Kyle’s Brew Fest provides hot jams, cold beer

Writer and photographer Alan Crandall submitted the following guest blog previously published at

String Cheese Incident’s keyboardist, Kyle Hollingsworth, introduces representatives from Avery, Twisted Pine and Boulder Beer breweries during “Kyle’s Brew Fest,” Saturday, July 23.

Timescall.com:

If you know local musician Kyle Hollingsworth, keyboardist for the String Cheese Incident, you know he likes homebrewing beer. In fact over recent months he has worked with a number of local breweries to develop special flavors of beer that he showcased in this weekends “Kyle’s Brew Fest,” a benefit for the Conscious Alliance sponsored by the Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Boulder Beer and Odell Brewing. Saturday’s fest was the second brew inspired benefit sponsored by Hollingsworth.
The sold out brew fest, held at Boulder Beer, Saturday, July 23, offered food, music and over 50 different types of beer poured by 25 breweries.

The list of breweries participating in Saturday’s

event read like a who’s who of Colorado micro-brews. Avery, Boulevard, Breckenridge, Great Divide, Left Hand, Mountain Sun, Oskar Blues, Pumphouse, Redstone Meadery, Twisted Pine, Upslope and many more companies were offering their brews in support of the charity event.

With Saturday’s temperatures well into the 90’s participants were more than happy to try 2 ounce “taste” of the wide variety of libations. Entrance to the benefit came with a screen print special edition glass, a ticket for a grilled burger and two tickets for a “full pour” of the beer of your choice. The “taste” of beer, offered by all of the participating companies, were unlimited and sometimes as much as 6 ounces of cold, refreshing brews. Participants of the event enjoyed

eating and sampling many beers, talking with brewers and bidding on donated rock and roll collectables with all of the proceeds going to the Boulder based Conscious Alliance, a nonprofit organization committed to the distribution of food to impoverished communities across the United States.

Hollingsworth was available for the entire event, even chatting with and engaging attendees waiting in the long line to gain entrance to the brewery parking lot and event grounds. He was more than happy to explain the process or flavor of the brews he helped create.
Midway through the event the Kyle Hollingsworth band took to the stage, first introducing the various participating breweries and naming off the local special brews with which he had helped create. The featured brew was Boulder Beer’s recently released “Hoopla Pale Ale,” described by the brewery as “dry-hopped with generous amounts of Glacier hops for a fruity, floral hop aroma and flavor that will have your taste buds dancing.” Hollingsworth offered thanks to the participants and sponsors. The band performed many of the Hollingsworth fan favorites undaunted by the high temperatures.
In addition to the brews, event sponsors offered water and juice to help battle the heat. Many of the attendees sought the refuge of the shade tents or the shade of the trees bordering Boulder Beer’s parking lot. The rest were drinking beer and dancing under the afternoon sun. With his second sold out brew fest even larger than the first it seems a sure bet that there will be Hollingsworth inspired brew events in the future. For more information visit: www.kylehollingsworth.com and www.consciousalliance.org.