had barely any time to finish my little tasting glass before they were giving me another.

This is the room where they make all their special barrel aged beers. But look closely at the back wall. Notice something? It is actually an employee rock climbing wall. The story goes that when their first employee hit the 10 year mark they asked him what he wanted and he asked for a rock wall. This person now has the official title of Director of Fun.

This beer is made by Satan.

Oh hello, I'm just another glass of some fancy-pants barrel aged beer.

I can't even comprehend how much beer is inside of these silos. I would like to get all Scrooge McDuck on them and put on my bathing suit and go for a dip. If I take a shower first I won't contaminate the beer, right? ;-)

The decor of the brewery was pretty neat. I especially liked all the lighting fixtures that were made out of bottles and cans. This is possibly the classiest dorm decor I have ever seen. Frat boys, be jealous.

Just look at that bottling line. I feel like I could watch factories in process for hours. Perhaps that's why I always get sucked into Unwrapped on the Food Network.

And the best part/most random moment was the celebration of "Jean Shorts January." This event is celebrated by the staff in the tap room who were all wearing jean shorts. If a visitor chose to participate and cut their jeans to shorts right then and there, they would take home some free tasty beer. This poor fellow is loosing his pants for some suds. The jeans weren't doing much for his shape or butt so I think he made a wise choice.

If you are ever in the area, go on the New Belgium tour. It is the best brewery tour I have been on and has the best ending. SPOILER: you go down a giant spiral slide.