This weekend, Shawn and I went to check out “The Great Taste of the Midwest 2008” aka Beerfest. Think about 100+ brewers/brewpubs serving over 500 different kinds of beer in a beautiful lakeside setting with a view of the state capitol. The weather was absolutely perfect and they keep the size small by selling a limited number of tickets. But enough about the setting, lets talk about the beer!

I didn’t keep count of the number of beers tasted (servings are 3 oz) but here are a few of my favorite’s Old Hat Bewerey had a delicious Cherry Pilsner called Cherry Baby. It was light, crisp and refreshing with a hint of fresh cherries. Almost like a champagne than a beer. Another good one was Prairie Rock Brewing Company’s Vanilla Creme Ale. Delicious. Nice and creamy, think of a cream soda for adults. . . and I normally don’t like cream soda! Unfortunately, I do not remember the names of the brewer’s, but I also had a fantastic imperial stout, a yummy blueberry stout, and a raspberry lambic that was out of this world.

Shawn and I have already decided that we are going to go again next year. Hopefully, we’ll be able to talk some of our friends into joining us. Oh, and next time I have to make us pretzel necklaces!