If the short Cherry season this past July left you wanting more, you can find plenty of cherries in liquid form at the first annual (would that be inaugural?) Cherry Festivus, taking place at Bazi Bierbrasserie on November 20 and 21.
The event is from fruited-beer impresario Ezra Johnson-Greenough, who muses, “What simpler pleasure than nature’s finest Cherry?” (Due disclosure: This blogger is the organizer of the likeminded Kriekfest, taking place next summer near Hood River, but I believe that if one cherry beer and cider festival is good, two are better.) This showcase will feature over two dozen beers (and one cider) that pit our love of hops with our love of cherries.
Some of the featured brews include cherry porters from 10 Barrel (“Spiral Staircase”) and Ecliptic; a trio of sour cherry beers from Denver’s Crooked Stave; a seasonal favorite from Deschutes called “The Dissident,” which is an oud bruin, or Flanders brown ale, with local cherries; and the super-twin krieks from Hood River’s Double Mountain, the Bing-cherry-made Devil’s Kriek and a yellow-hued Tahoma Kriek made with Rainier cherries. And since krieks originated in Belgium, there will be a keg of Hanssens’ Scharrenbecca made with Belgian Schaerbeek cherries. That beer is intensely sour and delicious, and we speculate that it will require at least three $2 tickets for a sample of this rarity. Speaking of Belgian krieks, guests may think New Belgium’s Transatlantique Kriek comes from Fort Collins, Colorado—which it does—but it originates from Oud Beersels in Belgium’s Lambeek region and features 40 percent Polish Morello cherries. As for the cider, they’ve got Reverend Nat’s Cherried Winter Abbey Spice made with raisins, cane sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The cherry juice comes from Washington-grown Montmorency and Hungarian Balaton cherries.
Since no one should drink cherry beers on an empty stomach, the Bazi kitchen will be slinging bowls of Cherry Flemish Stew.
Where? Bazi Bierbrasserie (1522 SE 32nd).
When? VIP session on November 20 at 5-11 pm, general admission on November 21 at noon-11 pm.
How much will this set you back? $30 for VIP with limited tickets, $20 for GA. Tickets include four-ounce tasting glass and seven tasting tickets for VIP, six tasting tickets for GA. Additional tasting tickets are $2 each. Some drinks will require more than one ticket.