Beers I’m looking forward to the most at this year’s Everett Craft Beer Fest
Published 3:43 pm Wednesday, August 5, 2015
The fourth annual Everett Craft Beer Festival is next Saturday. Here’s a look at the 10 — plus an encore — beers I’m most looking forward to tasting (Here’s the full lineup for this year’s festival):
Water Your Lawn Cream Ale, At Large Brewing. I’m a sucker for watermelon, and this classic cream ale Randalled through watermelon from the Marysville brewery sounds like the perfect beer to kick off the day.
Cedar Dust, Boundary Bay Brewing. This IPA is brewed with five different varieties of big hops and is Randalled through Centennial hops and freshly cut cedar chips.
Kushetka Russian Imperial Stout, Counterbalance Brewing. If it’s got coffee in it, I’m probably going to be asking for it. This bold imperial stout is bursting with notes of roasted coffee and dark chocolate and clock in at close to 9 percent.
Tug Boat 50L, Diamond Knot Brewing. Brewed from the second running of DK’s barleywine, this very light, Pilsner-like ale sounds delicious.
Unite Red Ale, Elysian Brewing. This light and tart black raspberry Berliner Weisse was brewed by the ladies of Elysian for International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day.
Bourbon Barrel-aged Dark Star (Randall), Fremont Brewing Company. The line for the Dark Star was the longest I saw at last year’s festival and now the Seattle brewery is kicking it up a notch by Randalling it through coffee. The rotating tap goes on at 4 p.m., so be patient.
Belgian Wit (Randall), Hellbent Brewing Company. The Seattle brewery is pouring its Belgian Wit through Randall of Candied ginger and orange peel. Yum.
Suffering Bastard Saison, Hilliard’s Beer. I’m also a sucker for anything barrel-aged. This saison from the Seattle brewery is aged 16 months in bourbon barrels that previously aged gin.
Grapefruit Summer Kölsch (Randall), Postdoc Brewing Company. This grapefruit kolsch from the Redmond brewery is poured through a Randall infused with fresh grapefruit zest and toasted coconut.
Bierre de Garde, Scuttlebutt Brewing. I missed this French Farmhouse Ale aged in oak barrels at last weekend’s Rock the Boat event.
Truck Nuts Porter (Randall), Whitewall Brewing. The Marysville brewery is pouring its porter through a Randall filled with coffee, cocoa nibs and cherries. No brainer.
— Aaron Swaney, Herald writer
