Scenes from Saturday's Fourth Annual BeerFeast.
Blazing 90-degree temperatures did little to deter some 500-beer lovers from attending the 4th Annual BeerFeast held over at the Flying Saucer on Lake Ray Hubbard on Saturday.
And with over 50 craft beers from different parts of the country to sample from, c'mon, like I even need to explain why.
Sure, that sun did make it difficult to fully enjoy the day’s festivities. But the ice-cold beer and rare breezes still did their best to offer some form of sanctuary.
(It's worth noting, too, that the festival did provide two giant fans to keep the air moving. Unfortunately, however, this only encouraged Napoleon-like behavior from a couple of groups of people. Seriously: These people set up shop right in front of said fans while sending their scouts out to grab a few beer samples then taking turns leaning up against the massive air conductors to dry out their pits and stink up the whole place in the process. Thanks, jerks!)
And the beers, of course, were plentiful and delicious, including the standout Cucumber Cream Ale from Twisted Pine Brewing, which was the perfectly refreshing beverage to help cut the heat.
Unfortunately, though, the heat really did put a damper on some of the offerings. While Martin House Brewing Company's There Will Be Stout , Rahr and Son's Winter Warmer and SKA Brewing’s Autumnal Mole Vintage Stout impressed in their own ways, they also each seemed a bit too heavy to drink on a hot summer's day. All of the cask ales, meanwhile, suffered similar fates: Saint Arnold's Divine Reserve and Karbach Brewing Company's Bourbon Barrel Hellfighter all succumbed to the day's heat, rendering them difficult to drink. Also, per usual at this kind of thing, a handful of the participating breweries had their rare brews run dry a mere two hours into the event.
It would have been nice, too, if there was more “feast” to be had at this so-called “BeerFeast,” as only two food trucks held court on site. Fortunately, this even did go down alongside a restaurant, and, while Yellow Belly Food Truck and Doughboys Pizza Truck did their best to help crowds soak up the booze, those looking for alternative dishes headed inside the Flying Saucer for wings and pretzels and a chance to indulge in some much needed A/C time.
Apologies if it sounds like we're being critical here. It's just that, listen, we here at Central Track are big fans of beer-tasting festivals. Seriously,we love them. And while we have enjoyed every single one of them respectively, we should make sure to at least note this much: Of all the fests we've been to, of all the fest we've covered, BeerFeast — by far and away — had the best swag. For one thing, the sample cup was an actual glass — only fitting since it was held outside and on a grassy knoll where it would be much harder to break. And the T-shirts and sunglasses? They were totally legit.
It's just that it was so damn hot out there that it's tough not to complain somewhat. Fortunately, if you missed out on Saturday’s drunken festivities, fear not: Flying Saucer will take their BeerFeast on the road in the next couple of months, hitting up Nashville and Austin before heading to Fort Worth in October.
By then, surely, the weather will be a bit more forgiving.