Durham Craft Beer Festival, 2016 version: Wasn't that a party?

I sat on a bar stool in a darkened bar, a pint of Karma Citra IPA in a red plastic toothbrush glass in my hand, and contemplated life.

This is pretty good, I thought, as the sounds of the Third Annual Durham Craft Beer Festival in full swing filtered in from outside. Life, I mean. It's pretty much a given that the Karma Citra would be great.

But life, that's not too bad either.

The Karma Citra, a seasonal India Pale Ale that had been released by Great Lakes Brewery eleven days before this event, was the reason I was inside Buster Rhino's, the host venue for the festival, and not outside enjoying myself in the sunshine.

See, I had been told that Great Lakes, which ran out of Karma Citra at the brewery's retail store less than two days after its release, was not going to be pouring the beer at the festival. Buster Rhino's, however, had somehow acquired three kegs of this magic elixir, so if I wanted Karma Citra (and I most certainly did), the bar was always going to be my first stop when I arrived  in downtown Oshawa for the festival.

I devoted two recent blogs to my failed attempts at getting my hands on the beer at the brewery (although I did enjoy a pint on tap while I was there), and the first of those three kegs had been promised to me - all 53 pints - by Darryl, my favourite publican and the host for the festival - so I wasn't about to deviate from my destination for the sake of a few drops of sunshine.

Not when there was sunshine in a glass waiting inside.

James and Maddie from Great Lakes Brewery

Not even when Darryl stopped me on the way in and said there had been a slight change in plans. "Great Lakes WILL be pouring Karma Citra after all," he said. "Cool," I responded, "but I'm still going inside for a pint. I've got 53 to go."

Three tokens for a pint in a plastic glass (safety first!), which explained the red toothbrush cup. Okay by me.

And then I was outside with the rest of the common folk and my first stop was ... the Great Lakes booth.

"Karma Citra, please,"  I say to James and Maddie, who were already doing brisk business with this IPA and four other GLB offerings on tap. They politely declined my request to remove signs promoting  Karma Citra - this is supposed to be on the down low, people! - and we all laughed at my hilarity.

But it was now time to see some other breweries.

My next stop was familiar territory - my pals at Manantler Brewery of Bowmanville. Everyone's Favourite Cellarman Trevor and the lovely Tasha brought a couple of beers to the festival and on this stop I tried Root of All Evil, a 5.7 per cent porter that I tried once before in an un-carbonated state.

Smelled like root beer. Tasted like root beer. Go figure.

The lovely Tasha and Everyone's Favourite Cellarman
Trevor from Manantler Brewing

I ventured to the booth next door to visit with Jan Card and Wild Card Brewery of Trenton. Her son Nate purchased Gateway Brewery last fall and re-opened it as Wild Card Brewing last month.

(Nate Card=Wild Card. There could be no other name.)

As it was barely lunchtime I enjoyed Blonde Barista, an espresso-infused blonde stout called a "perfect breakfast beer" by proud Mom Jan. "It's a great way to start your day."

Indeed, Jan.

I had just one more stop to make before heading home for a bite to eat (I had bought a  ticket for my pal Steve and he had commitments until 2:30), so I walked over to the Muddy York booth to sample their Muddy Beagle ESB, the only cask ale I would enjoy on this day.

These guys have been making some great beer from their East York brewery for more than a year now and I love me some ESBs, so this was a no-brainer. The beer was delicious, and with an impressive lineup (and an even more impressive beard on Brewmaster Jeff) that includes some promising IPAs and IIPAs (which they left at home!) I am going to have to pay them a visit real soon.

I paced myself for this first round as I was still driving, but after returning to Buster Rhino's around three with Steve (who I introduced to craft beer at last year's festival), I was ready to get my drink on.

Paul The Beer Guy, Manantler's Trevor and me

Remembering an after work visit to Brock Street Brewing in Whitby the previous week, I made sure that was our first stop so my friend could get his hands on a Blonde, their flagship 4.3 per cent ale.

We hit up Great Lakes next, where I passed on Karma Citra (gasp!) and enjoyed a Sunnyside, their excellent Session IPA, while Steve enjoyed a Pompous Ass, their English-style Pale Ale.

