Brew Detective: Boonville Beer Fest

The Legendary Boonville Beer Fest

The best little hideout in Northern California, or at least one of them, is Boonville. The Legendary Boonville Beer Fest turned 20 and provided a gorgeous backdrop, good times and ample draught beer. This is one of those events you just shouldn't miss, unless you live too far away or despise oat sodas. Thankfully I live an hour and a half away and love consuming craft beer. There were more than enough brewers to get lost amidst, or inebriated by. Most of the breweries on my hit list were scratched off the journal and noted; a few however escaped my investigative intentions. Considering there were well over 100, my goal was not to get destroyed, but rather, to find new ales and explore the craft brewers new to me. 

This year we started out on the far west side of the grounds, and to my delight, it happened to house a majority of the brewers I was hoping to enjoy. Many of the individual tents later ran out of barley pops. On a side note: this may have been the first year in which I thoroughly enjoyed the non-IPA selections far more than the Hop-centric ales I tend to gravitate toward. Blondes, Tarts and Pale Ales dominated my best of note taking. The list below represents my favorite tastes of the day; arranged alphabetically by brewery name. 

Bagby Beer Company | Hop Crop extra pale ale | 4.8% ***

> This was my favorite Pale Ale of the day. It's always a treat to find something new and delicious. Single hopped and super palatable; I could have pounded this all day. 

Central Coast Brewing | Kiwi a la Tart | 5% ***

> A Berliner Weisse brewed with kiwi, who'd a thunk? This was my surprise hit of the day and perhaps, the best beer I tasted. I so want to get my hands on this. Central Coast was also the only beer maker to have more than one beer make my list of favorites. The other...

Central Coast Brewing | Monterey St. | 5.5% & 45 IBU

> This pale ale won the gold medal at the 2015 GABF. It's brewed with 4 types of malt and brought to an extremely high temperature (154 degrees). I only know because I was able to pick the mind of one of its brewers, god I love beer fest. Monterey Street was my bronze medal winner of the day in the category of pale ale.

Devils Canyon Brewing Co. | Belle CA Sparkling Ale | 6% ***

> One of my three favorite ales of the day. It was so refreshing and bouncy. Brewed with a champagne yeast, this beer was so new to me that the intrigue alone made me get a second pour. I probably should have just posted up there and kept crushing. 

Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. | 101 Blonde | 4.8% & 16 IBU

> Last year was my first experience with Figueroa. The last time I was in SLO county I loaded up on their 22oz. bottles. This time around I was engaged by the complexity of this dynamic blonde. A couple of hop varietals and a few kinds of malt go a long way.

Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. | Strawberry Rhubarb Belgian Blonde | 5.5% & 20 IBU

> C'mon, strawberry rhubarb, what's not to like—one of the few that led me back for a second helping. I want to drive south just to sip this again while staring a Mavericks. (HM)

Uinta Brewing Co. | Ready Set Gose | 4%

> A refreshing and mildly tart Gose with a slight herbal note. Gose's are so in right now. On side note: The marching band was on fire inside the barn. They played a thunderous cover of, "Sweet Caroline," the crowd provided vocals. As they segued into a Bowie cover, we ambled back into the sun.

Woods Beer Co. | Crusoe IPA

> A Brett IPA that surprised me. I'm somewhat going out on a limb, but this was the tastiest IPA I had all day. Keep in mind, I was not seeking out the heavy-hitting IPA producers that I readily have access to. (HM)

Fifty Fifty Brewing | Citra Pale

> This may have been their California Pale, but the brewer's board had it labeled as a single hop, Citra Pale. Either way, this was my silver medalist pale ale.

Thanks Boonville, Anderson Valley and our crew (night time dance parties rule). That's a wrap.

eightychoices.

[***  denotes my 3 favorite & (HM) = honorable mention]

Boonville Beer Fest

Saturday | April 30th

Get your camping gear ready and bring an appetite for craft beer. Boonville Beer Festival is on Saturday, April 30th. Advanced ticketing is only available online, click here. Tickets will be offered at the gate at an increased price. Taps will be flowing from 1pm - 5pm, so get there early and set up camp. Live music will continue until 6pm. Expect plenty of shenanigans after the final bell has been rung. One of my favorite happenings is the annual kickball game that rolls into the wee hours. 

