Beer fest offers more than 150 craft brews

Wine festivals have been longtime favorite outings for local beverage enthusiasts.

Connoisseurs have rounded up designated drivers or hired limos to tote them to and from the many festivals across they state. It’s even a fun day trip to tour a collection of individual vineyards and sample the local harvest.

Now, with more and more breweries cropping up in the area, responsible drinkers have expanded their horizons and their taste buds.

But instead of hopping from shop to shop to check out the new brews, find the beer pouring in one place Saturday afternoon. Thanks to Beer Run and Star Hill Brewery, Top of the Hops — Charlottesville’s very own beer festival — will be offering more than 150 craft beers on the Downtown Mall.

As the organizers say, you can check out the “growing popularity of craft beers” from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the Charlottesville Pavilion.

Not only will you be able sample the local favorites, but word has it that craft creations from across the country will be on tap.

Not that you have to chug a mug from each, mind you. Each visitor will be presented with his or her own commemorative mug for sipping two-ounce samples of favorites. Taste offerings from our own Blue Mountain Brewery, or from Blue Moon from Golden, Colo. There will be beers from Boston, Brooklyn, Denver and San Francisco. Seattle, even Kona, Hawaii, and Kalamazoo, Mich. Trappist Brewery will be representing its hometown of Chimay, Belgium, while Pilsner Urquell is based in the Czech Republic.

Don’t worry — you can pick up a beer guide at the gate that will include descriptions of each brewery and its wares.

Pace yourself.

You can take a break and educate your palate at the Brew University Education Tent. There will be seminars ranging from how to brew your own beer to how to cook with beer and which food goes with which beer.

Of course, it wouldn’t be entertainment without some live entertainment. Two bands will be sharing the stage duties if you just want to sit back and enjoy the afternoon. Speaking of the Elephant will be performing from 3 to 4:30 p.m., while the Rock River Gypsies take over from 5 to 6:45 p.m..

The Charlottesville-based Elephant quarter plays everything from rock to funk and jazz to soul. There will be Pat Hayes on drums, Simon Evans on bass, Peter Delgrosso on keys and Ryan Lee on guitar. They may look young, but SOTE has won two battles of the bands.

Rock the Gypsies adds a touch of bluegrass to its rock and jazz roots. That means you will hear a few old-time favorites along with the original songs. The Gypsy quintet met at the College of William and Mary and has been combining its members' guitar, mandolin, saxophone and flute talents for the past four years.

Tickets are $40 at the gate, but you can save five bucks if you get them in advance. The general-admission pass gives you tokens to sample 30 beers. You can buy more tokens for $1 each.

Oh, and the designated drivers in your party only have to pay $15. They won’t be allowed to sample beer, but they will have free sodas and water.