It turned out to be a very nice day after a week of rain. It rained in the morning but cleared and became a beautiful day by the bay for the Hilo Brewfest. I stopped by Maui Brewing tent first thing since it was near the entrance and I saw Dopple Bock on tap. I have reviewed that limited edition before and liked it. They only had two beers on tap, which is a shame for my favorite island brewer.
The Mehana tent was not terribly busy when I looked at it usually. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t wow your patrons and don’t come up with new interesting beers like the others on the islands. I was keen to see if Big Island Brewhaus was going to have the new ginger beer I saw it was making online. Yep, there it was. It was good with a nice light brown color. Having had what I consider to be the best ginger beer and one of the best beverages on the planet, Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Beer, it didn’t stack up. I did like it though. They have interesting new beers I find listed by my subscription to Beer in Hawaii, an online blog.
The location of the yearly event is right on the ocean. I took a couple videos so people can see the beauty of the bay. What a nice way to eat and drink for an afternoon. The food vendors had some nice sample size fare. One of our favorites is always Aloha Monday’s. It is a take out place in Hilo that is high quality. This year was one beef and one tuna sashimi dish. The kimchee potato salad was smashing as always.
There is always a long line at the Hilo Burger Joint’s tent. Burger sliders that really fill you up. This year it was a mushroom slider. Another nice tent for food was Pineapples. They had a coconut curry and for desert, a nice cheese cake. Wiki Fresh had a Mex style cup with beans, cheese, chicken and cabbage. Quite tasty and we had a few cups of that one.
I didn’t do a separate review of all the beers this year. Many were the same as last year. The one stand out that I had never had before was Chimay Reserve. It is a nice, heavy 9% ABV ale from Belgium. Super tasty ale with a kick that will really hit you. They had one other offering that was golden ale I also liked, but not as much.
Another year by the bay done and in the memory cabinet. If you ever make it to Hawaii in June, this is an event that is fun. The location is what makes it special. Hilo Bay is one of the most beautiful spots on Earth and I am happy to call the area my home.
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