So as previously mentioned, the Barrel Aged Beer Event happened on February 11, brought to us by the good folks at the Olney Civic Fund.
The Grillmarx truck had their barbeque grill set up outside the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd at 5 p.m. and snacks were available inside, but the main event was the variety of beer and wine on offer.
Although one brewery had to cancel at the last minute and another only brought cans, there was still plenty on offer for an evening of expansive sampling. The variety of local beers being pulled seemed sufficient for anyone to get a good impression of the bounty of the county.
And there was a surprise: our very own District 14 Senator Craig Zucker pulling drafts for Waredaca. Very low-key: “Just doing friends a favor.”
I was familiar with (or at least had heard the name of) all the breweries represented, except for one: Landmade Farm Brewery, represented by Carlos, the farmer himself. He told me that most of the ingredients for the beer were raised by him, on the farm near Poolesville. Although I didn’t taste his offerings, any brewery that names its beers after their pets can’t be bad.
Dawn from the Olney Winery was pouring samples. She assured me that the winery tasting room in Ashton was forging ahead in their drive to open soon. I’ll be waiting!
A table in the back provided a retail opportunity to take home your favorites in cans and bottles. Much brewery-related merch was raffled off to serve as souvenirs for some lucky participants.
Music by the groups Marsh Lovers and Double Felix supplied a lively soundtrack for the event. There were 125 advance tickets sold out of the maximum of 150, and at least 10 walk-ins had appeared by the time I left at about 6 p.m., so the event must be deemed a rousing success. Next year, bigger and better? But a larger space will be a must!
