If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling to the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado, consider this your practice run. Gainesville is hosting its own mecca of beer, the Hogtown Craft Beer Festival, on Saturday at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. Sponsored by the local homebrew club, the Hogtown Brewers, the event will feature more than 30 breweries and brewpubs representing some of the best in beer from the Sunshine State and beyond.
Don’t know a Double IPA from a Dopplebock? Have no fear; this event is for beer drinkers of all knowledge levels. It’s a chance to experiment with new flavors, savor interpretations of your favorites and learn about beer from the experts.
Taps will pour out beers hailing from Atlanta to Long Island to San Diego, with plenty of representation from the Southeast. Award-winning Florida breweries like Pensacola Bay Brewery, Saint Somewhere Brewing Company and Orlando Brewing will be stopping by. You can also expect to see regional breweries like Anchor Brewing, Bell’s Brewery, Highland Brewing Company and a well-rounded pack of other names that would make any beer geek smile.
Want to learn more about the growing Florida beer industry? Interested beer drinkers can sit in on a Florida Brewers Discussion at 4 p.m. with commentary from the likes of Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing and Gainesville’s own Swamp Head Brewery. There will also be homebrewing demonstrations and educational beer seminars throughout the afternoon.
Like I said in the beer festival tips post, food is crucial for making it through a four-hour tasting session. Don’t skip out on lunch before stopping by — unless you are ready to take your beer-tasting experience up a notch by spending an extra $15 on the food pairings package. From Dragonfly’s roasted chicken lettuce wraps to smoked pork belly from Blue Gill Quality Foods, discover how a well-chosen glass of beer can help bring a whole new round of flavors in your favorite foods. Participants can sample the nine pairings and then cast their vote for the best flavor combinations.
For those not participating in the food and beer pairings, snacks will be available courtesy the Hogtown Brewers for a small cash amount.
Speaking of cash, if you’re waiting until the day of the event to buy a ticket, make sure to bring some — entry at the door is cash only. Tickets are available in advance online for $35 general admission, $75 for VIP. General admission begins at 2 p.m., and the last pour of beer samples is at 5:50 p.m.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Alachua Conservation Trust and St. Johns Riverkeeper. To learn more and to find ticket information, visit hogtownbeerfest.com.
Will you be checking out the festival this weekend? Let me know in the comment section below or tweet me @Beer_4Breakfast.
Posts in Beer for Breakfast appear on Fridays.
Don’t know a Double IPA from a Dopplebock? Have no fear; this event is for beer drinkers of all knowledge levels.
