The Fifth Annual Tailspin Ale Fest takes off at historic Bowman Field this Saturday, February 17 from 2 p.m. (for VIP, general admission at 3) to 7 p.m. Over 75 local and national American craft breweries will come together in the WWII era hangar at Louisville Executive Aviation with a special “Kentucky Heritage” section featuring beers brewed in the bluegrass state. Food trucks, live tunes, photo booths, pin-up girls and vintage airplanes are all part of the entertainment. General admission is $50+ Fees; VIP tickets are $75 + Fees. This relatively young beer festival has raised over $40,000 for the Dare to Care food bank and is Ranked #6 in USA Today’s 10 Best Awards for Best Beer Fest in The Country.
Event Co-Creator and Organizer, Trevor Cravens (All About Beer Magazine) stated in a press release, “Like many great ideas, Tailspin Ale Fest was conceived in a pub over a few beers. To see Tailspin grow into a regionally known festival for not only beer enthusiasts, but also the breweries who are asked to attend hundreds of events per year, is a great honor. This distinction pushes us to innovate and provide better programming, infrastructure and overall experience every year. In this, our fifth year, we are excited to add almost 30,000 additional square feet to our footprint, which allows the opportunity to completely reimagine the layout and festival experience. ”
Over 250 beers from 75 brewers will be available onsite, from featured breweries like: Sun King Brewing (NEW to Kentucky from just across the river in Indianapolis), neighbors to the north, Rhinegeist, and others from around the country like Boulevard Brewing Company from Kansas City, New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, Colorado) and some southern craft breweries like Terrapin Beer Company and Sweetwater Brewing Company; both residing in Georgia. Heading up the Kentucky Heritage section, West Sixth Brewing and Falls City Brewing Company.
Tailspin Highlights:
Some other exciting developments this year include even more bathrooms, a sour and cider bar, a raffle to benefit Dare To Care with prizes like a $500 gift card to Liquor Barn, and a transport bus service emanating from Lexington, Indiana, and Louisville at the following locations to and from Bowman Field: Liquor Barn Middletown, Springhurst and Hurstbourne Lane locations; Mellow Mushroom (the sole remaining St. Matthews location); Drake’s @ The Paddock Shops; New Albanian Bank Street Café and Brewhouse
Heine Bros Coffee will be providing a free coffee to designated drivers. For tickets or more information, visit www.tailspinalefest.com. For the latest updates about participating breweries and festival news, like www.facebook.com/tailspinalefest.
Photograph: Tail Spin Ale Fest organizers Tisha Gainey and Trevor Cravens by Ryan Armbrust;
