The fifth annual Bines & Brews Hopfest takes place on Saturday, September 15, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Limbach Park in Monument, Colorado. This fresh hop focused festival includes craft beer, hard cider and moonshine from 13 Colorado-based breweries, a cidery and two nearby distilleries. A soundtrack of upbeat, contemporary jazz serenades guests in the background amidst the brewers competition that specifies using wet hops in their creations and differentiates the event from any other currently in-state.
Participating establishments include:
- Cerberus Brewing Company
- Metric Brewing Company
- Burly Brewing Company
- Atrevida Beer Company
- Florence Brewing Company
- Nano 108 Brewing Company
- 38 State Brewing Company
- Paradox Beer Company
- El Rancho Brewing Company
- Peaks N Pines Brewing Company
- Ute Pass Brewing Company
- Storybook Brewing
- Pikes Peak Brewing Company
- The Ice Cave Cider House
- Lee Spirits Company
- 3 Hundred Days of Shine
Festival-goers can expect limited to non-existent lines and additional product samplings from the breweries, distilleries and the cider house in an effort to manifest “actual future business for them,” says Terri Hayes, president and CEO of the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Visitor Center, who coordinates Bines & Brews Hopfest.
“[The guests] are going to remember it more if they can get something that’s local,” continues Hayes. “I want the brewers to get something out of this event and gain true fans.”
Free water, soda and sales of German cuisine from The Stube, located in Palmer Lake, Colorado, as well as hearty portions of meat-on-a-stick from Texas Roadhouse are on-hand for clutch sustenance options. General admission tickets are available for $25.00 and $10.00 for designated drivers but sales cap at a 350 guests in order to maintain an intimate atmosphere that allows for discussion with the brewers.
“This event is really geared towards the connoisseurs that like that they can talk to knowledgable people that are pouring,” says Hayes. We purposefully have kept it limited because we don’t want anyone in line for a really long time and to feel rushed. You can enjoy and really taste.”
The event has a strict 21 and up policy and does not allow “even cute babies, underage designated drivers or dogs of any age” to optimize what she calls a “nice, relaxing, adult afternoon.”
“This is the beer festival for people that don’t like other beer festivals,” says Hayes. “If you don’t like drinking beer with 1,000 of your closest friends then come do it with half that amount.”
*Header image courtesy of Colorado Brew Crew
