Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. marks its seventh birthday tomorrow, Jan., 21, with its annual Wolpertinger Festival. If you’re unfamiliar with this annual celebration, snag a ticket online tonight or at the door tomorrow (if you can!) and head to UCBC’s Grove Brewery and Bierhall from 1 to 5 p.m. for a hell of a great time highlighted by local beer, UCBC grub, Wolpi the mythological beast and several musical acts.
There are several beers I’m excited to try. As in years past, I’m looking forward to Wolpertinger 2018, UCBC’s anniversary brew; it’s always big, bold, and complex. Fun fact: I hear they will also tap Wolpertinger vintages.
In keeping with another tradition, UCBC has invited a single, non-local brewery to partake in the festivities. This year’s guest is La Cumbre Brewing from Albuquerque, New Mexico. La Cumbre rolls into The Lou with its core lineup, the newest in its Project Dank series and the not-to-miss In the Money DIPA, a 100-percent Citra double dry-hopped double IPA brewed with fresh pineapple and guava. Give me all the pineapple and guava, please.
I’m equally as excited to try La Cumbre’s Malpais, a foreign export stout that has seen its share of awards. I’ll be looking for roasted malts, notes of coffee, a touch of sweetness mid-palate and a lingering bitterness to finish.
Because it’s a beer festival, I’ll be on the lookout for all the thirst-quenching lagers, light-bodied beers and hops. Perennial Artisan Ales is bringing one of its newest releases, Pils, a light-bodied German-style Pilsner with classic notes of Pilsner malt, fruity aromatics and a clean dry finish. Charleville Brewing Co.‘s Long White Cloud hoppy Pilsner and Missouri Beer Co,’s Kölsch will also make their way into my glass more than once.
For those who don’t venture into St. Charles County, I have it on good authority that Missouri Beer Co. will also show up with its BeerSauce Shop collaboration, a barrel-aged Imperial oatmeal milk stout. It’s a lovely, medium-bodied, roasty stout that boasts booze and barrel, bittersweet chocolate and vanilla.
White Rooster Farmhouse Brewing Co. will bring Kairos Remix, a nontraditional Berlinerweisse complete with higher alcohol content, a heavier malt bill, lactose and a secondary fermentation on pineapple and mango. After a wonderful introduction to White Rooster beers at 2nd Shift’s Cask Fest last weekend, I am incredibly excited about everything coming out of this brewery.
Katie Herrera is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine and an account manager at Craft Republic.
This article appears in January 2018.