The second annual Caribrew Beer Fest was held on Saturday, April 27 at the 100 Mile Community Hall.
The beer best was organized by the 100 Mile Rotary Club and featured seven breweries and one cidery from northern British Columbia. Gisela Janzen, the rotary club’s treasurer, said that all proceeds will be donated to a project that would benefit the youth in 100 Mile House but they have not identified which one yet.
Overall, Janzen feels glad to have hosted the event, even if the numbers were not as massive as last year - which Janzen believes is thanks to the event being held in April because of scheduling conflicts with beer festivals in northern BC and Kamloops.
“It wasn’t as busy as the last year, which was at the beginning of March - so we definitely have to look at that - because people go away and do other things already - but all in all, it went really well.”
One of the breweries that were showcased was 100 Mile House’s own Cask and Cleaver, which had attended to help “promote a great event for the community”, according to Daniel Braaten one of the brewery’s co-owners. Braaten says that the turnout for the beer fest was “awesome.”
“We’ve got a whole bunch of ticket sales this year, we got more vendors than we did last year, and everyone seems to be having a really good time,” Braaten said.
Cask and Cleaver plans on attending next year’s beer fest if there is any - as well as the Great Canadian beer fest.
Another brewery that attended was the Barkerville Brewing Company, based out of Quesnel. Barkerville Brewing’s head brewer Erin Dale said this was her first time attending the festival, though her company attended the inaugural one last year.
“I like going to beer fests that are local, we sell beer here at 100 Mile, people here buy our beer, and it’s fun to be around local breweries - it’s a good time,” Dale said.
Throughout the event, a competition was held where people tasted ciders and beers and voted on which one was the best. Bronze and silver were won by Slaughterhouse Craft Mead and Cider - a Prince George meadery with their cyser and modern semisweet cider respectively. However, the gold went to Cask and Cleaver Brewing, which won for its pineapple vanilla sour beer.
Attendees also had high praises for this year’s event: Rob Cuttler, an 18-year resident of 100 Mile House who now lives in Lumby, said he attended the beer fest because his eldest son worked at the Cask and Cleaver.
“I came here and he makes some excellent draft beer.”
Cuttler has stated that he always liked light beer, but said he enjoyed the beer from Slaughterhouse Craft Mead and Cider, a “one-time slaughterhouse turned craft cider and meadery (a winery or brewery that produces honey wines or meads)” from Prince George - which has been his favourite out of the beer fest.
Cuttler says that the event was “not too bad” and “definitely” wants to go back to any future Caribrew Beer Fest if they are held.
Janzen says that there are currently discussions over the future of the event.
“We do a review and it will happen here in the next couple of days.”