This Saturday is the 16th annual California Brewers Festival hosted by the Point West Rotary Club. It is held every September to coincide with the beginning of school, as the beneficiaries of your $30 donation is Operation School Bell, a project of the Assistance League of Sacramento. Children in 34 schools throughout the Sacramento area will have new clothes for school thanks to this program and Sunday’s 4,000 swollen livers. Don’t miss Sacramento’s largest brewfest with more than 60 breweries, tons of food and entertainment by Utz and the Shuttlecocks and Velvet Tongue. I am especially looking forward to trying an Irish brewery called Strangford Lough and Manteca’s Fossil Fuels Brewing Company, which uses 40 million year old yeast.
First, get your tickets here. On Saturday, take a cab, ride your bike, walk or drive to Discovery Park. Gate opens at 12:30, first pour at 1:00pm, last pour at 4:45pm.
Did I mention that The SacRag is going to give a pair of tickets away? No? How irresponsible of me! To win, e-mail me the name of the winning beer at the 2009 California Brewers Festival. Send your answer before Wednesday at midnight to stickie (at) sacrag (dot) com!
The Sac Rag 
Sacramento’s very own homebrew club, GCBA, will also be there serving up fine homemade beers. Come check us out!
LikeLike
Interesting: Strongbow, Woodchuck, and Wyder’s, all hard cider brewers from Middlebury, VT, will be there. I dearly love cold hard cider on an Indian summer’s afternoon, though I’ve been hard put to find any out here. I’ve only seen the English brand, Woodpecker, in San Francisco. Anyone else know if hard cider is available locally?
LikeLike
Sundog, Sacramento happens to be home to one of the best damn, multi-award winning ciders in the US. Two Rivers Cider is available widely both on draught and in the bottle. Throughout the year, they make a variety of different apple ciders as well as other fruits and blends.
Up in the foothills, there is a cider company called Fox Barrel which is also quite good, but I prefer Two Rivers.
http://www.tworiverscider.com/
http://www.foxbarrel.com/
LikeLike
No Jack Russell (I guess I could just drive up there), but Mammoth Brewing and that delicious 395 IPA will be there. Good lord, there are so many to choose from.
LikeLike
Jack Russell just got up and brewing again with a new owner, I think he’s just trying to sell as much beer as possible at the moment and doesn’t have much time for festivals and such. I’m definitely going to visit in the Fall and support him!
Mmmmmm, Mammoth 395……
Agreed, tons of great choices!
LikeLike
@Stickie-I was at JR this weekend. They’ve got a ton of new tables outside and they had a killer guest brew…can’t remember the brewery but it was a mountain ale that was great. They also seem to be toying around with some fruity stuff. I tried the raspberry red ale and won’t get it again. Stickin’ to the Scottish Ale.
LikeLike
Real Mountain Ale from El Dorado Brewing? If that is it, I am a very, very happy camper.
LikeLike
Are you suggesting a Hop Heads event at Jack Russell this fall, Stickie? 🙂
LikeLike
@Stickie-Yep, it’s the Real Mountain Ale from EDB. Dee-licious.
LikeLike
Thank you, Stickie! But it looks like neither brewery sells their ciders at the local likker or grocery stores. I’ll have to go out and do my drinking, I guess, or buy a pallet load of the stuff and set up my own cider bar. 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks to everyone who entered! Lucky readers Derek and Michael each won a ticket to the festivities. Don’t forget that discounted tickets are still available at various locations, check the website for details.
Oh, yes, the winner was the delicious and locally made Sudwerk Lager Münchener Helles. All nine entries had the correct answer.
LikeLike
I thought El Dorado Brewing Co. closed down years ago. sucked because the Real Mountain Ale was the Schiznit. An American IPA before it’s time…
LikeLike
There has been a new owner for a few years, but he’s been laying low.
LikeLike