Craft beer growth expands choices at Macon Octoberfest
As the number of craft beer brewers in Georgia has increased, so has the number of brewers represented at the Macon Octoberfest.
The three-day event going on this weekend features beer from 26 brewers, up from 17 a year ago. All of the brewers are Georgia companies.
Lisa Harris, co-producer of Octoberfest, said the reason for the increase is that the number of craft brewers is on the rise.
One of the brewers there Saturday was Coastal Empire of Savannah. Manager Al Fleshman brought the company's Southern Delight beer, which is made with Georgia pecans. He said the company tries to use at least some Georgia-grown ingredients in all of its beers.
He said the company just reached its four-year anniversary and recently won a gold medal in a national competition. The gold medal beer is called March to the Sea.
Fleshman said craft beers are becoming more popular because people are looking for something different.
"I believe they are just tired of the normal, main-brew beers that basically taste the same," he said. "I think the different variety of flavors that you can bring out in different beers has brought a lot of people out who normally wouldn't drink beer."
The company expected to make about 1,200 barrels of beer this year.
An attendee at Octoberfest was Maria Rodriguez, who recently moved to Macon from Atlanta. She had come to enjoy the vibrant craft beer scene in Atlanta and was excited to hear about Octoberfest, which is in its third year.
She was drinking a beer called Scattered Sun from Southbound Brewing Co. in Savannah.
"It's so good," she said. "Really, really good. It tastes like sunshine in my mouth."
For an event that largely revolved around drinking beer, it also makes an effort to be family-friendly. It has activities for children, including corn hole, badminton and others.
Harris said it will be even more family-friendly Sunday, with a brunch and acoustic music that will be more toned down than hard rocking nature of Saturday's bands.
The event benefits the Alzheimer's Association, All About Animals and L.H. Harris Ecology Center.
The Alzheimer's Association provided about 100 volunteers to serve the beer, while All About Animals held a wiener dog race and a dog costume contest.
The winner of the wiener dog race was Otto, who is the protector of Melissa Travers and her daughter, Alana, of Warner Robins. Travers' husband is an airman at Robins Air Force Base and is currently deployed to the Middle East.
"He will be so proud," Travers said.
The secret to Otto's win wasn't so much his love of running as his love of popping balloons. Whenever he sees a balloon, he loves to punch up in the air with his nose until it pops.
So Travers held a balloon at the finish line while Alana released Otto at the starting line, and he raced ahead of all the other dogs to get to the balloon.
His victory netted her some tickets for free beer.
"That is a very good dog," she said. "He's going to have to get some more balloons."
The Macon Octoberfest continues Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Tattnall Square Park.
To contact writer Wayne Crenshaw, call 256-9725.
This story was originally published October 24, 2015 at 9:24 PM with the headline "Craft beer growth expands choices at Macon Octoberfest ."