Inside the Festival

What Not to Miss at Hard Liver

Secrets of the barley wine festival from organizer Ian Roberts.

March 19, 2010

It occurred to me after I wrote about it yesterday that Hard Liver sounded a little overwhelming. All those barley wines! So I asked Brouwer’s GM/brewsky guru Ian Roberts to clue me in on the not-to-be-missed barley wines on tap.

Here is Ian’s list. When you hit the festival tomorrow, call it up on your iphone to ensure you get the most for your blood-alcohol-content buck.

1. Pike Brewing four-year vertical sample: try four vintages of Pike’s Old Bawdy barley wine side-by-side.
2. The 1996 vintage of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot.
3. The Angel Share from Lost Abbey (two vintages will be available).
4. A special wooden firken of Port Townsend barley wine to be tapped at 3pm.

Be there before 1pm, however, if you’re interested in seeing the judges announce this year’s festival winners. (Ian says they are usually announced “by 1 or 2.”)

Anyone else getting thirsty?

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