This annual right of passage is one you don't want to miss. If you like costumes, this year's theme is roaring twenties. With over 80 brewers and libation makers, there's something for everyone. 

Some of the beer others are stoked to taste come from mainstay heavy hitters. I'll gladly hit up Stone, Russian River and Firestone Walker to see what they're slinging. However, I'm not waiting around for something that I can normally get my hands on. Instead, I'm going to make a concerted effort to sip on tasty brews from Figueroa Mountain, Georgetown, or Big Sky. I'm also going to taste as many new-to-me brewers as possible. Some of those flying under my radar are: Altamont, Base Camp, Beach Chalet, Central Coast, Devils Canyon, Linden Street and Redwood Curtain. Whew, and that's just my personal list. The legendary Boonville Beer Festival turns 20 this year. Make it to Anderson Valley, you won't regret it. Drive safe and enjoy responsibly.

eightychoices.

PUBlication: Boonville Review

Boonville became a beer mecca on May 2nd as it does every year, by hosting perhaps the best beer fest in the west. This event is pretty much a can't miss (I did miss last year due to a wedding). Each time I've attended it's been a blast—even that time I was mangled the morning after. This year I was far more adult. Agent M and I set up camp while mentally and physically priming ourselves for mass ale consumption, we did well on this front. With a good crew of friends nearby and my younger cousin, who was a first-timer, it felt familiar yet exciting. There were seven breweries that I had to hit. I only missed one, Oakshire out of Oregon. So without rambling too long I'll get into my favorites and skip writing about those that didn't live up to my hype. 

My first of the day was an Easy Jack session IPA from Firestone Walker—I'd had it before and I'll have it again. It's one of the best session IPA's out there. It's dry hopped with a global array from North America, Europe and New Zealand. 4.5% | 45-50 IBU

Next up and a few tents away was Ballast Point, father of the Sculpin. I've had plenty of their magical suds and still had never had Grapefruit Sculpin*** on draught. The nose was even more citric and fresh. I can't believe how good this beer is. It has ascended into my all-time desert-island list. Already a darling in the bottle, on tap it's even more fragrant. With, if you can believe it, a smoother finish. Hopping an ale along five stages does produce something unique—the gold-medal standard for fruit infused IPA's. 7% | 70 IBU 

Drakes puts out a great line of beer. I've found most of their stuff to be on point. One particular session of theirs I'd never tasted was the Alpha Session IPA. It had a nuttiness up front, but it was the crazy good aftertaste that encouraged me to get another one immediately. Multiple hop varietals and 2-row barley create this delicate yet fierce limited seasonal session. 3.8% | 50 IBU

Rubicon is representing the capitol city quite nicely. Having been acquainted with the Hop Sauce, I knew they could kick out an awesome IPA. At Beer Fest I wanted to dive into something new from them. I went for the Monkey Knife Fight (great name). I'll be looking to pick up the Knife Fight whenever I can. Mount Hood hops are used initially and then dry hopping occurs later with Cascade hops. 5.4%

Faction also brought the heat. As far as pale ale's go, this was one of the two best, more on that note later. Simply named the Faction Pale Ale***, this beast epitomizes the west coast influence on being hop forward. The medley of hops dictate all the action up front. The finish is so smooth. That's all I kept saying, "smooth." Considerable amounts of Simcoe, CTZ and Mosaic hops produce the profile. 5.2% | 45 IBU 

The best "Kölsch" of the day, or any day for that matter, belongs to Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. They were new to me and won me over. They two dudes manning the tent were also super friendly and knowledgeable, one of them was a brewer. The FMB 101*** is Kölsch inspired, fermented like an ale and cold-conditioned like a lager. Straight delicious. 4.8% | 20 IBU

Berryessa Brewing Company creates some damn fine beer, they were also one of my two favorite breweries of the day (the other is below). Keep in mind I was frequenting brewers that were new to me or hard to get locally. The brew master at Berryessa is a Washingtonian who set up shop in the small town of Winters. As for double IPA's, Double Tap*** was the finest I tasted in Boonville. 8.5% | 70+ IBU

