Casks & Barleywines This Weekend: Firkfest and Sam Fest

FirkfestThis weekend has two great events to look forward to. The first is a bit out of my usual radius, but guarantees to be a great time. Firkfest is the the creation of Greg Nagel of OC Beer Blog and Brad Kominek of Noble Ale Works. For those not up on their lingo, a firkin is the container in which cask ale is fermented and eventually served from. In the craft beer scene, cask ales have been a way of playing with different beers by adding hops, spices, and fruits to create interesting one off beers. So as you might have guessed, Firkfest will be featuring casks from 30 Southern California breweries. The event will be held at Farmers Park in Anaheim on Saturday March 22, 2014. Your ticket gets you unlimited pours from noon to 4pm and a commemorative glass. Tickets run $50, but we’ve got a special discount code that brings the price down to $40. Just use the code MOTHERCOLONY during checkout.

Sam FestThe other big event this weekend is Sam Fest: The Inaugural Los Angeles Barleywine Festival at 38 Degrees in Alhambra also on Saturday March 22, 2014. This past winter, the LA beer scene lost one of its founding members, Sam Samaniego. Sam was the owner and operator of The Stuffed Sandwich and helped bring craft beer to the masses for many years. One of his favorite styles was barleywine, making the trip up to Toronado in San Francisco for their annual barleywine festival up until he wasn’t strong enough to travel. In honor of Sam, 38 Degrees will be pouring up over 30 barleywines from all over the world. They will be offering tasters, full pours, and flights all day long, no ticket required. Keep in mind that most of these beers are high ABV, so plan your travels accordingly.

Cheers!
Jeff Prosser

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