This past Saturday we headed up to the Delaware State Fairgrounds for the Delaware Wine and Beer Festival. For those unfamiliar with the event, over twenty breweries, wineries, and other alcohol producers were present serving up samples of local and regional wines, beers, and spirits. The event also featured live music and food from more than ten different food truck and food cart vendors. Our entry tickets gained us access to three-ounce samples but full pours of wine, beer, and spirits were also available for purchase. There were even artisans and other vendors present selling novelties and goodies to-go. Each member of the ShoreBread team picked their favorite brew from the event:
Lisa’s Pick: “Noir et Bleu” Belgian Tripel from Big Oyster Brewery in Lewes, DE. According to Untappd, Noir et Bleu is a “Belgian Tripel infused with dried blueberries and black tea.” This beer has an inviting blueberry aroma and, despite it’s 9% ABV, is extremely easy to drink (almost too easy!). The blueberry and black tea flavors give it an interesting depth and the Belgian yeast makes it smooth and easy to drink.
Dan’s Pick: Dew Point Brewing “Lettin’ off Steam” Steam beer. Crisp taste and an amber color. Perfect for the beer geek who appreciates the history of the style, or for the not so beer nerd who just wants a solid refreshing beer. Light in alcohol made for multiple return trips to the booth for more than one three-ounce sample. Plus the story behind the beer being brewed in collaboration with the local Stanley Steamer owners and the Auburn Heights Invitational makes for a really neat story.
Stef’s Pick: EVO Craft Brewing “Pine’hop’le” IPA – Stef picks EVO’s Pine’hop’le, which is surprising because she doesn’t usually love the “hoppy” brews, but the citrus notes in this beer form a nice relationship between hops and the tropics. Coming in at 6.8% ABV, this beer can definitely be enjoyed with a wide variety of food. Stef’s pick includes Pine’hop’le IPA and Hawaiian Pizza!
Matt’s Pick: 3rd Wave Brewing “1st Wave” IPA – Matt’s Pick from 3rd Wave is a house favorite and the brewery’s first attempt at an IPA. Cheers to 3rd Wave for getting it right the first time around! This was a difficult pick for Matt after tasting lots of great brews at the festival, but Matt ultimately chose this one for the balanced hop flavor and easy finish. Double bonus: this brew is available year round!
But, don’t let our beer-centric picks fool you – the Delaware Wine and Beer Festival had plenty of other alcoholic beverages from which to choose. Other festival vendors were serving up delicious ciders, meads, and wines, as well. This is a yearly event so make sure to check out their website and follow them on Facebook for 2017’s date announcement.
