Kettleheads Homebrew Fest Fundraiser June 24
June 12, 2017 at 6:59 p.m.
By David [email protected]
The seventh annual event is June 24 at the Cerulean Garden in Winona Lake. It’s organized by the Kettleheads every year.
“It is a chance for all the local homebrewers to show off our passion and craft and raise money for a great cause at the same time,” said Kettleheads President Jason Rich.
As of Thursday, this year’s event is up to 22 beers and ciders, but 30-40 are expected with at least 11 brewers participating, said member Aaron Winey said.
Winey said 50 VIP tickets are available for $45 each. The sale ended Saturday, but that might be extended. Those tickets get the purchaser early admission at 5 p.m., a commemorative tasting glass and a T-shirt.
Regular admission for 6 p.m. entry is $25. Those ticket purchasers get a tasting glass. There are a limit of 450 regular admission tickets, which can be purchased at the door or online at homebrewfest2017.brownpapertickets.com. A more mobile-friendly link to the tickets is at bpt.me/2950156.
The event continues until 10 p.m., rain or shine. A police officer will be on hand, as will a designated driver option if needed.
While Homebrew Fest won’t have food, Orthocity BBQ will sell its offerings from its food truck.
The Cerulean Garden will have a band that night – St. Eve & The Vibe – starting at 8 p.m. Logan Miller, of Cerulean, said the band, which plays rock cover songs, is from the South Bend and southern Michigan area. It’s a free admission show, so Homebrew Fest participants can walk over from the tent to the Garden and enjoy the music. In case of rain, the band may be canceled.
Rich said his favorite beer that he’s most proud of and will be offering is his Bacon Blonde, “a smoked blonde ale based on a German style that complements meat.”
Daren Deffenbaugh, a Kettleheads member, said he’ll be bringing his popular “Skidmark,” a black IPA.
“People walk into the tent and go directly up to Daren and say, ‘I’d like to have my annual Skidmark,’” Lorraine Deffenbaugh said.
For the first time at the event, Daren said he also will be bringing a lager. “It’s a Munich Helles,” he said.
“There are quite a few members bringing several ciders of many different flavors – standard cider, fruit cider, tea cider,” Rich said. “There’s a couple of members that decided they were more interested in making ciders than beers, so they’ll be bringing ciders.”
Again this year, there also will voting for a People’s Choice award, Rich said. Attendees will be able to vote for their favorite beer or cider.
There will be “giveaways” during the night.
“I think a big thing about the event is being able to talk to brewers about the process and the ideas behind their beers,” Winey said. “A lot of people that like beer can taste their special beer, but it’s a rare occasion when you can go and talk to the person who actually brews it.”
CCS Executive Director Steve Possell said in 2016 the Homebrew Fest raised about $5,000, but with the auction items, it raised near $20,000.
“Last year, we put it toward utility assistance because when the three-month moratorium ends during the winter, when people can get a break on their utility bills, on that end we had 25 families in a day come in for utility assistance. That’s a lot. So a lot (of the Fest’s proceeds) will go toward utility assistance,” Possell said.
CCS Director of Development Alyssa Lowe said they helped over 300 last year and had to turn away 108 due to lack of funding. CCS was able to help 37 families get their utilities turned back on and stay on during the winter last year, too.
“One family can get behind $500 easily, and have to pay reconnection fee. So, you think of that times 37 and it adds up,” Lowe said.
Possell said CCS also gets funding from United Way of Kosciusko County for the utility assistance program. “This (Fest) supplements that,” he said.
“We’ve raised over $30,000 since the founding of the club through all of our fundraising events,” Winey said.
Kettleheads is the first and only brew club in the county, he said.
Sponsors for the 2017 Homebrew Fest include Maple Leaf Farms, Silveus Insurance, Hall & Marose, Ink Free News, 212 Media Studios, Blue Note Design and Kosciusko Kettleheads.
The seventh annual event is June 24 at the Cerulean Garden in Winona Lake. It’s organized by the Kettleheads every year.
“It is a chance for all the local homebrewers to show off our passion and craft and raise money for a great cause at the same time,” said Kettleheads President Jason Rich.
As of Thursday, this year’s event is up to 22 beers and ciders, but 30-40 are expected with at least 11 brewers participating, said member Aaron Winey said.
Winey said 50 VIP tickets are available for $45 each. The sale ended Saturday, but that might be extended. Those tickets get the purchaser early admission at 5 p.m., a commemorative tasting glass and a T-shirt.
Regular admission for 6 p.m. entry is $25. Those ticket purchasers get a tasting glass. There are a limit of 450 regular admission tickets, which can be purchased at the door or online at homebrewfest2017.brownpapertickets.com. A more mobile-friendly link to the tickets is at bpt.me/2950156.
The event continues until 10 p.m., rain or shine. A police officer will be on hand, as will a designated driver option if needed.
While Homebrew Fest won’t have food, Orthocity BBQ will sell its offerings from its food truck.
The Cerulean Garden will have a band that night – St. Eve & The Vibe – starting at 8 p.m. Logan Miller, of Cerulean, said the band, which plays rock cover songs, is from the South Bend and southern Michigan area. It’s a free admission show, so Homebrew Fest participants can walk over from the tent to the Garden and enjoy the music. In case of rain, the band may be canceled.
Rich said his favorite beer that he’s most proud of and will be offering is his Bacon Blonde, “a smoked blonde ale based on a German style that complements meat.”
Daren Deffenbaugh, a Kettleheads member, said he’ll be bringing his popular “Skidmark,” a black IPA.
“People walk into the tent and go directly up to Daren and say, ‘I’d like to have my annual Skidmark,’” Lorraine Deffenbaugh said.
For the first time at the event, Daren said he also will be bringing a lager. “It’s a Munich Helles,” he said.
“There are quite a few members bringing several ciders of many different flavors – standard cider, fruit cider, tea cider,” Rich said. “There’s a couple of members that decided they were more interested in making ciders than beers, so they’ll be bringing ciders.”
Again this year, there also will voting for a People’s Choice award, Rich said. Attendees will be able to vote for their favorite beer or cider.
There will be “giveaways” during the night.
“I think a big thing about the event is being able to talk to brewers about the process and the ideas behind their beers,” Winey said. “A lot of people that like beer can taste their special beer, but it’s a rare occasion when you can go and talk to the person who actually brews it.”
CCS Executive Director Steve Possell said in 2016 the Homebrew Fest raised about $5,000, but with the auction items, it raised near $20,000.
“Last year, we put it toward utility assistance because when the three-month moratorium ends during the winter, when people can get a break on their utility bills, on that end we had 25 families in a day come in for utility assistance. That’s a lot. So a lot (of the Fest’s proceeds) will go toward utility assistance,” Possell said.
CCS Director of Development Alyssa Lowe said they helped over 300 last year and had to turn away 108 due to lack of funding. CCS was able to help 37 families get their utilities turned back on and stay on during the winter last year, too.
“One family can get behind $500 easily, and have to pay reconnection fee. So, you think of that times 37 and it adds up,” Lowe said.
Possell said CCS also gets funding from United Way of Kosciusko County for the utility assistance program. “This (Fest) supplements that,” he said.
“We’ve raised over $30,000 since the founding of the club through all of our fundraising events,” Winey said.
Kettleheads is the first and only brew club in the county, he said.
Sponsors for the 2017 Homebrew Fest include Maple Leaf Farms, Silveus Insurance, Hall & Marose, Ink Free News, 212 Media Studios, Blue Note Design and Kosciusko Kettleheads.
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