By Kerry Cyganiewicz

On June 29, The Nashoba River Brewers Festival, also called Beers For Good, was held at Riverfront Park in Fitchburg. There was live music, a handful of food vendors and 39 breweries in attendance. Fifteen dollars got you into the event and a 4-ounce tasting cup. Tasting tickets were $1 each and entitled you to sample any of the beers from any of the breweries in attendance. This event was staffed by volunteers, with all of the proceeds going to local charities.

Here is my take on some of the samples I had:

Jack’s Abbey ~ Framingham
I had written about Smoke and Dagger elsewhere in this issue. Hoponius Union was another offering that caught my attention. This is an imperial pale lager. This is different from ale in that it is cold fermented to give a smoother finish, among other things. It was a welcome addition to an unusually warm day. Jack’s had a vast selection of beers, but I had many others to try. I look forward to trying the Framinghammer Baltic Port in the future.

People’s Pint ~ Greenfield
I had heard about this brew pub from some friends that live near there. I regret not having visited. I met Wardell Woodley, sales and distribution manager, at the taps, pouring beer with a smile on his face. I tried a sample of Farmer Brown Ale and was mesmerized by its flavor profile. Light on the hops, with a toffee, caramel and chocolate sweetness, it was a nice change from the floral hop profile of other offerings. This was one of the few beers that I had a second sample of.
Gardner Ale House ~ Gardner

Gardner Ale House ~ Gardener
This is one of the breweries that had the actual brewers pouring beer and interacting with people. The brewer poured a kolsch, a light German ale, which is a special style of beer for me. I won best of show in a large homebrew competition with a kolsch that I had brewed. Gardner Ale House won something a little bigger with this kolsch ~ a gold medal at the 2001 Great International Beer Festival. It was light, full of flavor and lacking the undesirable aftertaste of sulfur that is common in kolschs not brewed properly. The brewers were pouring many other beers, but even at 4 ounces at a time, the alcohol still adds up.

Element Brewing ~ Millers Falls
The actual owners were manning the taps at their station. They offered a selection of bigger beers, not common at these types of events. I tried the Extra Special Oak. It is an English strong ale aged in oak. Vanilla and biscuit sweetness gave way to a dry oak citrus finish. An amazing value at $1 for 4 ounces. Most brew pubs would consider 8 ounces a serving and charge you much more. Here, you can speak with the person who made the beer you are enjoying. I look forward to savoring a larger serving over time to see how the flavors develop as the beer warms.