Cold beer and perfect weather

KELLOGG –– Perfect temperatures, a light breeze, great music, and plenty of ice-cold beer made the 27th annual Brewsfest on Silver Mountain one of the biggest events of the summer.  

More than 1,000 people made the 20-minute gondola ride to the top of Silver Mountain last Saturday to sample 40 different craft beers and ciders from the many local and regional breweries.  

Silver Mountain Marketing Manager Gus Colburn was happy with how the afternoon went, beginning with the warm, but not hot, weather enjoyed by the happy beer drinkers.  

“The weather was absolutely perfect for this Brewsfest,” Colburn said. “We had more than 1,050 people show up which is a good number for the event. The bands were great and it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves up there.”  

The event was a Cicerone’s paradise, featuring beers of all types including IPAs, lagers, ales, sours, ciders, stouts, and everything in between. Over the years, as craft beer has expanded into ciders and other specialties, Silver Mountain has also expanded to add more ciders and sours.  

“Ciders are always popular at this event and we will take steps to include more cideries in the future,” Colburn said. “Bitterroot Brewing's Blood Orange Blonde Ale and 10 Barrel's Huckleberry Crush were the first kegs to be emptied by attendees, so they must be doing something right.” 

Colburn also made sure to compliment his staff and the army of volunteers representing Kellogg High School’s Athletic Department for making sure the event ran smoothly.  

While Brewsfest 2024 was a huge success, the crown of biggest Brewsfest ever still belongs to the 2021 edition that drew 1,200 people and was one of the first major events to be held after losing all of 2020 to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brewsfest is annually held on the second Saturday of August.