It’s Father’s Day weekend and that can mean only one thing: Beer.
The 11th annual Washington Brewer’s Festival, held annually on the same weekend as dad’s special day, is Friday through Sunday at King County’s Marymoor Park. It’s a chance to see what the best breweries in the state have been up to and sample the best ales, lagers, stouts, sours, etc. they have to offer.
This year there will be more breweries than ever before — 110! — representing beer from the Evergreen State and more than 500 beers poured over the three days. Snohomish County will be well represented from Edmonds (American Brewing) to Marysville (Whitewall) and many points in between.
The beer list, which can be found at washingtonbeer.com, goes on and on with endless amounts of fascinating beers. I asked one of my drinking buddies, Scott Wetzel of Fresh Bread Design, a branding and design company that works with local breweries, to pick out the top five beers he was looking forward to trying at this year’s festival. Here are our lists.
My picks
Nordic Saison with Elderflower and Sea Buckthorn, Elliott Bay Brewing
I’m a sucker for anything Nordic, so this seems like a no-brainer. Nordic saisons started to become the “it” beer last summer when Danish brewer Anders Kissmeyer helped a number of North American breweries develop Nordic saison recipes. The base is a saison with a number of Nordic ingredients added, including sea buckthorn, a medicinal herb. Consider my Norwegian half very intrigued.
Peacher in the Rye, Postdoc Brewing
No brewery is bringing as many beers to this year’s festival as this Redmond brewery. A number of the beers sounded good, but none as good as this whiskey barrel-aged peachy version of the brewery’s Kilty By Association Wee Heavy, or Scotch ale. I’m excited to taste the co-mingling of the peach with the vanilla notes from the whiskey barrels. At more than 8 percent ABV it sounds like a knock out.
Cranberry Fruit Puncheon, Wander Brewing
Bellingham has so many great breweries to enjoy, but Wander just might be my favorite. Every beer I’ve had from them has been top notch, especially their wild farmhouse ales and fruity rustic ales. So obviously I was attracted to this beer. You don’t see cranberry in beers often, but the fruit’s tart flavor would seem to make it a no-brainer. Wander took its rustic ale and cranberries and socked them away for three months in puncheons, or barrels. Sounds divine.
L.O.B. Export Style Stout, Whitewall Brewing
The Marysville duo of Sean Wallner and Aaron Wight, owners and head brewers at Whitewall, seem to shine at festivals. They took home a silver medal from last year’s Washington Brewer’s Festival, and their Truck Nuts Randall was the hit of last summer’s Everett Craft Beer Fest. I enjoy dry stouts and Whitewall’s new L.O.B. sounds right up my alley. Bolstered by eight different grains and English hops, the Export-style stout sounds like it might be able to hold a spoon aloft if you dunked it in the middle of it.
Kentucky Common, Reuben’s Brews
I love California Commons, or more accurately steam beers, for their full flavor and crisp finish, so this beer grabbed my interest. Kentucky Commons are a bit different, however. Brewed with barley, corn and rye, Kentucky Commons take on more of a dark, slightly sour profile. Either way, in the hands of Adam Robbings and the folks at Reuben’s, I’m sure it’ll be a beer worth drinking and talking about afterwards.
Scott’s picks
Hopfen Pils, Bale Breaker Brewing
Pilsners have been my new favorite go-to with breweries. There isn’t any room for hiding mistakes so it really shows the quality of the brewer. Bale Breaker always has a very distinct hop characteristic so I’m curious to see how they marry their propensity for big, bold hop flavors and aromatics with the clean and crisp quality of the pilsner.
Summer Melon Medley, Fremont Brewing Company
Fremont proves over and over again that they just know how to make great beer. Everything they do is drinkable without losing interest. Now, I’m not one to run toward the summer ales but tangerine ale infused with watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe sounds like the most refreshing beer ever created.
Dryfly Gin Barrel-aged Headbutt IPA, Iron Goat Brewing
Iron Goat Brewing is one of my favorite Washington breweries. Every beer I’ve tried from Iron Goat has been incredible. Not only that, but I’m a big fan of gin. I love the thought of how juniper, vanilla from the oak and hops will blend … especially aromatically. Iron Goat really shines on their experimental beers so I can’t wait to drop a token (or two) at their booth.
Saison du Kulshan, Kulshan Brewing
Honestly, I’ve only had IPAs from Kulshan but every IPA I’ve had there I’ve loved. One of the reasons I’m excited to try this saison is because it seems to be no-frills. According to the description, it’s a light, crisp, herbal and spicy farmhouse ale. As much as I love the inclusion of fruits, spices or brettanomyces in my saisons, there is something to be said for a solid beer made to style. If their ability to make a quality IPA is any indicator (and it probably is) this should be fantastic.
Night Night Juice Imperial Red Rye IPA, Ravenna Brewing Company
Word on the street is Ravenna Brewing Company is the next big thing. I’ve yet to try their beer so I figure, go big or go home. This 9-percenter supposedly has a huge aromatics and these days, aromatics are the deal breaker for me. I also love rye malt in an IPA. The sweet and spicy nature of the malt melds really well with certain hops. In the end, I’m expecting this beer to slap me hard in the face … in all the best ways. Plus, the name. Seriously.
If you go
Better known as the Father’s Day festival, the 11th annual Washington Brewers Festival is an all-ages event that showcases more than 500 beers from 110 Washington breweries on June 17 through 19 at Marymoor Park in Redmond. Local breweries taking part include American Brewing, At Large Brewing, Crucible Brewing, Diamond Knot Brewing, Justice Brewing, Whitewall Brewing and more. For more information, go to washingtonbeer.com/festivals/washington-brewers-festival.
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