Thursday, 9 July 2015

Summer Craft Beer Fest at Liberty Market


Last July, Teena and I attended the second Summer Craft Beer Festival in Liberty Village. It was a great time and I have no idea why we missed the first.

Last year was well attended and this year it seemed that numbers were down. There was a Mac'n'cheese festival last month with free attendance that was expecting 5,000 people and had over 25,000. I saw lots of comments on the web wondering if that would be the same situation here.


No!

The big difference is that this event had a cover charge and the Mac'n'cheese event did not. Those who decided not to come for that reason lost out .


My first beer of the night came from Big Rig Brewery and was a Peel Out Session IPA with Orange Peel. Different and very nice.


Next up was a Waterloo IPA from Waterloo Brewing.


Beside Waterloo were the ladies from Indie88 radio. They circulated through the festival giving out free hugs, high fives and sunglasses


Our friend, Darlene, couldn't decide what to get from Junction Brewing.


We both decided on the Engineer's IPA. This guy liked our choice.


There was live music at both ends of the festival and it was good. If I have a complaint at all about the festival it was that they let a busker set up and pretend to be a wind-up doll, wit, of course, money jars set in front of her. I couldn't be bothered even taking a picture of here and found her to be just in the way.


More beer. La Formidable from Beau's All Natural Brewing. Funny, I could not pronounce that word at all.


Here is Teena trying to decide which cider to get from Brickworks Ciderhouse. They make their cider out of apples, where there are lots of ciders out in the marketplace that are just "apple flavoured".


My favorite of the night, Sinister Minister IPA from Brimstone Brewing.


My favorite from Great Lakes Brewery is the Pompass Ass English Pale Ale.


Teena, me, Christine and Darlene.


A delicious 8 Man English Pale Ale from MacKinnon Brothers.


Sierra Nevada had booth sampling their Pale Ale which I enjoy every time I go to the stats. Now it's coming into Ontario.


A delicious Andrews Second Wish IPA from Stone Hammer Brewing.


I love Goose Islands IPA.


We arrived about 5:30 and beat most of the crowd. The place was full an hour later but never felt crowded


It was a fun festival and one of the ones we look most forward to each year. We'll be back again next year!

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