The 2016 Akron Craft Beer Festival

If you love craft beer, this is an event you won’t want to miss. Forty-one local, national and international craft breweries will be represented. This year attendees will have a wide variety of to choose from including sour-style beers, which are becoming extremely popular, meads and ciders. 

This year, the Civic is creating its own one-of-a-kind beer, called The Mighty Wurlitzer, in collaboration with Heavy Seas brewery of Baltimore, Maryland. We will be tapping our unique Heavy Seas cask at 8:30 p.m. on the Civic stage. “Last year’s ‘Loretta’ was such a hit we decided to do another one-of-a-kind beer with Heavy Seas!” stated Val Renner, special programming director for the Akron Civic Theatre and organizer of the event. This event is presented by Wayside Furniture with additional support from Fifth Third Bank.

Other highlights of the evening include the following:

•    A cask of Fat Head’s Double Dryed Hopped Head Hunter will be making a special appearance;
•    A mystery infusion will be happening with Dogfish!
•    Say Aloha to Maui Brewing Co. founded in 2005. Maui Brewing Co. is Hawaii’s largest craft brewery, operating 100% in Hawaii. Maui’s Big Swell, Pineapple Wheat and Coconut Porter will be making their first appearance!
•    Shorts – the third largest brewery in Michigan, known widely for their flagship beers and  experimental brews – will be bringing Huma Lupa Licious and Soft Parade;
•    Against the Grain located at Slugger Field, is Louisville’s premier craft brewery and will be tasting Citra Ass Down, 35K (milk stout) and Brown Note (English Brown)
•    Brewed by the Trappist monks of St. Joseph’s Abbey (Spencer Abbey) in Spencer, Massachusetts, the Spencer Brewery is one of only 11 Trappist breweries in the world, and the first in America. Spencer Trappist Ale will be offered for tastings.
•    Crafted Artisan Meadery will be bringing a special world premiere keg of “You Down with CCP” – Coconut Cream Pie Mead; 
•    Hailed as one of the best sour beers in the world, Wittekerke Wild will be here;
•    Other highlights are Deschutes Black Butte XVIII, Uinta Birthday Suit 23, Victory Sour Monkey and Petrus Aged Red.

Breweries and meaderies that will be represented are: 

5 Rabbit Brewery
Against The Grain
Maui
Shorts
Fat Head
Crafted Artisan Meadery (Mogadore)
Deschutes Brewery
Dogfish Head 
Fat Head’s Brewery
Revolution 
Great Lakes Brewing Co. (Cleveland)
Heavy Seas
21st Amendment
Hoppin’ Frog Brewery (Akron)
Perrin
Market Garden
Lost Coast
Lagunitas
Avery
Charles Wells
Mt. Carmel Brewing Co. 
Epic
Ommengang
North Coast
Thirsty Dog
Chagrin Falls
Stone Brewing Co.
Founders
Southern Tier
Troegs Brewing Co.
Unita
Witterkerke
Jolly Pumpkin
JK Scrumpy Cider
Brooklyn
Blakes Hard Cider
Smuttynose
Sixpoint
Clown Shoes
Petrus
Magic Hat
Unibourne 

Attendees will receive a commemorative glass and light appetizers provided by Papa Joe’s.