Louisville Beer Week set for Oct. 23-30, Louisville Ale Trail to launch Friday
Pandemic, be damned. Louisville Beer Week is happening this year starting Oct. 23 with oh-so-appropriate theme “Resilience.”
LBW, which this year is presented by the newly-established Louisville Ale Trail, runs through Oct. 30; it will recognize the resilience of brewery owners and employees during COVID-19 with several brewery collaborations and will also celebrate the launch of the new Louisville Ale Trail Passport, a sort of beer version of the Urban Bourbon Trail (though they are not connected).
As for resilience, Louisville breweries displayed just that as they did their best to stay open for package sales, patio seating and curbside pickup, providing a small glimmer of the normalcy we all once took for granted. In addition, several new breweries have opened this year, including Gallant Fox, Atrium Brewing and TEN20.
“Nobody planned on opening their taproom during a global pandemic,” Roger Huff, co-founder of Gallant Fox Brewing, said in a LBW news release. “But it’s not like we could just give up on our plans. We were able to pivot and make it work under new conditions. The other few breweries that opened after us probably thought the same. Why give up? Why wait?”
In addition to special brewery releases and events, the team behind Louisville Ale Trail announced a new limited-edition pilot launch for the Louisville Ale Trail Passport to be released in time for Lousiville Beer Week with a full-scale launch planned for early 2021.
The pilot launch for Passport booklets can be purchased online at louisvillealetrail.com beginning October 23 through the end of the year, while supplies last. For news and updates for Louisville Beer Week, follow @louisvillebeerweek or @louisvillealetrail.
Participating Louisville breweries this year include 3rd Turn Brewing, Against the Grain Brewery, Akasha Brewing Co., Apocalypse Brew Works, Atrium Brewing, Falls City Brewing Co., False Idol Independent Brewers, Gallant Fox Brewing Co., Goodwood Brewing Co., Gravely Brewing Co., Holsopple Brewing, Mile Wide Beer Co., Monnik Beer Co., Old Louisville Brewery, Ten20 Craft Brewery, West Sixth Nulu, Wild Hops Brewery, and a special appearance by Louisville’s own homebrew club LAGERS.
Here are a list of the special releases and collaborations:
Mile Wide Beer Co. + Holsopple Brewing:
"Mean What You Say - Holsopple Brewing - Imperial Slushy-style Sour Ale with Raspberry, Mango, and Passionfruit (fruit added post-fermentation)
Mile Wide Beer Company:
"Say What You Mean" - American Sour Ale with Raspberry, Mango, and Passionfruit (fruit added during fermentation).
West Sixth NuLu + Gravely Brewing Co:
"Dueling Banjos" - Double IPA with Citra, Idaho 7, Centennial, and Chinook hops.
Atrium Brewing + Against the Grain Brewery:
"Beach Kitsch" - A mixed 4-Pack of Strawberry Daiquiri and Piña Colada versions of American Tart Ale.
Gallant Fox Brewing + False Idol Independent Brewers:
"C'est La Vie / C'est La Mort" - C'est La Vie and C'est La Mort are a golden and dark Biere De Garde, respectively. C'est La Vie uses golden candi syrup, ginger, and lemon zest, while C'est La Mort uses dark candi sugar, grains of paradise, and a touch of roasted malt.
3rd Turn Brewing + Apocalypse Brew Works:
"The Trunchbull" - Salted Caramel Porter (6.8%). Layered with caramel and chocolate malts in the mash. Salted caramel powder from sugar and spice donut shop was added to the boil along with copious amounts of Himalayan sea salt, lactose, and caramel. The Trunchbull loves her sweets. She's salty and mean. She's a tyrannical monster who frightens the life out of children. The Trunchbull is very superstitious and has an intense fear of ghosts, black cats, and the supernatural in general. Enjoy with caution. The Trunchbull is ruthless.
Falls City Brewing Co. + Akasha Brewing Company:
"Campbell St. Porter" - Variants: Pecan, Chocolate & Vanilla (Akasha). Chocolate Banana (Falls City).
Goodwood Brewing + Lagers Homebrew Club
"Mango Madness" - When Greg and Sarah from LAGERS won the homebrew competition and brewed with us in Frankfort, we dove deep into our ties with fruit...We know wood, wood is good yes? Then we dove deeper, they were basically doing everything. What is this beer? Mango's grow on trees, right? Trees are wood, wood is good, Goodwood. Aha! It's madness! Absolute Mango Madness! Hazy IPA with Citra, Centennial, and Mango Puree. A tropical Vacation of a 7.5% beer that we're crazy about. Available in both Louisville and Frankfort pubs on 10/23.
Old Louisville Brewery + Wild Hops Brewery
"Coffee Blonde"
Monnik Beer Co. + TEN20 Craft Brewery:
"Biere de Mars"