On the heels of a big festival celebrating the confluence of beer and music—the daylong Malt Ball that paired local bands with their brew counterparts—Eugene-based Ninkasi reveals it will brew a exclusive light, summer ale for the Annual String Summit.
The four-day twang-fest featuring bluegrass, folk, and jam bands is always headlined by Yonder Mountain String Band. Not only does the brewery return as a sponsor, but along with Cascadia Coffeehouse, Ninkasi Brewery presents the Northwest Local Stage reserved for dozens of local artists.
Publicist Jesse Cutler says that, starting June 1, Ninkasi will be distributing four-pack summer beer samplers with an insert CD compilation featuring tracks from Yonder and other Summiters. Included will be a discount voucher for the fest. Whether members of the band will come in to help brew the one-off beer is unclear (and unlikely), but Cutler notes, "They're big craft beer geeks."
The String Summit is August 9-12 in at Horning's Hideout in North Plains, located a half hour west of Portland off Hwy 26. Advance four-day passes are currently $155 and jump to $190 at the gate.
In other news…
Of course, there are myriad brewfests before August. Here are the local ones remaining this month:
WWeek 2015