Last weekend

As I mentioned previously there was a local beer fest this past Saturday in Downtown Rock Island.  This was the second annual event and it seemed to have grown a bit since the previous year.  It was a fun day and I believe that everyone that attended had a good time.

My wife and I arrived around 12:30 to help set up the MUGZ booth.  It did not take very long to setup the bar and have the 4 beers pouring properly.  While the gentlemen that brewed the beers served them, my wife and I were sent off to pour some beer for Lefthand Brewing Company.  We were very pleased with the chance to pour these beers.  They had 5 beers total that we poured on Saturday: Polestar Pilsner, 400 Pound Monkey (an English IPA), Black Jack Porter, Milk Stout and Wake Up Dead (an Russian Imperial Stout).

The way the event worked everyone was given 14 tickets to use to get the samples of beers that they wanted.  At our table the pilsner, IPA, porter and milk stout were all one ticket each, while the Imperial stout was 3 tickets.  If a person ran out of tickets they could purchase more. Tickets were 50 cents each.

It was very fun pouring the beer and interacting with the "customers".  There were a whole range of people, but the main thing was that they loved beer.  My wife and I both took turns going off and sampling the beers that were at the event.  All in all it was a very good day.

After the event we met up with my sister and brother-in-law and my brother and ate at RIBCO.  We sat at our daughter's table, she had a good amount of customers after the fest.

This a good fest that seems to be growing.  It is not a fest like Great Taste of the Midwest, but they are not trying to be that big.  So when this event rolls around next year I would suggest that you attend.

On Sunday our local hombrew club held our monthly meeting.  This months educational was concerning meads from around the world.  Included in this were some fine meads from Ethiopia, South Africa and Poland.  I would suggest if you can find a Polish mead buy it and see if you like it.

QC Beerguy