What a fabulous event. The Forest History Center was the site of this year’s Oktoberfest fundraiser for the Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation, and all of the elements came together to make it a great evening:
- perfect weather
- beautiful setting
- great food and drink
- fun people and good friends
Our club was invited to conduct a tasting, was we provided samples of several beer styles, including: Berliner Weisse, Dunkel Weizen, two India Pale Ales, Belgian Strong Ale, Rhubarb Pale Ale, California Common, Regal Pale Ale (Big Brew 2014), two Russian Imperial Stouts, and an Altbier. We also has homemade root beer and cream soda.
The event started at 5PM and folks were lined up right away. The GRACF sold about 480 tickets, and the while not all of them sampled our homebrew, a lot of them did. We were a little concerned that with us giving away sample of our beer, it might affect sales at the event beer tent. But it was not the case, as the event organizers had to order more beer for their needs.
Our club was represented by Bud C, Steve B, and Chad H. Larry J and Mike T also donated beer to be shared, but were not able to attend. We had a great time talking about our hobby and sharing our beer with people who appreciate craft beers, as well as introducing it to others who have never tried it.
Research shows that moderate beer consumption can help prevent heart disease and strokes, provide important vitamins and minerals, is low in fat and helps increase good cholesterol (HDL).