Milwaukee on tap

This weekend, Milwaukee upholds its reputation as both The Brew City and The City of Festivals with a festival of brews. Not that we don’t drink enough beer or have enough festivals to validate both titles already, but who would complain about adding a beer festival to the summer mix?

Nobody should, and very few will, so this weekend will herald the first Milwaukee Brew Fest this Saturday, July 31, at the Coast Guard Pavilion in McKinley Park. (Given our very wet summer so far, it should mentioned that the event is tented, and will happen rain or shine).

Brew Fest kicks off at 3 p.m. and wraps at a seemly 7 in the evening. But that leaves plenty of time for unlimited samples of over 170 different beers, if you’re focused.

Tasters can expect summer beers from almost 60 craft breweries from around the world, including over a dozen popular Milwaukee and Wisconsin brewers. This being a hot weather event, organizers tried to stay away from too many heavy or high-alcohol brews, so expect a high percentage of IPAs, ambers, and weiss beers.

Brew Fest also has great resources for home brewers. Beer Buffalo Lodge, a website promoting beer and home brewing, will be present. And though the Beer Barons of Milwaukee, a local group of beer enthusiasts and home brewers, will not officially be in attendance, some of their home brewing members will have representatives pouring samples of their own beers. Not feeling “beer smart” enough? Russ Klisch will be featuring a “beer school” at Lakefront Brewery’s tent.

Other “non-drinking” activities include exhibits from the Museum of Beer & Brewing, local music performances (one by a polka band), bingo (bring yourNana), and exhibits from local artists and craftsmen. And though it should go without saying, rest assured there will be plenty of food from area restaurants and vendors.

Personally, I can’t think of a better way to spend my Saturday evening than sampling beer, snacking on some local food and finding some cute little old ladies to play drunken bingo with.

Maybe I’ll even get one to polka with me.

Ticket Information: General admission tickets are $40; VIP tickets are available for $55 and allow early entry at 2 p.m. to sample limited edition and rare brews. All attendees will receive a Milwaukee Brew Fest pint glass marked with a line at 3 oz. line, which brewers will pour to. Don’t feel like drinking? No problem! Designated drivers can gain entrance for just $10, which includes tickets for soda/water, plus a meal voucher, good for a brat and chips.

For more information, check out the Milwaukee Brew Fest website.