Berryessa's other libation was a Session Saison, which was phenomenal. There was a mellow sweetness mingling in the foggy body, with slight notes of banana and tangy citrus. 4%

Pizza Port was one of the two breweries I wanted to taste from the most. The other shall remain nameless. As mentioned earlier, I had two favorite pale's, The Ladies Man*** was the other. An assortment of citrus fruits came through first, then a mix of floral memories. Not too bitter and good on the back end. Being on the pale ale train was rewarding. 5.7%

Pizza Port was also offering a blonde. I'm pretty sure it was Revelation, sorry for the lack of certainty. It was Belgian styled and banana was prevalent, which I like. Thanks for pouring. 8.5%

eightychoices. 

*** denotes favorite beers | underlined denotes favorite breweries

May Day

This weekend is packed with things to do. Whether you want to get out and enjoy the beauty of northern California, or perhaps relax at home with a bevy of sporting events, there's something for everyone on May 2nd. Check out the list below.

Festival of Feathers - The third annual Festival of Feathers,  hosted by the Bird Rescue Center, as wells as their 21 resident raptors, takes place in Santa Rosa and runs from 11am-3pm.

Boonville Beer Fest - Let the debauchery commence. This annual first camping trip marks the 19th anniversary of the Legendary Boonville Beer Festival. I'll be attending this party, so a follow-up review is in order. Drink responsibly and Enjoy

Sneaker Con - Sneaker heads beware—you will spend money. Richmond's Craneway Pavilion hosts this touring collection of kicks. It Runs from 11am-6pm.

The Kentucky Derby - The most exciting two minutes in sports is always at Churchill Downs. With an anticipated start time of 3:24pm PT, get ready to watch the deepest field in years. I'll be drinking beers while listening to, "and down the stretch they come!"

Clippers v. Spurs (Game 7) - Post the big horse race you can continue to veg-out on sports with the best first round match-up the NBA has seen in quite sometime. It's too bad that one of these teams will be done, but damn it's been entertaining. The game kicks of at 5pm PT.

Mayweather v. Pacquiao  - MGM - Las Vegas - 8:30pm PT. This is the biggest fight in years. What more can you want? It looked as though Mayweather was sending straight beat-down laser beams at Manny. He was all business. The MGM Grand was pro Pacquiao to my surprise. After watching the weigh-in live, I think Floyd's 'bout to go medieval. Money v. Pac Man. Go Money! U.S.A. 

Mezzanine - For a late-night capper the Mezzanine is offering up some beats in the form of Griz and The Floozies. This Party's sure to run late. Have fun this weekend and be safe.

eightychoices.

Boonville Beer Fest

Boonville Beer Festival | May 2nd

Bring your capes and remember to eat some food, trust me on this one. The 19th annual Boonville Beer Festival falls on May 2nd. Thematic apparel is so in right now, if you're inclined to such chicanery, then dress up as a super hero. Duff Man—please, anyone! Anderson Valley is one of the most amazing hideouts in all of Northern California, might as well drink amazing libations while enjoying eden. 

With well over 60 brewers and fermenters there's something for everyone. Some of the tasty draughts I'm looking forward to tasting are from Societe, Ballast Point, Green Flash, Golden Road, E.J. Fair, Coronado, Barrel House, and the ciders of 2 Rivers. Yes I realize Russian River is there too.

I suggest purchasing your tickets in advance at select locations or online. Definite carpool and remember to bring cash. For tickets and information click here. See you at The Legendary Boonville Beer Festival.

eightychoices.

Boonville Beer Fest 2K14

It Truly is Legendary!

It's that time again, when you dust off the camping gear and fill up the cooler, for what has become an annual first camping trip each year. There's no better way to ring in spring than the Boonville Beer Festival. It's a must for any fan of oat soda or barley pop. This year's celebration of suds is on Saturday, May 3rd. The glorious taps will be flowing from 1-5 pm. This event is well worth the cost ($41+). Bring cash and don't forget your A game, trust me I know what the alternative looks like and it isn't pretty. I also recommend carpooling, you'll save a little dough and you'll help everyone in the camping area by limiting the number gas guzzlers. Have fun and drive safe. Be prepared to get after it.

eightychoices.