Hoppy HarpoonFest 2016!

In light of HarpoonFest this weekend (first one I will ever have the pleasure of attending), I thought it would be nice to introduce you all to Harpoon Brewery and how they got started. The idea was formulated in 1986 by Dan Kenary, Rich Doyle, and George Ligeti. They were three friends who loved beer and loved drinking beer together but found the beer choices at the time to be limited. Traveling through Europe and experiencing the rich traditions of European brewing and beer drinking enhanced their love of beer and opened their eyes to the rich beer culture they wanted back home. They decided to build a brewery so that they could brew the beers that they wanted to drink, and invite their friends to the brewery to drink it with them. And just like that, Harpoon Brewery was born!

Located right in the Seaport District of Boston, Harpoon Brewery opened in 1987. The brewery itself started as an empty warehouse; home to where the first Harpoon ale was created. Since, Harpoon has grown into a beautiful waterfront brewery and beer hall, where people can gather for samplings, snack on some freshly baked pretzels, and tour the facility. You can take a little piece of Harpoon heaven home with you by visiting their brewery store which offers a variety of merchandise and growler fills. Harpoon also has a second brewery in Windsor, VT that you can visit if you're ever on a brewery road trip through that hoppy state (we've done it and it was amazing). With all they have accomplished, it was only right to start holding a variety of events to celebrate their love of beer; HarpoonFest, Harpoon Octoberfest, Harpoon 5-Miler, and Harpoon BBQ Festival, just to name a few.

Each year the Boston brewery throws a big kick-off of summer bash called HarpoonFest. A large tent is setup outside the facility for people to gather and enjoy the weather, and the beer, perfect for this time of year. Entrance into the festival is $25 and includes a souvenir pint glass and your first beer. This year they have a number of their beverages on tap including: Harpoon IPA, Take 5,  Sweet Spot, Camp Wannamango, Harpoon Cider, Harpoon Hibiscus Cider, UFO White, and UFO Big Squeeze. The brewery offers free tours every hour during HarpoonFest. You are required to sign up at the Brewers Tent in order to participate. You can count on us touring it! Harpoon will also host a number of food trucks at the festival including: The Bacon Truck, Chubby Chickpea, Stoked Pizza, Moyzilla, Taco Party, Barracuda on the Fly, The Sausage Guy, Lucky’s, and of course The famous Harpoon Beer Hall Pretzels.

On top of all this wonderful hoppy goodness and delicious beer snacks, HarpoonFest will feature live music! And there won't just be one stage for performers. They're going all out with three complete stages where a number of bands will be cranking out the jams and have you on your feet all night long! We are looking forward to putting our dancing shoes to use. Our favorite part of the festival offerigs? The shuttle service Harpoon has from South Station to the brewery and back. This is a genius idea and definitely a great way to keep people safe. Here's the festival schedule if you plan on attending:

Fri, May 20, 2016 5:30pm - 11:00pm
Doors close: 9:30PM

Sat, May 21, 2016 1:00pm - 7:00pm
Doors close: 5:30PM

Tickets are sold at the door on a first come first serve basis. HarpoonFest takes place rain or shine because nothing is going to stop this "hop-pening" party. And if you really want a preview of what goes down, check out this awesome video the brewery put together!

I am so looking forward to attending tomorrow night's festivities; literally been waiting all week to sip on some Harpoon Hibiscus Cider! So if you see me in the crowd Friday, feel free to come by and cheers me as we devour the details of HarpoonFest 2016!