West Coast Brew Festival May 17, 2008

There are brew festivals, and then there is The West Coast Brew Festival; the largest of any brew festival in or around Sacramento.

The local "West Coast" brew fest is characterized by Sacramento’s trademark tree-lined river banks upon which the event has been held for 9 years.

Nearly 3,000 attendees packed Miller Park on the Sacramento River just a mile south of downtown to sample hundreds of brews served up by 50 local, regional and international breweries.

The event's commercial craft competition, held several weeks prior to the festival, judged more than 200 brews in a triple-blind “taste-off” for bragging rights in 18 categories.

Sacramento brewmeisters showed strong with 4 locals placing first and Beerman’s (Loomis) rounding out the local pack with a gold for its Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine in the Strong Ale category.

River City Brewery – Light Lager (Maibock)
Sacramento Brewery – Dark Lager (Luna de Miel)
Hoppy Brewing Co. – IPA (Hoppy Face)
Sacramento Brewing Co. – Wheat (Hefeweizen)

Anxious pre-paid ticket holders began arriving at noon an hour before the gates opened to snap up front-line spots. At one o’clock when the gates opened, the line was easily 400 deep.

Temperatures broke a 20 year record at just over 100 degrees, but not the spirit of 99.9% of those attending. One poor bloke asked for a refund and when asked why, he complained, “It’s too hot.” Rebuffed with, “you must not be from Sacramento,” he responded, “I am, but dude, it’s May!” Next year a big sign at the gates should read, “If you can’t handle the heat, get out of Sacramento.”

Good vibrations were had by most attendees as another year saw no drama, save the poor bloke who apparently couldn’t wait to start drinking and was arrested as he drove into the parking lot area for DUI. What a sap. Smart people rode bicycles, of which this group seems to grow every year.

THE GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
1. Light Lagers River City, Maibock
2. Dark Lagers Sacramento Brewing, Luna de Miel
3. Amber Ale Klamath Basin BC, Crater Lake
4. Light Ales Beermanns, American Hefe
5. American Pale Bear Republic, XP Pale
6. English Pale Shipyard, Chamberlain
7. IPA Hoppy Brewing, Hoppy Face
8. Brown Ale Sequoia, American Brown
9. Porter Sequoia, Black Oak
10. Stout Klamath Basin BC, Cabin Fever
11. Wheat Sacramento Brewing, Hefewiezen
12. Fruit Beer Rogue, Black Morimota
13. Strong Ale Beermanns, Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine
14. Mixed Alaskan, Summer
15. Belgian Ales New Belgium, Mother Ship Wit
16. Cider Woodchuck, Raspberry
17. Other Bear Republic, Hop Rod Rye
18. Imports Radeberger (German), Pilsner