2014 Great Nebraska Beer Fest

, 2014 Great Nebraska Beer FestWhat do you get when you cross a beautiful new baseball park, a sunny late summer’s day, 70+ breweries, and a cute baby goat named Fuggles? The answer is simple: the 6th annual Great Nebraska Beer Fest, which took place on August 23 at Werner Park, home of the 2013 Triple-A National Champion Omaha Storm Chasers. And yes, there was a goat named Fuggles – she was this year’s beer fest mascot, and she was a great sport, walking around and meeting the loyal craft beer supporters, and even taking selfies with her adoring fans. But enough about Fuggles (though she was adorable, and I could write a whole separate article about her alone) – but you’re here, I assume, for the beer.

The Great Nebraska Beer Fest is always a great opportunity not only for craft beer fans to try new beer, but also for breweries across the country that are considering expanding distribution to the state. Multiple breweries have used the festival as a point of research to gauge how their product may do in the state of Nebraska. Some of those new breweries who enjoyed their first time at the fest were Surly Brewing, Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, DESTIHL Brewery, New Holland Brewing (who announced their Nebraska distribution one week prior), and Arizona Wilderness Brewing.

Along with many new nationally renowned craft breweries making their first appearances at the festival this year, there were also several new and upcoming Nebraska breweries in their first year of attendance, including Scratchtown Brewing, Farnam House, Kinkaider Brewing, and Scriptown Brewing. The wide variety of local and national breweries present at the Great Nebraska Beer Fest is a testament to the growth of the craft beer industry in the state.

, 2014 Great Nebraska Beer FestThree educational seminars were also offered. The first was a delicious foray into food and beer pairings by none other than Fred “The Beervangelist” Bueltmann of New Holland Brewing. The second seminar was about making the jump from homebrewer to professional brewer, and featured four panelists from Nebraska breweries who did just that, including Phil Doerr from Farnam House, Paul Kavulak from Nebraska Brewing, Jason Payne from Lucky Bucket, and Caleb Pollard from Scratchtown. The third seminar was about hops and what brewers and growers look for in their hops. I attended the first seminar, mostly because who can resist the temptation of Dragon’s Milk paired with delicious truffle chocolates straight from Michigan? It was quite the experience to hear The Beervangelist speak about pairing – he made it sound so simple and provided the audience with a fun learning session. He walked us through all the flavors we were experiencing, answered questions, wore an awesome hat, and taught me my new favorite word, “herbaceous” (to describe both cheese and beer).

, 2014 Great Nebraska Beer FestWith so many new beers to experience, it was difficult to pick a brewery or a beer winner of the festival. One particular standout for me is one I’m thankful I’ll most likely get to enjoy again: the Attack of the 50-Foot Brunette. This gorgeous beer is a collaboration between Nebraska Brewing Company and New Holland Brewing Company. The Imperial Brown Ale by Nebraska Brewing was aged in New Holland Zeppelin Bend barrels. I also enjoyed browsing the unique and intriguing selection of featured beers brewed by homebrew clubs in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas, my favorite being a pomegranate sour by the Iowa Brewers Union that I unashamedly went back to for seconds and thirds. The selection was fantastic, from lightly soured goses – perfect on a hot day – to coffee-infused porters and barrel-aged boozy beers.

Overall, I had a blast at the 6th Annual Great Nebraska Beer Fest. Each year, the festival keeps getting bigger and better, and I cannot wait to see what they will come up with for next year’s 7th edition. I’m always hoping for new brewery debuts – national and local, the chance to try exciting new beer, and the opportunity to meet great brewers and craft beer lovers alike. So if you’re a planner like I am, mark your calendar for the 2015 Great Nebraska Beer Fest, on Saturday, August 22, 2015!

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