Inaugural Top of the Hops Beer Festival
This Saturday Fontainbleau State Park in Mandeville will be the setting for the first annual Top of the Hops Beer Festival. Over 120 world-class beers from around the world will be showcased. The list of participating Louisiana breweries include Abita Beer (Abita Springs), Bayou Teche Brewery (Arnaudville), Covington Brewhouse (Covington), Dixie Brewing Co. (New Orleans), Heiner Brau Microbrewery (Covington), NOLA Brewing Company (New Orleans) and Zea Handcrafted Brews (Covington). A couple of my favorite breweries outside of LA who are scheduled to be there are Shiner Beers (Shiner, TX) and Stella Artois (Leuven, Belgium). Other breweries hailing from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Honduras and across the USA are slated to be there.
Seminars, such as Brewing 101 and Pairing Beer with Food, and beer cooking demonstrations will be given throughout the day. The Scorceses (2:00-3:30) and Rufus Jagneaux (4:15-5:45), both Louisiana bands, are set to perform on the Full Sail Brewing Stage.
General admission tickets cost $35 in advance or $40 the day of the festival and include a 2 ounce souvenir sampling mug, unlimited beer samples, live entertainment, parking and access to the Samuel Adams Brew University Tent. Special VIP tickets are also available for purchase and include special access to premium beer tastings, premium parking and access to the Stella Artois VIP Lounge. Designated Driver tickets can be purchased for $15 in advance or day of.
Visit www.TopoftheHopsBeerFest.com for more information.
