Carolyn Fath
Who knew that a lounge pianist cranking up the tempo on Styx’s classic “Come Sail Away” and belting it in full Cartman voice was going to fill a void in the action at Isthmus’ seventh annual Beer and Cheese Fest? If you had that bet, collect your winnings, because the piano-by-request of local entertainers Piano Fondue added an unexpectedly welcome dimension to the festivities.
As with previous festivals, the premium session (noon-2 p.m.) was blissfully spacious and jolly; if it is within your means, and you’re not looking to bump elbows for four hours, you should consider it. My wife and I rolled in a little after noon, and we could have been on a private tour for as much space as we had to wander the event floor. The floor plan has continued to evolve at Beer and Cheese Fest, getting less and less modular and asymmetrical. This year’s layout was as linear and easily-navigated as it has ever been, which was a real blessing as the place filled up later in the day.
The pianos were already bumping when we got there, taking requests via Twitter (hashtag isthmusbeercheese, y’all) when the performers weren’t playing out of their own deep knowledge base. A constant stream of nostalgic ‘80s and ‘90s rock and hip-hop kept attendees engaged — and singing along — when in previous years some of them may have been left to their own rowdy, jostling devices. Live and interactive music was the perfect distraction and mood-lightener for a crowded event.
Of course, probably the best thing about an event like Beer and Cheese is running into the brewers, food vendors, and friends who are there year after year. I spotted Ryan Findlay from Central Waters, Josh Boll from OSS, Adam Vavrick from Octopi/3rd Sign Brewing, and bumped into longtime personal friends at multiple turns, even as the general attendance period kicked off and the crowds swelled.
Carolyn Fath
Those crowds, I’m relieved to hear, were not held up in a lengthy and plodding entry line like they had been in previous years. My friends and I ran into Isthmus marketing staff, who reported that a quadrupling of electronic ticket scanners led to everyone getting through the line in the newly built-in half hour break between premium and general attendance sessions. When that break was over, taps opened back up and the party resumed with significantly less grumbling than I’ve heard before.
It’s also hard to be grumpy when the beer is this good. Door County Brewing’s firkin of Imperial Silurian Stout on cacao nibs, vanilla, and cinnamon was an early favorite, and remained near the top of my list overall; its aroma was all cinnamon, with good body and subtle notes of dark chocolate. A couple booths down, Hinterland brought out Stovepipe, its new bourbon barrel-aged coffee stout. This beer is a significant improvement over its predecessor in the Hinterland lineup, with ample presence of both coffee and barrel.
Carolyn Fath
Surly’s Brett Mikkel’s IPA was present in bottle form, having just hit retail accounts in the upper Midwest the week prior. It’s a Belgian IPA, and one of the few I find can keep pace with Ale Asylum’s excellent Bedlam! IPA. Ale Asylum, meanwhile, dug into its stash for Beer and Cheese Fest, as it does with its Maturation Monday brewery tappings; the VIP-only 2011 version of its potent Mercy Grand Cru was surprisingly mellow and fruity.
I attended Chicago’s Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers in 2015, and one of the beers I heard praise for in the crowd was the gin barrel-aged version of Milwaukee Brewing’s O-Gii Imperial Wit. I didn’t hesitate to track it down at Beer and Cheese Fest, and the botanical gin notes matched perfectly with the Rishi tea that goes into the beer’s base recipe. Lakefront tapped Black Friday for the VIPs, and that’s the kind of bourbon barrel-aged bonus that adds definite value to the premium ticket.
Other beers of renown? How about Second Salem’s Coffee Porter and also its Bone Orchard, the latter of which stands to become a Wisconsin IPA all-star if its juicy, hazy game stays as on-point as it was on Saturday. Tyranena’s Who’s Your Daddy bourbon barrel-aged imperial porter was a very solid representative of the style.
The award for most ridiculous, joy-inducing, head-scratching, “I’m only drinking this at a festival but damn it I’m going to drink a LOT of it” beer goes to Wausau’s Red Eye, which turned its Meezy’s Jam malt liquor — yes, craft malt liquor — into a liquid watermelon Jolly Rancher called Hot Mess. It is frankly both disgusting and amazing; a friend summed it up perfectly, proclaiming, “I hate how much I like this.” The watermelon nose was unmistakable and unmissable, even from a distance, and is literally the best possible eff-you to macro brewers who like to deride fruity additions to craft beers.
Though the cheese half of Beer and Cheese Fest has grown smaller, foodstuffs are never wholly overlooked by this event. I loved Gail Ambrosius’ pecan pralines, Decatur Dairy’s potently horseradishy horseradish cheddar, and Calliope’s lemon lavender ice cream — which paired beautifully with that Second Salem Bone Orchard IPA I mentioned earlier.
Carolyn Fath
It’s a fine beer/dairy pairing from an afternoon full of them, and if the cheese feels lacking, Piano Fondue delivered it in glorious spades with a totally honest rendition of Crash Test Dummies’ “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm,” which come to think of it is a great song for singing along to with a mouthful of beer.
