Check out these indoor beer fests this winter.
Nothing warms the spirit and brightens up the long, cold days of winter like a gathering of friends over a few handcrafted brews and some good food. These winter festivals are a great way for the Mountain State’s burgeoning number of breweries—now at 28—to connect with consumers and share the collective good about the brewing industry that in 2018 produced 18,951 barrels of craft beer, and that provided a $286 million economic impact to West Virginia, according to the Brewers Association statistics.
Morgantown takes the party indoors come February 8 with Cabin Fever, the state’s first and largest indoor craft beer festival.Cabin Fever features only Mountain State–made brews. Last year, Cabin Fever took place at Mylan Park, with 21 of the state’s breweries pouring 80 different beers. wvbeerfest.com
The Better Beer Coalition curates the Wild and Wonderful Winter Fest, now in its third year. This year the organization plans to celebrate India pale ales, known to hopheads as IPAs. Set for Saturday, February 15, the Wild and Wonderful Winter Fest heads back to the event space at Black Sheep Harley-Davidson on Fourth Avenue in Huntington. @wildandwonderfulwinterbeerfest on Facebook
In Bluefield, The Bluefield Arts Center hosts a Winter Warmer in late February shining a light on the fast-growing regional craft brewery scene in southern West Virginia. The Warmer is a great way to get a taste of some of the newer area breweries: Sophisticated Hound (Princeton), Banning (Summersville), and Free Folk (Fayetteville) have all popped up in the past few years joining larger established area breweries such as Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company and Bridge Brew Works. Winter Warmer features craft beer, local food, and music from regional favorites. visitmercercounty.com
written by Dave Lavender
Image by Alexas Fotos from Pixabay
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