28th annual Sierra BrewFest is August 26 in Grass Valley

“TASTING OUR WAY THROUGH a medley of IPA, lagers and seasonal brews, the sun on our face, thoughtful food pairings, maybe some live music in the background. It’s as close to summer vacation as we can get as adults.” —GoPassage.com.

Welcome to the 2017 beer festival season. America is now home to over 900 beer festivals annually, according to Eventbrite, an online ticketing service like GoPassage.

Our region is home to the Sierra BrewFest, one of the oldest, continuously running brewfests in California. Music in the Mountains Alliance presents the 28th annual Sierra BrewFest on August 26 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley.

The roster includes over 50 hand-crafted beers from some of the best microbreweries around. Local favorites such as Three Forks Bakery & Brewery, ol’ Republic Brewery, Loomis Basin Brewing Company, and Knee Deep Brewing are featured.

Guest can also taste from the event’s anchor brewer Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, which has participated every year for 28 years. Breweries provide ciders (for those needing a gluten-free option), ales, lagers, stouts and specialty brews.

This unique microbrew tasting experience includes unlimited beer tastings, a Bag-O tournament — also known as cornhole — and delicious food from some of the best food trucks and local restaurants. Where else can you taste craft beer while enjoying barbequed oysters or fresh sushi?

This year marks the fourth annual Bag-O tournament. The tournament is free to enter for event attendees and all ages are welcome to participate. Gather a team of friends to compete in the friendly tournament where you can win tickets to the 2018 Sierra BrewFest.

Rocking the stage will be the foothills-based, five-piece band Boomer with a fresh, welcoming sound to classic rock songs. With lush vocals, strong percussion with solid bass, keyboard and two master guitarists, Boomer features three singers who are great frontmen and soloists in their own right, yet blend together musically to create unparalleled vocal expertise.

For tickets and more information, visit MusicintheMountains.org.

State Fair Honors
Loomis Basin Brewing won a first place award at the California State Fair with its St. Patty’s Brown Ale; ol’ Republic Brewing won a third place with its Frontier Amber; and Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Co. won a third place honor with its Extra Sensory Beerception ESB. CaStateFair.org

(Photo: Kurtis Ostrom Photography)