Did Somebody Say "Beerfest?"

This weekend was very special, because Sunday was the Santa Barbara Beer Festival! We've been looking forward to this year's beer fest since we left the festival last year. We had so much fun this year! We tried a bunch of beer, ate giant brats, got temporary tattoos, AND learned a few things about beer. Did I mention that we all had matching t-shirts? Oh yeah - it was pretty badass. My girlfriend made up shirts for us that had a little turtle carrying a mug of beer on his shell. It said, "Slow and Steady Wins the Race." We called ourselves "Team Drink," and got mad props all over the place. We will definitely have to do shirts again for next year. Now, enough silliness, let's talk beer.

I found that the festival this year was very IPA heavy - it's like the "it" beer. I understand that beer folk done love that beer, but dang - it's just so hoppy and strong! I tried a number of these gnarly beers, but didn't dig too many. Even though I know that I'm not a fan of these beers, I find myself trying them anyway. I went so far as to try Greenflash's "Hop Head Red Ale" - for God's sake, it's called "Hop Head!" Surprise, surprise, it was extremely hoppy, but my husband and his friends really loved it. So if you dig this sort of thing - check out the pic and go scout it out!

The girl pouring at Greenflash told me that she's not a huge fan of that beer either and to try the Pauwel Kwak being poured next door. It was such a smooth brown ale! It came off a tad sweet, but I think that was because I was coming off of Mr. Hop Head. I'm going to try to find this bad-boy again and try it with a clean pallet. Plus, it's a super pretty bottle.

I know I said "enough silliness," but I have to tell you about what a genius I am. One of the highlights for my friends that day was when I put on a temporary tattoo using stout instead of water (Firestone's award-winning Merlin). It seemed like a great idea until I realized how sticky the beer was. Luckily my friend had a water bottle to hose me down so I could enjoy the rest of my day without bees following me around.

All in all, it was a great day, and I broadened my horizons by trying beers that I wouldn't normally buy. Below I've listed out some of the various beers I tried.

Most Interesting:

• Orange Blossom Honey Hefeweizen - Union Ale
• Avocado Honey Ale (My Favorite) - Island Brewing
• Hemp Ale - Red Nectar

Stout-tastic:

• Velvet Merlin - Firestone Walker
• Brother Thelonious - North Coast Brewing

Hops a'poppin':

• Hop Head Red (Husband's Favorite) - Green Flash Brewing 
• Nut Brown - Green Flash Brewing
• Pinehopple IPA - Union Ale

There were many more, but my memory is failing me. Anyone have any thoughts on this IPA craze? Am I just not sophisticated enough to get it?