Beer from 50 different breweries will be available for tasting at the second annual Corridor Beer Festival this Saturday, June 7, from noon to 5 p.m. at NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids (1100 3rd St. SE).
Event coordinator Mark Vande Haar said organizers have worked hard to make unique beers available at the festival. Among them will be a firkin (a small cask used to age beer) of Tallgrass Ethos IPA brewed with orange peels and Chinook hops; Linchpin White IPA, a collaborative beer brewed by Green Flash and Founders breweries; and a Blueberry Wheat beer and Maple Syrup Coffee Stout, brewed for the festival by Cedar Rapids’ Third Base Brewery.
Other festival highlights include Empyrean’s dry-hopped Imperial Mango IPA and an amber ale infused with strawberries. Distributors will be offering other aged beers, and Vande Haar said there may also be “a unique Surly keg” available. In addition to the beer, Vande Haar said “a ton” of cider will be available.
This year’s festival will take place outside at NewBo, which is named for Cedar Rapids’ New Bohemia, a neighborhood that Vande Haar is excited about for its great urban vibe.
“The whole rebuilding process that area has gone through since 2008 has been rewarding and inspiring to watch,” he wrote in an email. “Bringing a festival of this size and putting it smack dab in the middle of all of the local ambiance will be something special.”
Equally special is the festival’s charitable cause. Ticket proceeds will be used to fund a full-sized playground on NewBo’s west lawn. Additionally, for each volunteer, the festival will make a donation to his or her preferred local charity or non-profit.
A limited number of tickets are available and can be purchased online for $30 or at the door for $35. Designated drivers, who will have access to root beer and treats provided by Augusta Restaurant, may attend for $5. Live music will be provided by OSG, Uniphonics and Planet Pluto. Those interested in volunteering can contact Vande Haar at mark@corridorbeerfest.com.
