I write this latest blog on a beautiful Saturday morning, and I can’t help but reminisce about the second annual Vanderfest, which took place two weeks ago today. The event was a great success, which was in no small part due to the warm weather. It was a perfect sunny day—just like today—and undoubtedly helped maintain the high spirits of all in attendance. The yard at Vandermill was bustling with hundreds of eager beer and cider enthusiasts and the excitement underneath the tent was palpable in the number of smiles I saw. I made it a personal mission to sample the cider beer brewed by each of the breweries present. Some were light and effervescent, some were infused with the essence of oak, while others tasted like apple pie. All were very tasty, though, and our own Apple Harvest Ale was a hit. The food offered at the festival was a bit disappointing, as two vendors ran out early in the day, but there was plenty of wood-fired pizza available and Vic’s restaurant stepped in to save the day with a taco bar. Attendees were also entertained throughout the day by several music acts, the last of which played to the dance of laser light in the yard and off the side of the main tent. Old Boys’ had a steady stream of enthusiasts waiting for a refill throughout the day and wound up with the last faucets pouring at the end of the night so we had plenty of activity at our table to keep us busy. The food issues notwithstanding, this year’s Vanderfest was a blast and I encourage all of you to attend next year if you can.

   Now for the upcoming beers. By the time you read this our Black Lager—which will replace the Oktoberfest—will be on tap. A few shades darker than a dunkel, this beer has more chocolate and caramel notes than its lighter cousin. Also on the docket is an Imperial Red Ale, which will be available sometime in early-to-mid November. Similar to an Imperial IPA, this will be more malt-focused than an IIPA but will still have a significant hop bill providing balance to the beer. I am making another stout to replace our beloved chocolate as well. It will not be an Imperial Oatmeal like I alluded to in last month’s writing. Instead, I am working on a Pistachio Cream Stout, which will also be available in November. And our next barrel-aged beer will be up and running by Thanksgiving, this one being our Chocolate Stout accented by the essence of dark Belgian candy syrup. Further down the road, look for another Belgian beer in the works (possibly our Ginger Saison again) and maybe another Scotch Ale.

   Before I forget, we are reintroducing an old activity to the monthly calendar of events at OBB. In the past I held a monthly meet-and-greet at the brewery for mug members. Unfortunately, conflicting schedules made it difficult for us to get together. So we are going to try it again on a different day and extend the invitation to all interested Old Boys’ patrons, not just mug members. We are calling it Beer Days With Bayes. Each gathering will be held on the second Monday of each month from 6-9pm. Basically we meet and drink beer, talk about beer or other things, I give tours of the brewhouse, and we generally have a good time. Our first gathering is Monday, November 14 at 6pm so I hope to see you there. I do believe that is all for now, so until next time…Cheers!