It’s Time For Barleywine

A colossal event of gastro-biblical proportions!  Split into 2 sessions of EIGHTEEN BEERS EACH, this event should knock the socks off your socks……off.  Wait.  What?  Beers from 2012 to 2016!

Bill Madden is the coolest.  Hoarding barleywine and not making excuses.  Wow.

Pretty cool info on ‘barleywine’ and ‘barley wine’:  Wikipedia
see also:  wheat wine

College.  My first keg.  1998.  Old Foghorn.  I am a nerd.  JMU.  Punks descend and are appalled…which is something to watch.  Kevin Smith came to campus and brought Jay.  Viewing of Karma.  Jay can’t drink or smoke but gets pharmaceuticals from wisdom tooth removed punk and has tongue pierced by straight edge grill (grrrrl) Jaime downtown at her studio for professional/sanitary reasons.  I buy ice from Sanjeev at Mike’s MART for a week as I happily siphon the rest of the delicious elixir: Anchor Steam’s Old Foghorn – The Anchor Brewing Company introduced the style to the United States in 1976 with its Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale.  Old Foghorn was styled as barleywine (one word) out of fear that occurrence of the word wine on a beer label would displease regulators.  Neighbors look at me like I’m crazy.  Rorschach’s log, out.

Believe it or not, I’m walking on air….no I’m attending the 6th Barleywine Festival at Mad Fox in Falls Church, VA.

I can’t believe that this is the largest barleywine fest in the states.  Like the UNITED STATES….of Umericah?  um ya.  And I’ve been every year, whether Saturday or Sunday.

An extremely organized and comfortable time, it all happens because chief Mad Fox squirrels away barleywine kegs like Norwegians hide seeds. Like my friends at who have the largest Tulip Festival in the USA, Virginia quietly brings the super dooper wammy jammy good time.

Those nestled away kegs, to the chagrin of employees and managers (space is a limited commodity) provide an unbelievable experience.  Take a look at the beer list!!!

barleywine2016_1 barleywine2016_2

Baby, it’s ALL GOOD!!!  65 degree day?!?!  That meant that a lot of people were out and about on Saturday.  As the temp drops, expect a flood of lusty beer fiends to descend on the bar!!!

Think I’m joking?  You’ve read this far.  Know that Barleywine fests are FEW AND FAR BETWEEN: Toronado cancels barleywine festival

 

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