Summer is the season of festivals throughout the Flathead, and some of the most popular events are those celebrating the distilled spirits and brewery creations from around the valley.
Typically, a brewfest held in the sunny summer weather yields thirsty patrons and repeated trips to the tap. This can make for fun times, but locals Nathan Amaral and Andy Kriss want to bring the focus of such events away from intoxication and toward what goes into making the beer, wine, and spirits patrons enjoy so much.
With that in mind, Amaral and Kriss have organized the first Kalispell Beer and Wine Open, set for June 13 at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. The goal of the event is education, Amaral said, along with a healthy dose of competition. There will be brewery open houses on June 14.
So while patrons sip their beer and wine and spirits from glasses – made with real glass – they can learn from the creators about the beverages, as well as attend at least a dozen educational seminars happening throughout the day.
As of last week, Amaral said he had 27 breweries on board, including some heavy-hitting national brands, such as Rogue, Angry Orchard, Deschutes Brewing Co., Elysian Brewing Co., Hidden Legend Meadery, New Belgium Brewing Co., Radeberger Gruppe, Samuel Adams, Stone Brewing Co., and more.
“We’re encouraging anyone who’s involved in brewing to attend. There are a lot of people who want to know more than just how it tastes,” Amaral said.
Educations sessions are scheduled to include a talk about making hard cider from the folks at Angry Orchard; a discussion on hops from Glacier Hops Ranch operator Tom Britz; the barrel-aging and souring process from the brewer at Flathead Lake Brewing Company; Brian Anderson of Whistling Andy’s distillery will lead a panel on craft distilling and cocktails; Andy Sponseller of Ten Spoon Winery will speak about growing grapes and making wine in Montana; and Adam Harbaugh, the co-founder and editor of the Lambic.Info Research Project, will talk about the European perspective on sour beers.
Flathead Valley Community College will also have a presence at the festival, providing information on the college’s new brewing degree program.
Also in attendance will be local businesses that support the beer and wine industry, such as Brix Bottleshop and Hop’s restaurant.
“We want it to be like a convention,” Amaral said. “There’s more to it than just serving the beer, there’s all this stuff that goes into it before, during and after.”
One of the main attractions, Amaral said, will likely be the home-brewing competition, which will pit hobby brewers against one another for the ultimate prize of having the winning recipe made at Flathead Lake Brewing Company and served at the company’s Bigfork brewhouse.
“Some of the home brewers will actually be serving their beer for the public to taste, which is awesome because you can guarantee that you’ve never had that beer before,” Amaral said. “We want the home brewers to have a chance to get their foot in the door.”
And for those patrons who might like a glass or two of beer before moving on to something a little different, there will be two wineries in attendance, as well as two distilleries, and the non-alcoholic Glacier Ginger Brew.
With the wide variety of beers availble at the festival, Amaral said anyone interested in trying something new, especially if they’ve held off because of prices, should attend and take a sip.
“You won’t be bored, it’s not just another brewfest where you come and drink the same beer with the same people,” Amaral said. “We just want to break out of the norm and get people excited about these festivals.”
For more information, visit www.kalispellbeerandwineopen.com.