06 Nov First Annual ‘Poktoberfest’ in Griffith Hosts Great Costumes, Great Beer
By Kristina Traxler
By Kristina Traxler for Indiana On Tap
There are many traditions that people have to get into the Halloween spirit. Some people always decorate their house with pumpkins and spider webs, some take their children trick-or-treating, and yet others (particular my favorite type of people) stand in the middle of Main St. in downtown Griffith and drink incredible beer while wearing absurd costumes. This year I discovered my new favorite Halloween tradition.
The first annual Poktoferbest took place last weekend on October 29th from 1-5PM in downtown Griffith. Pokro Brewing Company, a fairly recent staple for Griffith Craft Beer, organized this day that took place literally in the heart of downtown. The street was closed off between Main Street and Broad Street, providing a temporary home for over a dozen Indiana breweries.
Aside from bringing in some of the best breweries The Region has to offer, another smart thing Pokro did was with the pint glasses. Upon entering you received an orange plastic drinking cup for your samples (which of note was significantly larger than a traditional tasting glass). On the way out, an attendee at the entrance would swap each plastic cup for a full size pint glass with the same logo. I’m sure there are going to be plenty of Region beer drinkers that in the near future will have a collection of these glasses.
Throughout the entire afternoon I had several great beers but there were a few that truly stood out to me:
-Pokro’s Cask Wookiee w/ Love Raspberry Cocoa Nibs: I was so happy that there was some leftover after the VIP tasting. This was silky, chocolatey, fruity, and wonderful.
-Shoreline Brewing’s Relentless Winter Baltic Porter: This dark porter was incredibly smooth with a caramel finish.
-Zorn Brew Work’s Mango Haberno Ale – A fruity start and deep spicy finish the rested in the bottom of your throat. Truly a unique experience.
-Crown Brewing’s Ignis Fatuus (Pumpkin Ale) – Not too sweet, not too spiced. This was what I thought to be a great balance between those competing forces that often drive people away from pumpkin beer. This is one that is definitely palatable for a wide range of taste buds.
Being that it was an event on Halloween weekend, costumes were recommended per the event page and there was a cash prize (alongside plenty of bragging rights) for the best. I was hesitant when I saw they were having a costume contest because there are two very different things that can happen. I can either be the only person to show up in full costume and look like an idiot, or be the only one not wearing a costume and look like an idiot. I decided with my wonderful parents to do a group costume and hope for the best. When we arrived, I was happy to see the split to be about 50:50 for costumes vs. regular clothes. Some of my favorite costumes included: drunk Bender from Futurama, a Beer Maiden, and Sadness from Inside Out. The competition was steep for the contest and was chosen by vote from each brewery there. The dungeon master (dude in the black leather & chains) took first place. His costume was 100% authentic. I’ll just leave it at that…
This is exactly what I hoped to be a great event for a fun holiday tradition that I believe will continue to grow each year. I’m fortunate in that I was able to go, drink phenomenal beer, and witness firsthand the creativity of some individuals in the craft beer world. The plan is to step up my costume game for next year. If you have any great ideas, please send them my way 🙂
Cheers,
Traxler
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