“The beer fest exceeded my most optimistic expectations,” Adams said. “It was the best I have ever been to, and I have been to very, very many.”

Adams enrolled 30 members for his new home brew club, YEAST, Youthful and Elder Ale Sippers of Tryon.

Beer Fest committee member Kim Nelson said only minor matters need to be cleared up before next year.

“The goal for next year is to improve upon what we’ve done without many ‘corrections.’ We have a model to go on and high standards to shoot for,” Nelson said.

Clear blue sunny skies and 70-degree temperatures added to the ambiance. Chris Laughter of Columbus had pockets of the crowd singing along to his accordion music. A four-deep circle formed when he created extraordinary music using a dozen cowbells. Following, the Foothills Oompah Band played and sang more than 50 toe-tapping, head-bobbing, rhythmic clapping numbers.

More than 250 attendees voted for their favorite beer. The runaway 1-2 winners were  Pacolet Amber made by Jay Adams for the Mighty Pacolet Brewing Company and BottleTree’s Imperial Red.

Emcee Dan Trumble declared, “With the assortment of good beer made in Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina, we are now free from our dependence on foreign beer.”

With help from sponsors and contributors, a preliminary financial report indicated that the Tryon Downtown Development Association would net about $5,000 from the event. Proceeds will apply toward projects to improve the appearance and facilities of the town.

– article submitted