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The 13th Annual IPA Festival at the Bistro in Hayward, Ca
54 beers. 8 hours. 1 glass. You do the math...no really, you better not trust that one to me. When you spend an entire day drinking deliciously hop-tastic IPA's, those tasks which require an astute level of left-brain-ed-ness are automatically removed from your canon of responsibilities. Thus, duties such as math and the kind of manners that keep you from getting barbecue sauce all over your face when you chomp into a delectable, sauce-slathered tri-tip sandwich like it was the last scrap of food on earth become not only absent, but completely off the radar.
Another thing that may be off the radar for you, is the small, nondescript corner bar tucked gently into downtown Hayward where the IPAs and beer lovers alike gathered to celebrate the best of their kind. The Bistro looks like any other downtown pub, complete with the obligatory sidewalk patio seating, weathered laquered-wood bar, and a myriad of signs and posters from large corporations trying to pass themselves off as craft breweries. However, the Bistro is unlike any other bar, in that it hosts not one, but two of the most respected events in the IPA community. The event was the 13th annual, and drew a crowd that was a veritable who's who in the brewing community. In attendance was the editor and publisher of Celebrator Magazine, several brewmasters from competing breweries, and a slough of beer bloggers and critics.
One of the perks of being the graphic designer for Knee Deep Brewing Company, is that I was able to attend and rub shoulders with a few of the brewers and beer-elite in attendance. Our first year at the competition, we were pleased and overjoyed to be invited to the event. While I must do my due diligence to clarify the awards are only officially given to first place, I have it on good record that we received second place for our IPA, Hopstar, in the People's Choice competition, first place going to Russian River's Hopfather. Not too shabby, if I say so myself.
I would love to continue by expounding on my tasting notes, and regale you with my praise for the astoundingly hoppy aroma of Russian River's Hopfather (what their brewer calls "balls to the walls" hops), the way Auburn Alehouse's Gold Digger leaves you with a full palate of grapefruit (which was amazing and I hate grapefruit!), or even the beautiful lacing on my glass as I sipped our own IPA, but sadly, those tasting notes trailed off around beer-thirty and you're really much better off marking your calendar for the Double IPA Festival during SF Beer Week next February. We'll be there for sure, gunning for that first place award, and our own hoppy ending.
Another thing that may be off the radar for you, is the small, nondescript corner bar tucked gently into downtown Hayward where the IPAs and beer lovers alike gathered to celebrate the best of their kind. The Bistro looks like any other downtown pub, complete with the obligatory sidewalk patio seating, weathered laquered-wood bar, and a myriad of signs and posters from large corporations trying to pass themselves off as craft breweries. However, the Bistro is unlike any other bar, in that it hosts not one, but two of the most respected events in the IPA community. The event was the 13th annual, and drew a crowd that was a veritable who's who in the brewing community. In attendance was the editor and publisher of Celebrator Magazine, several brewmasters from competing breweries, and a slough of beer bloggers and critics.
One of the perks of being the graphic designer for Knee Deep Brewing Company, is that I was able to attend and rub shoulders with a few of the brewers and beer-elite in attendance. Our first year at the competition, we were pleased and overjoyed to be invited to the event. While I must do my due diligence to clarify the awards are only officially given to first place, I have it on good record that we received second place for our IPA, Hopstar, in the People's Choice competition, first place going to Russian River's Hopfather. Not too shabby, if I say so myself.
I would love to continue by expounding on my tasting notes, and regale you with my praise for the astoundingly hoppy aroma of Russian River's Hopfather (what their brewer calls "balls to the walls" hops), the way Auburn Alehouse's Gold Digger leaves you with a full palate of grapefruit (which was amazing and I hate grapefruit!), or even the beautiful lacing on my glass as I sipped our own IPA, but sadly, those tasting notes trailed off around beer-thirty and you're really much better off marking your calendar for the Double IPA Festival during SF Beer Week next February. We'll be there for sure, gunning for that first place award, and our own hoppy ending.
Photography by Bree
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