Random Notes

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I was able to recover from my illness enough to go to Bele Chere over the weekend though. Thank (insert deity of your choice here) for the local beer tent. It was nice being able to walk around Bele Chere with a Shiva IPA instead of a Red Hook, or worse, a Budweiser. I was also lucky enough to get a Duvel to go from Picholine on Haywood to enjoy while listening to the Laura Blackley Band. The emphasis on local musicians this year was a nice change from years past. Bele Chere is still a love it or hate it event, but drinking good beer and listening to good music will always get a thumbs up from me.

Speaking of drinking good beer, tickets are on sale right now for the Brewgrass Festival, and they always sell out. With the work being done at Pack Place, this years festival is being held at the ballfield at Martin Luther King Park on September 22nd. I was out there for Shindig on the Green earlier this year, and it should make for pretty good venue, although there won't be a lot of shade to go around. I think it will be better than the tight fit last year on Market Street in the Block. I really enjoyed it two years ago when it was held at McCormick Field, but the powers that be decided we were a bit too hard on the outfield grass. Regardless of where it is, the Brewgrass Festival is always a good time, and I suggest ordering tickets as soon as possible.

If you are feeling adventurous, another great beer event is the World Beer Festival in Durham on October 6th. This will be the 12th one held in Durham, and it is arguably one of the best beer festivals in the Southeast. I am embarrassed to say that I have yet to attend, but I did go to its sister festival this spring held in Raleigh, and they had a great lineup of beers, quite a few of which are not available in our area. Tickets went on sale today, and they also sell out well before the day of the festival.

Another mini beer event of note will be occurring at Barleys on the 23rd of this month (August, for those of you who aren't near a calendar). If you recall an earlier post of mine, I was lamenting the lack of beer related events here at the local beer bars, and I specifically mentioned cask ale. Well, Foothills Brewing out of Winston-Salem will be rolling into town with the release of their Oktoberfest lager. Not only will they be featuring this beer on regular draft, but they will also be bringing a cask version. I have never had the pleasure of drinking a cask lager, so I am definitely looking forward to trying it out.

I'm going to be in Tampa next week for work. Not necessarily a beer mecca, but at least I get to see my folks. I had originally been scheduled to go to San Francisco, where I would have regaled you with stories of highly hopped west coast beers, but alas, those plans fell through. But looking at the next couple of months, there should be plenty of good beer to be had here in North Carolina.