Big Rig was next and Steve found Salute Lager to his liking - he made a couple more return visits and called it "the best beer I've had yet"- before we crossed to the other side so I could introduce him to my pals at Manantler and their Root of All Evil Porter.

Uh huh. Tasted like root beer.

We visited Second Wedge, where co-owner Joanne was holding court and we both tried Smoked Wheat on Rye, a 4.9 per cent wheat beer that started tart and citrusy before the oak flavour kicked in at the finish.

 Joanne and James from Second Wedge

Steve, however, admitted he was distracted when I asked him if he liked it.

"I was thinking I had an idea of what it tasted like and then a pretty girl walked by and gave me a smile and I lost my  train of thought. But I didn't mind it."

I wasn't sure if he meant the beer or the smile, but either way it made perfect sense to me.

Speaking of pretty girls - okay, pretty people in general - the Durham Craft Beer Festival was jam-packed with them. As usual the demographics skewed towards late-20s and early 30s, but there were beautiful people of all ages.

If I haven't said it before I'll say it now: I love beer festivals.

Muskoka Brewery was up next and with Steve indulging his fondness for wheat beers with their Summerweiss, I was salivating over Your Brewhouse or Mine, a collaboration with BarrelHouse Brewing of California. This is a seven per cent Clementine Cranberry IPA that was tart and tasty with a real nice bitterness.

Steve, with an empty glass

Steve, after learning he could get more

At the Sawdust City booth we both enjoyed the Golden Beach Pale Ale and I returned a few minutes later to try Bitter Beauty, a nine per  cent IIPA that was billed as being "less juicy" than their signature Twin Pines IIPA, though I thought it was juicy enough for me.  Chewy and resiny, with the bitterness not unlike a big pine slap to the face. Very tasty.

Old Flame was one booth over and I enjoyed Perry Loved Dirty Mary (and not for the first time) and then we found ourselves at Big Rig again, where Steve drank his Salute Lager one more time and I tried their Alpha Bomb IPA. Not bad at all.

We visited Second Wedge again - 3 Rocks IPA for me - and I said hello to my favourite bartenders at Buster Rhino's as they were pouring Rainhard and Bellwoods beers - a Nosbeeratu Black IPA from Rainhard for this guy - and then we were at Cameron's Brewing, where we both tried the 12 Mile India Pale Lager.

Both of us gave it the thumbs up.

At this point my legs were getting a bit wobbly  - Steve pointed out that he favoured the lighter beers while I tended to gravitate to the IPAs and Double IPAs - so I was  ready for my nightcap and the long walk home.

Back to Muskoka for me and their classic Mad Tom IPA, with Steve settling on another Blonde from Brock Street.

Freddy, Brock Street Brewing's new sales car.
I could have used this for a ride home, people!

And when I saw Trevor on the way out and he found out I hadn't yet tried their Dusseldork German Altbier, I found out I had  room for one more after all.

It was a half-hour walk home and I was in bed and snoring in the Third Floor Loft by eight or so, where I slept until 4:30 in the morning, rising only to walk back into the downtown to retrieve my car.

Wasn't that a party? Yes, yes it was.

Festival winners (and a Karma Citra Update)

Port Perry's Old Flame reaffirmed their popularity in these parts with the Gold medal for best brewer, as voted on by the patrons.

My pals at Manantler of Bowmanville finished second in the voting with newcomers Second Wedge - the pride of Uxbridge - taking the bronze.

I threw my tickets in for Manantler and Great Lakes, though I could have added Muskoka and Sawdust City as well, as my three favourite beers on the day were Karma Citra from Great Lakes (quelle surprise), Your Brewhouse or Mine (Muskoka/BarrelHouse) and Bitter Beauty (Sawdust City).

As for Steve, judging by his return visits, Salute from Big Rig and Brock Street Blonde would be his winners.

And you remember I was promised all 53 pints from the first (of three) kegs of Karma Citra from the staff at Buster Rhino's?

I had two. Just two. And the keg was drained. It just shows you can't trust a publican when it comes to kegs of beer. Or you snooze, you lose. One of the two.

Anyway, I happily drank My Bitter Wife, another world class IPA from Great Lakes, for a couple of days until they tapped the second keg of Karma Citra. And then all was right with the world.

You're forgiven Darryl.

Cheers!