Saturday marked the fifth Bloomington Craft Beer Festival, an annual celebration of craft beer and brewers from the state of Indiana.
Sponsored by the Brewer’s Guild of Indiana, the festival featured hundreds of beers and more than 50 local breweries, including many Bloomington-based breweries.
The Brewers Guild of Indiana was founded in 2000 to advocate for craft brewers in Indiana, according to the group’s website.
“It’s a great place to try different kinds of beer in a fun environment,” said Trish Surfus, a Bloomington resident and second-time attendee of the festival.
Formerly a non-beer drinker, Surfus became interested in craft beer after her boyfriend, a brewer himself, introduced her to the scene.
“Beer wasn’t really my thing before,” Surfus said. “I had no idea the variety of beer that was out there.”
General admission was $40, early admission was $60, and designated drivers could enjoy the festival’s ambiance for $10.
Attendees were given a wristband determining their ticket status, and those drinking were given a 4-ounce glass to sample the wares of the brewers within.
The event sold out the day before it began with 3,000 tickets sold, said Nikki Weekly, an IU Tourism Management student working ?the event.
“It’s really becoming a hub for something that people really like,” Weekly said of ?the festival.
The festival took place at the Woolery Mill, a former limestone production facility that serves as the venue for the Craft Beer Festival, among other events.
Local companies were featured heavily at the event. Bloomington beer makers included Upland Brewing, the Bloomington Brewing Company, Quaff On!, Function Brewing and The Tap Craft Beer Bar.
The festival comes right after Bloomington breweries and taprooms announced a Bloomington “Ale Trail” that seeks to feature and reward patrons of Bloomington craft beer.
Launched April 4 and running indefinitely, the “Ale Trail” takes the form of a scavenger hunt, according to a press release.
Customers are provided a pamphlet where they can receive stamps from buying a pint at a participating brewery. If a customer receives stamps from all seven of the currently participating breweries, they receive a prize and are entered for a chance to win a brewery tour.
The local participating breweries include the Bloomington Brewing Company, Function Brewing, Quaff On!, Scotty’s Brewhouse, the Upland Brewing Brewpub, the Salt Creek Brewery Taproom and the Upland Brewing ?Production Brewery.
The prizes available will change over time, according to the press release.
The Bloomington “Ale Trail” initiative and Craft Beer Festival take place in an environment where craft beer is booming across the state.
No craft breweries existed in Indiana before the 1980s, when a change in state law allowed production by small producers.
Since then, almost 100 breweries employing hundreds of people have been founded in the state.
Businesses range from small operations of several people to large-scale breweries such as Sun King and Three Floyd’s, who produce tens of thousands of barrels of beer annually.
Taken together, the craft brewing industry contributed an estimated $609 million to the state in 2013, according to Support Indiana Brewers, a lobbying group.
With small breweries growing and craft beer on the rise, the future looks bright for the Bloomington Craft Beer Festival and its thousands of thirsty patrons.
Neal Earley contributed ?reporting.
