What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1299625
Bring On The Brew! Though the participating breweries had to be scaled back this year to accommodate the scavenger hunt format, five local favorites are still on the ticket. Kristine Allen, brand representative for Bike Rack Brewing Co., and Andrew Blann with Fossil Cove Brewing Co. answered a few questions ahead of their AMP Fest return in this strange and unprecedented year. Q. What can you tell us of the beer you will include in the six- pack? Allen: Our Oktoberfest is what we are including in the AMP Fest six-pack. It's a classic German fest beer: malt-forward, bready notes, and hints of honey and graham cracker at 5.7% ABV. It's my personal favorite beer we make and pairs perfectly with all of your amazing fall foods. Blann: We're including our Session IPA in the six-pack. We introduced the Session IPA in March as the newest option in our year-round six-pack lineup. It's an IPA for all occasions — not overly bitter and full of refreshing hoppy stone fruit, pine and citrus notes paired with a light malty body. It's a perfect addition to fall days in the Ozarks. Q. What are some of the ways your brewery has pivoted during the pandemic? Allen: Like everyone else, we shut down for a while, and pivoted most of our energy towards to-go. We did six-pack delivery for a couple months, but really our main focus was meeting the demand at our local liquor stores. Unfortunately, that's also meant we haven't been able to produce as many new specialty beers as we usually do, since we need to produce so much of our top three sellers: the Urban Trail Golden Ale, Epic Trail Amber Ale and, of course, the Slaughter Pen IPA. Luckily, we were still able to create a few great beers that aren't available all year, like our Oktoberfest. Blann: Early on in the pandemic, everything was about to-go sales. We pivoted to home beer delivery with online ordering overnight, focused on our liquor store and grocery accounts, began packaging draft-only offerings and offering curbside pickup. Draft sales started to come back during reopening and we instituted new protocols to make our Tasting Room as safe as possible and to ensure compliance with ADH guidance. Providing a safe environment while offering a space that feels somewhat normal and allows beer lovers a chance to share a pint with us is our focus as we continue to adapt to operating a brewery during a pandemic. Q. What's up next for your brewery? Allen: Our next beer release will be the Dark Lager in November. Stay tuned for that, because we're pretty excited about it! Blann: We're really excited about our fall lineup and have some fun projects in the works. Right now, a couple of Tasting Room favorites are The Hatchling (a hatch chile cream ale), the Krush (a German- style kolsch) and the T-Rex On Peaches (our T-Rex Tripel aged in bourbon and wine barrels with fresh Ozark-grown peaches added). Later in the fall, we'll have our Pumpkin Ale (right around Halloween), Blackberry Cream Ale, an Imperial Stout and the Cherry Gose will return! 10 What's up! OctOber 18-24, 2020 Feature "It's such a good gathering of beer lovers and their favorite breweries in one convenient place," bike rack brewing co. brand representative Kristine allen says of aMp Fest. "I love that they are adapting to the very specific needs of 2020, and that's really bike rack's whole mindset this year: adaptability." bikerackbrewing.com. (courtesy photo) Fossil Cove in Fayetteville offers aMp Fest participants a sample of their new release, the session Ipa, as well as specials on pints or flights at the tasting room on the scavenger day, Oct 24. fossilcovebrewing.com. (courtesy photo/Fossil cove brewing co. and andrew blann) Amp Fest Continued From Page 9 FYI Brewery Scavenger Hunt Participants may pick up their six-pack from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in the backstage lot at Walton arts Center, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in the north parking lot at the Walmart aMP, or may choose to opt out of the scavenger hunt when purchasing the tickets and pick up the full six-pack from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 24 at Bike rack Brewing in the 8th Street Market in Bentonville. Participating Breweries: Bike rack Brewing Co. Hawk Moth Brewery & Beer Parlor Bentonville Brewing Black apple Hard Cider Fossil Cove Brewing Co.