Beer Fests Bring Summer Suds
May 9th, 2012
For some, there’s nothing like the taste of a cool beer on a hot summer day. Others pine for their favorite fruits to be in season, so they can pop nature’s sweet treats into their mouths. Both, no doubt, would agree on the Portland Fruit Beer Festival (June 9-10) and the North American Organic Brewers Festival (June 29 – July 1), two celebrations of suds that tap local ingredients to delicious effect.
Kicking off more than a month of beer festivals in Portland, the Fruit Beer Festival proved popular in its first outing last year. This time around, 25 breweries are slated to pour their creations in the street-party setting outside Burnside Brewing Company. Rare kegs will be tapped and a fruit beer home brewing competition allows amateurs put their recipes to the test. An all-ages event, the Fruit Beer Festival will also feature live music and plenty of eats — food cart PBJs Grilled is even making a special sandwich just for the occasion.
The North American Organic Brewers Festival’s eighth annual event is a weekend-long, no-admission-fee gathering that pairs ales with eco-friendly ideals. Serving organic beers and ciders, NAOBF takes over North Portland’s tree-lined Overlook Park, a sunny spot with great views of the downtown cityscape. With compostable drinking glasses, a supervised bike corral, organic food and other sustainable vendors, the entire event leaves a minimal footprint. But with great beers, a children’s play area and live music, it’s sure to leave behind some great memories. — John Patrick Pullen
