This year’s Hickory Hops, Hickory’s 6^th annual outdoor beer festival, offers plenty for everyone, from inexperienced beer novices to hardened beer fest veterans anxious for some unusual.  Mark your calendar, April 12 is the date.  Rain or shine, under then tents, from 1:00 until 7:00. No one under 21 will be allowed to enter including non-drinkers/designated drivers and no pets please.

The Cask-Conditioned Ale Tent is a special booth set aside for beer made in a centuries old style. Back before the days of pressurized carbon dioxide containers and refrigeration, all beer was cask-conditioned. That means that the yeast is still present in the stainless steel or wooden cask from which it is served, although it has settled to the bottom and is not poured into the glass.

Practiced today mostly by small English breweries and creative American craft brewers, this traditional style - in which the beer is fermented, conditioned and served from the same vessel – results in a remarkable different mouthfeel and flavor profile for most beer. Served warmer, usually at cellar temperatures of about 55°F, and possessing noticeably less carbonation, cask-conditioned ales typically are smoother in texture and more prominent in flavor than their force-carbonated counterparts. Proper care is essential to ensure cask-conditioned ale’s drinkability. The effort provides a fresh and natural taste that is unforgettable.  OHB brewer Steven Lyerly organized the Cask-Conditional Ale Tent.

The Carolinas Championship of Beer introduces its third rendition this year. Several weeks before the fest, most of the festival breweries were submitted beer for a blind-judged competition. In mid-April, over 120 beers spanning 85 different beer styles will be analyzed by a panel of certified judges, brewers and experienced judges. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be presented to winning brewers at a private brewers’ dinner prior to the fest. During Hickory Hops, following the first band, plaques will be awarded to three Best of Show winners.

And that brings us to Hickory Hops. For the 6th year in a row, our small burg is blessed with the presence of breweries from all over the South. Though they vary in size and scope, by their very name, microbreweries are small businesses. The brewers are here to give their beer away in hopes that you will patronize them in the future. Show them your respect and appreciation.

Beer festivals are fun. Following a few helpful hints will make your fest experience more enjoyable:

• Arrive early, or at least before midpoint of this 1:00 to 7:00 event. Some kegs may empty in the final hours.
• Don’t be in a rush. Drink slowly and enjoy the broad array of flavors and styles. Take a 15-minute break every hour- sit and listen to the music or find a spot to people-watch.
• Start your first trip around the tent city by asking for each brewery’s lightest (not light or lite) beer. Work your way darker with each successive circuit. Next come ambers, pale ales, browns, porters and stouts with various others in between. By sampling in this fashion, your taste buds will not be overwhelmed by too much variation between beer style tastes.
• You’ll want to try as many beers as you can, so ask the server not to fill your glass. There’s more for the asking.
• And remember, since North Carolina’s beer alcohol law changed in August 2005, brewers can make bigger “high gravity” beers. Often sweet or powerfully hopped, beers over 6% alcohol can be deceiving in their affect. If you want to enjoy the entirety of the festival, limit your consumption of the high gravity beers.