Sour Wild Funk Fest 17
Mark your calendars for April 1st – that’s when Upland Brewery’s Sour Wild Funk Fest is taking place in Indianapolis. We asked a few pressing question of Dusty Howe, Sour Beer Brand Manager, to learn more about this much anticipated and unique beer tasting event.
Edible Indy: We see that you will have “40+ breweries from across the country” at The Sour Wild Funk Fest 17 this year. Where are they from and why did you choose them? Care to share one or two of your favorites?
Upland: We look for breweries all over the world who are making the best sour beers, regardless of location. Some of the beers featured come from Belgian breweries, like Rodenbach, where this style of beer originates. Other breweries, like Scratch in Ava, Illinois, are nearby and are making unique and innovative renditions of sour beers that we know attendees will be excited to try.
Edible Indy: We see there will be seminars offered during the day at the event – what should attendees expect to learn?
Upland: We introduced seminars this year with our VIP ticket experience because we received feedback that many of our attendees wanted an opportunity to learn more about sour beers. The seminars will range from specific talks that focus on a single beer to larger panels with industry experts discussing the various methods now used to brew sour beers. We hope these passionate beer drinkers take away an even more robust understanding of the processes behind the beers they are enjoying.
Edible Indy: We love seeing that you’ve teamed up with the nonprofit Big Car Collaborative and will be donating profits from the event this year to them – how did that connection take place? What other nonprofits do you see yourselves working with in the future?
Upland: We try to connect with nonprofits in Indianapolis and beyond that align with our own company values such as the arts, outdoors activities, education and more. Big Car has shown they are capable of making large-scale positive change through creative community projects and we are excited to be able to donate to their cause.
Edible Indy: In 2016, you opened The Wood Shop in Bloomington, your sour brewery and tasting room. How’s that going and how have you seen the field of sour beers grow?
Upland: The Wood Shop has become a place that lets us continue to experiment and share a beer style that we've been making for the past 10 years. It's led to more tourism and interest in exploring sour beer. As we continue to expand into new markets, it's very clear that this interest is growing and more beer drinkers are making a priority to try them.
Edible Indy: What new sour beer trends (or any beer trends for that matter) do you see on the horizon?
Upland: Today, there appears to be more diversity in what craft beer drinkers are willing to try. Sours are just one example of hundreds of beer styles that are out there for your enjoyment. It's our job as a craft brewery to help our drinkers to better understand and explore all of them. Sour Wild Funk Fest is our contribution to one the styles that we are most passionate about making and we're looking forward to another great festival this year.
The Sour Wild Funk Fest will take place at the Mavris Arts & Event Center on Saturday, April 1st. Click here for details and pricing Upland Sour Wild Funk Fest.
