EC Craft Brew Fest

Let me start by saying, “Happy Tax Day everyone!”  Well, since I didn’t post yesterday (I was in Washington DC for the day – for fun, not work) I didn’t get a chance to post about my exploits at the Electric City Craft Brew Fest.  What a blast!  I had never been to the Scranton Cultural Center before so I was slightly surprised when my GPS directed me to what appeared to be a very old Masonic temple.  The inside was pretty cool, particularly the hand-painted wood ceiling, and I took a ton of pictures.  Unfortunately I’ve learned that I’m not very good at keeping my hands steady; a lot of my photos ended up being out of focus.  I wonder if they sell tripods for cell phones.  J

Anyway, over a thousand tickets were sold and with music and unlimited beer the temple was certainly hopping (pun intended).  I was able to sample all the beers I wanted and then some.  While they weren’t all winners I did find several beers that I thoroughly enjoyed.  The first winner of the Craft Brew Fest was a shandy-style beer by Shock Top.  This was my second shandy (the first being Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy) and it was amazing!  While Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy tastes like beer mixed with lemonade, Shock Top Lemon Shandy Ale tastes more like beer with lemonade flavor.  For those beer purists, this might make Shock Top slightly more palatable than Leinenkugel.  Personally, I love them both!

The second winner was a beer that I’d been trying to get my hands on for awhile: Blue Moon Spring Blonde Wheat Ale.  All of my previous experiences with Blue Moon have been fairly enjoyable so I had high hopes for this beer; it didn’t disappoint.  The beer had a mellow flavor with hints of citrus and a clean finish.  Blue Moon’s website describes it as “a splash of sunshine in a glass” and I agree!

Finally, near the end of the afternoon I made my way to the front of the Cultural Center and noticed a beer I had missed during my first go-around: Breaker Brewing Company’s 5 Whistle Wheat.  While I wouldn’t exactly say I saved the best for last, I certainly enjoyed this beer.   5 Whistle Wheat is a full-flavored ale and although it has a slight bite, it doesn’t linger and will leave a good taste in your mouth.

Well, that was my Sunday at the Electric City Craft Brew Fest.  If you came out I hope you had fun and if you didn’t, be sure to get there next year!