Brewery Vivant celebrates the art and science of barrel-aging beer with its 5th Annual Wood-Aged Beer Festival (WABF) Saturday, September 19th in the parking lot behind the Brewery. Vivant will hold two tasting sessions: Afternoon (1-4p) and Evening (5-8p) to allow for more people to enjoy over 20 limited, rare, and exclusive beers in an intimate beer-centric environment.
The Vivant scratch-kitchen will have festival foods available should hunger arise. Tickets are $35 and include 10 tokens, a collector’s edition tasting glass, and access to some incredible beer. Limited tickets available online at www.breweryvivant.com or directly through wabf15.brownpapertickets.com.
Fittingly, this will be the “Wooden anniversary” (as per Victorian tradition) of WABF at Brewery Vivant as they celebrate their 5th festival and 5th year in business in the East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids. Opening the festival up for two identical sessions will give more beer drinkers a chance to enjoy all that the festival has to offer, particularly more beer tasting. “We’re hoping with more tokens in your glass from the start, less people on the grounds at once, and a map to guide you, this year’s festival will be the best one yet,” says Kate Avery, Abbess of Beer and Director of Sales & Marketing, “The brewers have been plotting for this unveiling since last November. It’s their big party with big flavors. We’re glad to share it with more enthusiasts by offering two sessions this year.”
Wood-aging beers harkens back to the earliest beer brewing traditions when vessels were all made of wood and brewers worked to blend flavors into drinkable liquid. Unique flavor profiles arise in the already flavor-forward craft beers when aged in wood. Brewery Vivant will be hauling out old favorites from the vault, as well as new never-before-tasted experiments. Love Shadow, the bourbon barrel-aged Imperial stout makes a triumphant return to tap handles, as well as a cellared Wizard Burial Ground (2014 vintage bourbon barrel-aged quadruple).
Get your tickets early as this event is the highlight of the Fall beer season and will sell out. The Pub will be open for business as usual on Saturday, 11am-midnight. The festival grounds are separate.
About Brewery Vivant
The brewery is located in the East Hills neighborhood of Grand Rapids, in a renovated funeral chapel built in the early 1900’s. Their staff of around 50 employees specialize in Belgian/French inspired beers and fare in a completely unique setting. Husband and wife partners Jason and Kris Spaulding opened the doors for business in December of 2010. They are the first commercial brewery in the nation to receive Silver LEED Certification from the USGBC. Additionally they are 100% renewable powered, a silver-level Bicycle Friendly Business, and are a certified B Corporation. Beer the Change®!
