Beer Festival supplies opportunity to taste beers from around the world

Hundreds came to the Bloomington Monroe County Convention Center to file into a room full of brews from around the world.

The convention center was packed Thursday with people wanting to experience the beginning of the 16th annual Big Red Liquors’ Beer Festival.

Rob Williamson, director of the event, said there were 49 tables present on Thursday and roughly 300 different beers ranging from micro-breweries to beers from around the world. Williamson also said there were about 500 people in attendance.

Bloomington resident Michael Kinaid is a beer fest veteran. He started going to beer festivals three years ago in Indianapolis. This is his first beer fest in Bloomington.

“I like the atmosphere a lot better than Indianapolis,” he said. “The people are more low-key and a lot nicer.”

One of Kinaid’s favorites at the festival was Magic Hat’s #9. Magic Hat was new at the festival this year. Based in Vermont, they currently don’t have a market in Bloomington, but that will change when they will make #9 available in January.

Tim Dunphy, “field marshal” of kegs and cases for the Magic Hat Brewing Company, was on hand Thursday as one of the vendors. The title field marshal means Dunphy is the divisional manager for the Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana areas. This is the first year for Magic Hat at the Beerfest. They began selling #9 in northern Indiana a few months ago, Dunphy said.

Dunphy said he was excited about his first ever Bloomington Beerfest.

“It’s just a phenomenal event,” Dunphy said. “It’s organized very well, and I love the fact that’s it’s a two-day session. It’s very, very cool.”

In just the first hour of the festival, Dunphy said he saw somewhere between 300 and 400 people trying Magic Hat’s #9.

“A lot of people think it’s the best beer they’ve tried so far,” he said. “A lot of people are trying it for the first time and really digging it, so we’re excited about that.”

Kinaid said he enjoyed himself at the festival on Thursday, and that this year’s wouldn’t be his last.

“I’ll definitely come back next year,” he said.