Whether you’re a picky beer drinker or willing to try it all, the 16th annual Microfestivus definitely had you covered this year. Over 130 beers were available to try, from brewers all over the area. Read more below to see our summer intern Dane’s take on his first Microfestivus!
Thanks to everyone for such a fabulous event – be sure to check out our gallery of photos to see the different vendors, as well as see if you’re in a photo or two!
Microfestivus 2013 – Dane Ferguson
Coming from a first-timer, I was impressed!
It was the warm, sunny weather that set the stage for an afternoon full of exploring a diverse selection of hops from a variety of different breweries…and for those who can appreciate a rare, craft brew (like myself) it was the ideal beer-drinking setting.
As the trees hovered over Elmood Park in Downtown Roanoke, it provided the perfect amount of shade and sunlight to compliment the venue. And with a large number of participants, who were most likely fairly thirsty, the 50 breweries, winery and food vendors made for an “unforgettable” social outing.
Talking and tasting…one of the best combinations you can ask for on a day off from work.
But, it’s no fun if what you taste isn’t good. That’s why I stayed away from dark brew (unlike my brother who went with me) and explored the assortment of pale ale and IPA’s.
Kirklands Kolsch, Imperial Ale and Breckinridge 471 were the three that appealed most to me…keeping in mind that I wasn’t able to sample from every tent or else I would have had an even a tougher time remembering and ranking the brews.
Regardless, I knew I was in for a fun afternoon when my brother and I walked up to the VIP entrance and the first thing one of the workers said to me was “beer is good”.
On what was a rather vague statement, I took it for what it was worth, assuming he had already enjoyed a few tastings. What made this intriguing for me was that after an hour or so had passed, I found myself right next to that same worker at a tasting tent and we both tried the same brew (Heavy Seas- Holy Sheet). Personally, I wasn’t crazy about it but the worker seemed to be just fine as he finished his cup before I could even ask him what he thought.
Yet as the afternoon dwindled down and the crowd slowly started to deteriorate (making for prime tasting time, if you were still drinking) I could only think one thing to myself and it was that I would SURLY be back again in 2014!
Maybe it was the VIP pass or maybe it was the social camaraderie. Either way, I’m still pretty sure that I found an event in Roanoke that I can see myself attending annually.
So mark your calendars now…MICROFESTIVUS 2014!
