05 Sep The Inaugural Columbus Craft Beerfest an Enjoyable Adventure
By David Kahl for Indiana On Tap
The day started out with a soaking rain, but the skies cleared just in time for the first ever Columbus Craft Beerfest.
Hosted on Aug. 27 in Mill Race Park in downtown Columbus and sponsored by Zwanzigz, the festival featured more than 50 breweries from Indiana and Kentucky sharing their creations with more than 1,100 people. It was a great day, and a great time!
The festival organizers did a wonderful job. Mill Race features a round water pond, and the brewery tents line the waterside, allowing for a natural and scenic stroll past each booth. The opposite side of the field featured food and vendors with a stage for live music. It was a nice layout that could have felt too roomy for some but that allowed plenty of space so the event never felt too crowded.
I started the day on the far side of the pond, beginning with the Columbus Homebrew Club. Their tent featured several samples including my favorite beer of the day, a barrel aged stout. For this roasty, chocolatey and plum awesome beer, five brewers brewed 10 gallons of the same recipe then combined them all into one club-owned bourbon barrel. It was smooth, creamy and potent without being harsh. It was absolutely delicious.
My trek continued down the tent line to another standout, the 1816 English Pale Ale from Goshen Brewing Company. This beer was brewed using all Indiana ingredients, featuring malts from Sugar Creek Malt Company and hops from Crazy Horse Hops in Knightstown. It was well-balanced, sweet and clean as well as a great tribute to the hardworking artisans of our great state.
My final beer of note, of the many great ones available, was the In Quad We Trust from Tow Yard Brewing. This beer was an in your face combination of burnt sugar, plum, raisin, and cherry. A great sipping beer that goes down way too smoothly, especially for an 11.6 percent ABV.
Throughout the adventure, I enjoyed my discussions with the brewers and staff who were pouring. I chatted with the folks from Hoosier Brewing Company about their new space, coming soon to Franklin. I also met Sabrina Hurst from New Corner, who shared news about their taproom opening next week in Muncie (I recommend trying the White River stout on nitro). Later, I talked with Jon from Powerhouse about one of my favorite beers of theirs (Jack the Bum, which wasn’t available, unfortunately), and I even got a hug from Josh Hill, head brewer at New Albanian.
It was quite an enjoyable event, with no obvious hang ups for a first-year festival. Kudos to Columbus City Council member Elaine Wagner and her team for organizing and executing a wonderful event. I’ll be back next year for sure!
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