Silver Mountain Brewsfest ready to be tapped

KELLOGG — It is no longer a secret that the Silver Valley (and really the Northwest as a whole) has become a craft beer/cider destination. North Idaho alone sports around 20 individual providers of the cold stuff.

This Saturday, Silver Mountain Resort will be showcasing many of these fine creations at their annual Brewsfest from 1 to 6 p.m.

Known for its unique setting, the Brewsfest atop the mountain is accessed via a 3-mile gondola ride to the top. Once there, thirsty attendees will have the opportunity to sample around 44 different drinks from 22 different breweries, all while listening to live music from some fantastic musical talent such as Shakewell, Royale and Elephant Gun Riot.

Local Silver Valley favorites such as North Idaho Mountain Brewing, Radio Brewing and Wallace Brewing will be on hand, in addition to other breweries from all over the region.

So whether you simply want to enjoy your local favorite or branch out and try something new from a new place, Brewsfest will have you covered.

Speaking of branching out, five cideries will also be on hand for those who either don’t like beer or are simply looking to try something new. This will be the second year in a row that cider has been offered at the event.

For those wanting to join in on the fun, but want to avoid alcohol — kombucha, ice pops and other refreshments will also be offered.

Brewsfest has been one of Silver’s biggest events for more than 20 years, drawing in anyone who enjoys a crafted alcoholic beverage.

Silver Mountain Marketing Associate Siobhan Ebel explains that not only is this a big deal for them, it’s also a huge positive for the community.

“We love partnering with local breweries, including the Silver Valley’s own, Radio Brewing Company, Wallace Brewing and North Idaho Mountain Brew, to help raise awareness of all the great things the Silver Valley has to offer,” she said. “People are always a little surprised that we have three breweries right here in town, and once they start to investigate, they find lots of other reasons to come back. As the area’s events become larger and more diverse, we are seeing whole new groups of people discover what we already know — the Silver Valley is an amazing place to be year-round.”

Silver Mountain encourages attendees to try everything available and get the most they can out of Brewsfest, but they also stress that folks should stay within their means and not get too carried away.

Most craft beers and ciders have higher alcohol contents than the more widely available drinks, so caution is advised to first timers.

One Brewsfest ticket includes a gondola ticket, event access, a 2018 5-ounce Brewsfest mug and six tasting tickets.

Ebel also divulged a few tips to make your Brewsfest experience even more enjoyable.

“Upload the gondola early, you can always relax up top where it’s cooler until the gates open at 1 p.m.” she said. “Due to the large amount of interest in the event, gondola lines may be longer than usual. Lawn chairs will be available to rent, but you’re welcome to bring your own. Finally, be prepared for changing weather; it’s usually about 10 degrees cooler on the mountain top than in the village, which is something we can all appreciate right now.”

The complete list of participating breweries and cideries are as follows: Pelican Brewing Co., Waddell’s Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing, Iron Goat Brewing Co., Payette Brewing Co., Deschutes Brewery, Mother Earth Brewing Co., Hop Valley, Ballast Point, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Ninkasi Brewing, One Tree Hard Cider, Grand Teton Brewing, Radio Brewing Co., North Idaho Cider, Wallace Brewing Co., Elysian, North Idaho Mountain Brew, Fremont Brewing, River City Brewing, Odell Brewing Co., Boise Brewing, Icicle Brewing Co., Roadhouse Brewing Co., Post Falls Brewing Co., Sawtooth Brewery, Tieton Cider Works and D’s Wicked Cider Co.

Non-alcoholic: Townshend’s Brew Dr. Kombucha and Poppy Gourmet Ice Pops.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.silvermt.com/Summer/Events/Brewsfest or call ticketing at 208-783-8206.