
The 16th Annual Quivey's Grove Beer Fest is fast approaching. I hope those of you who plan to attend have purchased your tickets by now. However, if you haven't, don't fret. Unlike those majorly hyped fests like The Great Taste of the Midwest, the Quivey's Grove Beer Fest is much smaller, more relaxed, and still available. You won't need to pre-order your tickets 3-4 months in advance in order to enjoy the brews served here. You also won't need to stand in line at 5 AM on a Sunday morning in order to buy a ticket before everything is sold out. In fact, you may purchase Quivey's Grove Beer Fest tickets right here.
Does that mean that the Quivey's Grove Beer Fest is less desirable than the Great Taste of the Midwest or the Great American Beer Festival? Not in the least. This year's festival will feature over 35 breweries, with over 75 beers for tasting. There will be food available from Quivey's outdoor smoke roaster, and music will be provided by Westside Andy and the Mel Ford Blues band. The idyllic, pastoral setting of the old farm house, stable, and fields at Quivey's Grove will be perfect for the enjoyment of some craft brews. Festivities commence at noon and run until 5 PM on Saturday, the 3rd of October, 2009.
While bigger beer fests make the news due to the sheer volume of attendees, smaller beer fests are better because they emphasize quality over quantity. At the smaller beer fests, you can actually meet with and chat with local brewers. You can sip your beer slowly, enjoying its subtle nuances before progressing to the next one. You have the realistic hope of actually trying out a good percentage of the brews offered on tap. And, you don't have to go through an obstacle course of beer tents and bodies before opening the door to a Port-A-Potty.
This year's beer fest will feature beers from breweries located in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, California, Oregon, and Minnesota. Thus, even though the Quivey's Grove Beer Fest is technically a "small" fest, it nevertheless will have breweries spanning from coast-to-coast. Local favorites, like Ale Asylum, Great Dane Brewing Company, and Capital Brewing Company, will also be represented. Specifically, the following breweries will be making their presences known:
On a personal note, Quivey's Grove Beer Fest works well for me because I can actually walk to it from my house. However, for other folks, there will be off-site parking and shuttles available too. So, are you ready for some footba- I mean, beer drinking?