|
Barfly Jason Genegabus |
Wine flows into
a beer festFOR THE third year in a row, beer fanatics from all over Oahu will converge on the Waikiki Shell tomorrow for what's now called the Rolaids & Zantac Great Diamond Head Beer & Wine Fest.
While the first two festivals catered just to the beer-drinking public, wine sippers are invited as well this year, with more than 70 brands of wine joining some 100 different beers, ales, stouts and porters that make this a can't-miss annual event.
The Rolaids & Zantac
Great Diamond Head
Beer & Wine Fest
Hours: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Location: Waikiki Shell
Tickets: $22 in advance, $29 at the door
Phone: 526-4400 to order by phone
"We were getting a lot of anecdotal reports that there were couples where one person would love to go to a beer tasting but the other was really into wine," event organizer Rick Schneider said earlier this week. "And we said, 'Well, we shouldn't keep anybody out,' so we put a wine tasting together to go with it."
DON'T EXPECT to see the most expensive bottles of wine being poured tomorrow night -- but that doesn't mean what is poured doesn't deserve a place in your refrigerator, either.
"We're trying to show wines that have a lot of character (and) are really good drinking wines that are reasonably priced," Schneider said. "We're going to give people a chance to taste some wines that would stand up to some very expensive (competition) but is absolutely accessible in your supermarket."
In addition to wines from Italy, Chile and Australia, Schneider is excited about serving up bottles of CK Mondavi and Five Rivers Ranch to those who show up at the Shell. "I guess it's our attempt at being egalitarian," he adds with a laugh.
FANS OF locally produced beer also have reason to get excited about this year's festival. All three of Oahu's breweries -- Brew Moon, Gordon Biersch and Sam Choy's Big Aloha Brewery -- will be represented, and there's even going to be a new local addition in the form of Kauai's Keoki Brewing Co. They'll offer two different brews during the festival, Kauai Gold and Kauai Sunset.
Other notables this year include Rogue's Morimoto Soba and Morimoto Hazelnut, Redhook's Winterhook and IPA, as well as the Barfly's personal favorite, Deschutte's Black Butte Porter (any self-respecting beer drinker who turns his nose up at this stuff needs to have his head examined).
Malternatives also continue to be popular, with Bacardi O3, Bacardi Silver Raz, Smirnoff Ice, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Mike's Hard Cranberry, Mike's Hard Iced Tea, Seagram's Smooth Citrus, Seagram's Smooth Red and the notorious Zima Clear Malt all part of this year's festival. Be sure to try the Thomas Kemper Root Beer and Cream Soda, too, if you prefer a sweeter-tasting beverage.
AND WE can't forget about the fest's food offerings; Schneider says there will be a variety of plates available ranging in price from $4 to $9, with restaurants like Gordon Biersch, Kevin's Two Boots and Compadres serving it up alongside the talented chefs at Pipeline Cafe.
Tickets for this one aren't the cheapest -- $22 in advance at all Ticketmaster outlets, $29 at the door -- but believe me when I tell you this event is well worth every penny you spend to get in. Three hours of sampling this many beers and/or wines, plus ono food and entertainment by Guy Cruz means you'll probably wake up the next morning wondering if your liver will hold out long enough to do it all again next year!
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Barfly appears every Friday in Star-Bulletin Weekend.
E-mail Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com with suggestions of neighborhood bars to visit.
