Brewfest more than just beer
WHEELING — For observers who think the Mountaineer Brewfest at Heritage Port is just about drinking beer, they need to take another look and see for themselves what it’s really all about.
The third-annual Mountaineer Brewfest — for the 21 and older only crowd — brought visitors from near and far to Wheeling for the one-day event Saturday that showcases nearly a dozen West Virginia breweries and beyond. Proceeds raised are being shared with St. John’s Home for Children in Elm Grove.
For some, the festival serves as a tip of the hat to Wheeling’s early days when large, successful breweries kept Wheeling’s economy humming. Brian Warmuth and his wife, City Solicitor Rosemary Humway-Warmuth, agreed the festival is part of Wheeling’s revitalization that embraces the city’s past while remaking its future.
“This festival is a way to return to Wheeling’s roots.
“We had major breweries here in the early days. I like that there are young people taking a fresh approach to remaking the city,” Warmuth said. “People are learning this is a good place to live.”
His wife said with three craft brewers in Wheeling today, she is pleased at how their camaraderie resulted in another successful festival at Heritage Port. Humway-Warmuth knows a thing or two about hosting a festival as she and her husband are instrumental in putting on the annual Wheeling Feelin’ Chili Cookoff held at the port.
Andy Hogan, a native of Wheeling, said he’s pleased with the success of the event and said it is nice to see the young people having a good time with older folks, too. His vote was still out on the best beer as his taste testing was still in progress in the early evening hours of the festival.
Mayor Glenn Elliott opened the event with the traditional tapping of the keg and the day of beer tasting, live entertainment and food was off and running.
Wheeling Deputy Police Chief Martin Kimball as among the police patroling the festival grounds.
Few problems were reported although he had to remind numerous visitors to Heritage Port that no smoking was permitted.
While the festival, founded by Wheeling’s Jeff Hayes, was initially designed to educate people about the craft beer industry in West Virginia, the festival has developed and grown into a very popular venue in August.
The popularity of craft beer has helped West Virginia’s crafters mark their territory in the retail beer industry. The Brewers Association, a national trade group representing independent beer brewers, reported a 16-percent increase in retail dollar value in 2015, up to $22.3 billion.
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