The third annual Cincy Winter Beer Fest was a resounding success, with tickets selling out a few days in advance and crowds of attendees packing the ballroom at downtown’s Hyatt Regency.

Cincy Winter BeerfestWe found ourselves with VIP tickets and were able to start sampling 2 hours early, which proved to be a benefit more in avoiding the crowds than anything. Once the doors were thrown wide open, the total attendance of around 3,000 filled the ballroom to the walls. But everyone was there for a good cause — to sample and enjoy some great regional brews.

Not surprisingly, many of the volunteers working the event were home brewers themselves. They were eager to discuss not only the beer they were serving but also their own home brewing experiences. The lady at the Founder’s table even spoke about taking a “Beer-cation” roadtrip to Michigan breweries the previous summer. I’m thinking we should do the same out in San Diego county. The Cincinnati Malt Infusers club gave a home brewing demonstration in the side ballroom, explaining the necessary brewing ingredients and science behind fermentation. They are one of the local home brewing organizations, with the Bloatarian Brewing League being the other larger group in town.

After much debate and soul searching, we came upon our top 3 beers of the evening.

  1. Founders “Breakfast Stout” – Hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, this creamy stout has hints of chocolate and coffee, while still maintaining a smoothness for its high 8.3% ABV
  2. Southern Tier “Unearthly IPA” – With a festival full of hoppy IPA’s, it was hard for a bitter beer to get notice, but Southern Tier has a great brew that packs a punch at 9.8% ABV but maintains a smooth finish without overpowering your palette.
  3. Flying Dog “Double Dog Double Pale Ale” – With all those “doubles” in there, you would think this one would knock you on the ground. Actually a nice balance of sweet maltiness and bitter hops.
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