was among the very best in the world. That’s one of the reasons this event has become one of the most acclaimed beer festivals anywhere, and why tickets to FWIBF typically sell out within a minute of going on sale. We didn’t encounter a bad beer all day, which is pretty extraordinary for any tasting event. Many of the beers are rare and available only on a limited basis. Our choice for the beer of the day was Callipygian, a huge Imperial Stout from Avery Brewing in Boulder, Colo. Despite its heavy 17.4 percent ABV, this barrel-aged brew with vanilla beans, cacao nibs and coffee was remarkably smooth and not particularly boozy. A number of other heavy beers also stood out, including Dark Lord (15% ABV) from 3
Floyds Brewing in Munster, Ind., My Dark Parade (13.5 %) from The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, Calif., Kentucky Breakfast Stout (12.4%) from Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids, Mich., and See The Stars (10.9%) from Creature Comforts Brewing Co. in Athens, Ga. On the somewhat lighter side, Stone Brewing’s (Escondido, Calif.) Go To IPA with vanilla beans and lemon (9.4%) and Mocha IPA (8.8%) were outstanding, and
my favorite sessionable beer of the day was Avery’s delightfully tropical witbier (Belgian style ale) Liliko’I Kepolo. Many of the breweries that participated at FWIBF will also be at the Stone 20th Anniversary Celebration and Invitational Beer Festival Aug. 19-20 in San Marcos. This “can’t miss” event has proven year in and year out to be one of the finest beer festivals in Southern California. Allday passes sold out early, but tickets remain for both individual sessions on Aug. 20. J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 6
Closer to home, Claremont Craft Ales will put its own spin on a beer festival when it celebrates its fourth anniversary on July 16. Serving only its own beer at two separate sessions, CCA will offer more than 40 different selections, including nearly a dozen barrel-aged varieties.
Sid Robinson authors a blog, “Sips, Suds and Spirits” (www.sipssudsspirits.com) that examines the beverage industry. His columns can also be found in the Foothills Reader and IEShineOn. He is managing partner of the strategic communications and public relations firm Robinson and Associates, LLC. (www. robinsonandassociates.us)
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