LoCo Brewfest 2015

If anyone had ever told me I'd attend a beer festival much less look forward to it and enjoy it, I'd say they had lost their mind.

Well, I haven't only been to one beer festival but I've been to two this year!
The best of all though was the LoCo Brewfest!

The LoCo Brewfest took place outdoors on the grounds of Lost Rhino

Brewing Company in Ashburn, Virginia, and was the first all Loudoun County beer festival!!  We had VIP tickets because obviously if you're going to do it, do it right! It paid off to have VIP because we got in the gates an hour early and considering we're not very fond of people, it worked to our advantage. I'm typically not a "festival" type person because I'm not big on crowds. I'm really not fond of crowds where alcohol is being consumed My tolerance level is very low. At least I know my limitations......

This festival was organized, the sun was shining, the air was brisk and the kids were well behaved. Was all of this possible?

In the center of the area, there were tents with tables in a square shape. Walk up to the brewery table of your choice, present a drink token and receive a pour of beer! Run out of tokens? No problem. You could buy more! There was a live band, kettle corn, and a few food trucks. Lucky for me, Monk's BBQ was there and I had always wanted to try it!

Loudoun County is basically wine country but it is quickly becoming beer country as well. I'm not complaining one bit. There were about 15 breweries or brewpubs represented at LoCo Brewfest and while they didn't all have beer that I liked, I was thrilled there were a ton to try and three in particular that I loved! I also found that while I may not have liked all of the beer represented, I would definitely make a trip out to a few of these breweries in the future to try the others they make.

Old 690 is a brewery I have had on my radar for the last year. I was pleased to see it was represented and it just happened to be the one brewery in which I liked both options available!

The Old 690 Beer, aka, Blonde Ale, is a light, refreshing, American/Golden Blonde Ale which is super easy to drink! The brewer calls it a "lawnmower beer" because it uses two-row pale malt as the base with a bit of crystal and wheat added to make it more flavorful. There's only one type of hop used throughout the process and I'm assuming that's part of why I enjoy it. I am not a fan of big hoppy beer!

The Wicked Old Lady Pumpkin Ale is obviously a seasonal beer and is delicious! While I don't care for pumpkin pie, I do love the flavors of the spices present in pumpkin pie. With over 20lbs of pumpkin in the mash for this beer, it's a delightful fall libation!

The highlight beer of the day for me; however, was the Harvest Amber Ale which is a LoCollaboration Beer! It was the feature beer of the brewfest because every LoCo brewery had a part in the making of this beer!! Being VIP, we had a token specifically to try this collaboration beer which was also part of the VIP appeal. I liked it so much that I ended up purchasing another token at the end of the day just so I could have another pour!

The LoCollaboration beer is a harvest amber ale with toasted malt and light caramel flavors. With a delicate hoppiness and very little bitterness, the balance was phenomenal!  This beer is made with Jasper yeast, hops from Dirt Farm Brewery and Fabbioli Cellars and Virginia malts from Copper Fox Distillery (I LOVE its rye whiskey) and Berry Wood. I believe there are a few Loudoun breweries which still have it on tap - Old Ox being one of them. If you're lucky enough to find it, definitely try it!

 I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer. 

― Abraham Lincoln

This blog post is sponsored by proud participants of the 2015 LoCo Brewfest who look forward to next year's festival!

Yay Beer!