Headquarters Is Hosting A Beer Fest Dedicated To Firkins
By Sarah Gouda in Food on Mar 31, 2016 6:29PM
Firkin Fest, via Headquarters
April 3, 2016 will be the kind of Sunday Funday you’ll tell your grandkids about thanks to the return of Firkin Fest, hosted by Headquarters Beercade for the third year in a row.
What’s a “firkin,” you ask? Besides being a fantastically satisfying word to say, it refers to both a unit of liquid measure and a small cask for keeping liquids, i.e. all the most delicious beers your gluten-loving belly can handle. Firkins are made of wood or metal, and condition what is considered “real ale.” To qualify as real ale, a brew must not have been cold-filtered, pasteurized, or carbonated by outside equipment. It’s the drink of choice for beer purists, as the casks preserve the taste of the hops in their must unadulterated state. What’s more—the casks are a lush environment for the beer’s yeast, meaning the flavor profiles deepen over time.
The fest will feature an assortment of firkins from some of the finest craft breweries around. Vendors include a bunch of Midwestern all-stars: Goose Island, Great Lakes, Half Acre, Lagunitas, Two Brothers, and more. 40 breweries total will be in attendance, serving you their own interpretation of the firkin beer, commonly and intensely referred to as “REAL ALE.”
The other element of intrigue for beer geeks? All 40 of these unique brews have never been sipped by a human mouth before—and may never be available again. So get it while the getting's cold.
Firkin Fest sold out the past two years, so make sure to get your ticket ASAP. The “Firkin Package” will cost you $40 and includes a ticket to the fest, custom tasting glass, and “access to unique Firkins.” The “Firkin & Food Package” is $55 and includes all of the above plus a “premium chef-driven buffet.” All the upscale beer and food you can eat? Sounds like the perfect antidote to the Sunday Scaries to us.