The 4th Annual Hilltown Brewfest

So Char and I attended the Hilltown Brewfest on Saturday.  This is a great little festival that is a fundraiser for the Wendell and New Salem, Massachusetts fire departments.  This is the third year in a row Char and I have attended and it seems to be growing slowly each year.  I actually hope it continues with very slow growth because I like the quaint, small town feel of it.  Obviously the main draw at this fest is beer.  There are a few wines, some ciders, and even a little mead.  There are roughly 25 breweries represented each with a few styles of beer to sample.  Each visitor that isn't a designated driver gets a two ounce shot glass to use for samples.  Char did try some wines and even a couple beers but she was quite sober by the time we left.  I, on the other hand, was not.  I wasn't terribly inebriated, but I had a decent buzz after sampling many beers.  There were several good beers but nothing that was extremely unusual.  Char and I both liked "dirty penny" by Olde Burnside Brewery which is located in Hartford, CT.  I was pleased that The Gardner Ale House was there with a couple of quite decent beers.  We have eaten at the Ale House many times and while not exceptional it is consistently good.  I was also happy The People's Pint and Lefty's both from Greenfield, MA were again at the fest.  Unfortunately I did not take any notes at the fest mainly because I didn't want to.  We were there to have fun and we did.  There was great music.  We only stayed long enough to listen to two bands.  Josh Levangie and the Mud, Blood, and Beer Band played a nice set with country, rock, and blues.  Wailin' Daves Blues Band played primarily blues including some Muddy Waters.  Their drummer, Don,  was wearing a Wilco shirt I hadn't seen before.  We actually spoke with him and he has met the members of Wilco and had been to The Solid Sound Festival in North Adams.  As for food Char and I ate barbecue from a place I don't recall the name of.  I had beef brisket which was a passable 3.5.  Char had pulled pork that I didn't even find out what she rated it.  She did eat it all and said it was good.  Apparently not the best, but decent.  I was slightly disappointed with the fest for two reasons.  One was that Dogfish Head wasn't there and has been in past years.  The other was that we didn't win the 50/50 raffle.  However, one thing I like about this festival is that they provide free soda and water to designated drivers.  There was also free popcorn for anyone who wanted it.  It was a nearly perfect day with temps in the 70's and the beer flowing freely.  I hope to attend many more Hilltown Brewfests.