By RYAN NEWHOUSE
The 13th Annual Maverick Brewfest is kicking off at 4:00 p.m. on Friday September 9 at Caras Park. The event raises money for the Missoula Athletic Council, which has supported youth athletics for over 40 years in the Missoula community.
No doubt this brewfest will be as well-attended and embraced as previous Missoula brewfests, and I welcome the plethora of “beer-raisers” (yes, I just coined a new term). For me, drinking a variety of craft beers is a social event, and if I can contribute my dollars to talented brewers and good charities at the same time, all the better. Plus I prefer beer over cookies (unless you’re offering me a cookie, then I’ll accept).
I must admit that the event may miss some of Montana’s craft beer connoisseurs because they will be heading over the Bozeman for the Montana Brewers Festival on the same day, where all of Montana’s breweries will be represented under one pavilion. Tickets for the Montana Brewers Festival are $35 at the door, but you get unlimited pours and a six-ounce tasting glass.
Tickets for the Maverick Brewfest are only $10, and that includes a commemorative mug and three tasting tokens. Additional tastes run a respectful $1 each, and organizers have taken great care to select over 40 beers from the five-state Northwestern region. Tickets can be purchased at the event or ahead of time here. And as with all good Caras Park events, food and live music will also be present.
Some of the beers slated to be poured at the event are the following (taken from MissoulaMavs.com):
- Shocktop
- Red Hook ESB
- Red Hook Late Harvest
- Widmer Oktoberfest
- Widmer Drifter Pale Ale
- New Belgium MotherShip Wit
- New Belgium Hoptoberfest
- Harvest Moon Beltin White
- Harvest Moon Pigs Ass Porter
- Kona Longboard Lager
- Kona Pipeline Porter
- Stone Arrogant Bastard
- Stone IPA
- Great Northern Huckleberry
- Great Northern going to the Sun IPA
- Highlander
- Blacksmith Brewing
- Flathead Lake Brewing
- Tamarack Brewing
- Bayern Brewing Oktoberfest (wooden barrel)
- Bayern Brewing Dump Truck Summer Bock
- Bitterroot Brewing Huckleberry Hefeweizen
- Bitterroot Brewing Octoberfest
- Glacier Brewing Flathead Cherry Ale
- Glacier Brewing Slurry Bomber Stout
- Blackfoot River Brewing Single Malt IPA
- Blackfoot River Brewing Black River Gold OPA
- Kettle House Brewing Cold Smoke Scotch Ale
- Kettle House Brewing Eddy Out Pale Ale
- Deschutes Brewing Inversion IPA
- Deschutes Brewing Black Butte Porter
- Flathead Lake Brewing Last Train Home Amber ALE
- Flathead Lake Brewing White Cap Pale ALE
- Madison River Brewing Salmon Fly Honey Rye
- Rogue Brewing Dead Guy ALE
- Blue Moon Belgium White
- Sam Adams Octoberfest
- Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale
Like this Drink It blog? Chances are you’ll like these blogs by Missoula’s Drink It expert, Ryan Newhouse: Have Beer Will Travel, Flathead Lake Brewing Company – Beer Pairing, Tamarack Brewing Company, Montana Whiskey and Vodka. And check out our Missoula Restaurants and Dining and Missoula Nightlife sections.
Click here to see Ryan’s “Drink It” archive.
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Ryan Newhouse has lived in Missoula since 2002 and has tipped his glass in most of the town’s establishments. He is a full-time writer, husband and parent (in no particular order) and a part-time zymurgist. He makes a mean hard cider and pairs his cocktails with dishes from his blog, Cooked Animals: Recipes for Wild Game.