A Tardy Review of Bevmo’s Holiday Beer Festival

Bevmo Holiday Beer Festival

Back on November 20th, I attended the Bevmo Holiday Beer Festival. Overall, I was disappointed. The festival lacked a human pulse, and more closely resembled a large barn of cows, bumping into each other to get feed. At first glance, having over a hundred breweries represented is a dream come true, but a closer look illuminates the fact that it becomes impossible to appreciate any single beer when bombarded with that many options. After the event, I found myself saying things like, “I’m not sure there was a single special beer being poured at the event”, and “some breweries didn’t even have a a seasonal ale”, and finally “man, there were several listed in attendance that were no where to be found” as people asked how I enjoyed the festival. I often find myself having to check my thirst for new beer at the door, in order to throttle back and enjoy the numerous amazing beers that I have at my beck and call on a daily basis. That being said, I was introduced to a brewery that I’ve wanted to try for awhile now: Grand Teton

Over the last two year’s brewing has trained my palette to become more sensitive to how well a beer is brewed. I’ve discovered a direct conversion between a well brewed beer, and an excellent tasting beer. When tasting a new beer for the first time, I seek out this overal flavor that I’ve come to call “well brewed”, which will take any classic style and make it amazing. You don’t have to brew the latest and craziest beer, if your technique is solid. Grand Teton Brewing Co has a very solid technique. They cover a wide range of styles, and every one of them (I had to taste all seven they poured at the vent) was amazingly brewed, and every one tasted like gold.

The other runner ups were my go to standards, and continue to make me appreciate how amazing the area I live in is for beer: 21st Amendment, Black Diamond, Drake’s Brewing, Firestone Walker, Ninkasi, Speakeasy.

The surprise brewery award goes to: Telegraph