Kosciusko Kettleheads’ Homebrew Fest Benefits CCS Utilities With funding cuts from various sources, Combined Community Services relies a little more on fundraisers like the Kosciusko Kettleheads’ Homebrew Fest to support its utilities assistance program.
Steve Possell, CCS executive director, said, “With some of the lower numbers with the United Way campaign, we’re really having to make up extra money for utilities. The proceeds from this will help a ton of families in the winter.”
Proceeds from the 2018 Homebrew Fest allowed CCS to assist close to 100 families with utilities assistance.
“That’s why we do it for,” Possell said. “So we can turn away less families than we have in the past.”
He said CCS’s relationship with the power companies allows them to keep people connected at a lower price. Sometimes churches and organizations get involved to help more people. “It doesn’t have to be a ton of money helping one family,” he said.
Kosciusko Kettleheads’ Homebrew Fest 2019 is June 22 at the parking lot of The Garden and Cerulean in Winona Lake.
“This will be our ninth Homebrew Festival, and we’ve given all the money to CCS over the years. They’re a great charity. We want to give the most amount of money to the most people. They’ve been a great partner with us. It’s just a great excuse to brew a ton of beer,” Kettleheads club president Jason Rich said.
He estimated the Homebrew Fest raised about $9,000 for CCS in 2018. “It was a good year. They’ve all been good years, but last year was a good year,” Rich said.
VIP admission is $45 and includes a 5 p.m. entrance and VIP glass. General admission is $25 and includes a 6 p.m. entrance and tasting glass. The beer-tasting event will go until about 9 or 9:30 p.m.
Alyssa Lowe, CCS director of development, said VIP tickets sold out prior to the event in 2018 so people should get their tickets early if they want to get in early and the extra benefits. Rich said VIP ticket holders also get access to special beers and an hour of private time with the brewers.
Order tickets online at gardenwinona.com/homebrew2019.
Club member Aaron Winey said, “This year we partnered with Indiana On Tap for their ticketing service, so hopefully we’ll get some more regional participation. So that’s something new for us and new exposure, which I think is good.”
Rich said, “The more patrons we get, the more money we can donate.”
Winey said the VIP glasses will have the year on it and a special graphic. “We have a new style of glasses this year and they’re pretty cool,” he said.
As for the selection of beers at this year’s event, Rich said, “They’ll be one of every thing. If you like hoppy beers, they’re there; if you like Belgian beers, if you like fruit beers, if you like ciders, if you like stouts, there will be quite a few of everything. I’m a big fan of smoked beers, and there will be a few of those there as well.”
Winey said he is bringing a rosé lager. It looks like a rosé wine and is “kind of designed to be like a rosé wine, but it’s a beer,” he said.
He’s also doing a cherry sour and an IPA that’s really dry but really hoppy with a little bit of bitterness.
Club member Daren Deffenbaugh said he’s bringing the black IPA that he brings every year and an American-style pale ale.
Rich said every year he has made a crème brûlée-style but didn’t in 2018 because “it’s not exactly easy to make.” This year he made the beer and aged it on bourbon. “That should be good. Hopefully, I get to bring some home,” Rich said.
Winey said there will be over 40 beers with about 17 brewers participating.
Participants get their glass at the door and sample as many beers as they want.
Club member Lorraine Deffenbaugh said there are new brewers in the club so they’ll be bringing their beers. Pretzel necklaces also will be on hand.
“When you go to a beer festival, it’s like a candy necklace only with pretzels,” she said. It clears the palet between beers.
There will be a food truck from Spike’s/Noa Noa this year attached to the tent, or people can eat at The Garden.
The tent is being sponsored by Maple Leaf Farms.
Rich said Rabb Water will have a truck there with filtered water for rinsing glasses and drinking. “They’re kindly donating that,” he said.
Possell said there also will be bottled water available.
Winey said attendees can vote for their favorite beers this year again. In 2018, he won for best beer and Michael and Kelly McGuire won for best non-beer. Everyone who buys a ticket gets a token to vote, but more tokens can be purchased for $1 apiece. The proceeds from the additional tokens go to CCS.
There also will be an opportunity to win a mixed pack of donations. Winey said there is stuff from local organizations, like Kosciusko REMC, that people may be able to win.
But the important thing, club members are quick to point out, is that the event helps CCS.
Rich said, “We do this event because our motto as a club is to ‘brew good, do good.’ We have a special talent, we like to share it with the world, and why not do it for the benefit of a great organization like CCS?”
