A public gathering of people centered around beer drinking? Why didn’t we think of that?! The Biloxi Top of the Hops Festival on January 19th looks like its proving to be more than pint-sized for the Mississippi coast. In 2012, the ban on high gravity beer in Mississippi was lifted, and the area’s getting one of the largest quantities of high-quality beer ever available.
Top of the Hops, a nationwide chain of festivals (with stops in Green Bay and Alexandria) has had 3 great years in Mississippi, and a ticket to the 2013 Biloxi festival offers a boundless amount of samples, within reason. From Abita to Yazoo (and lots of more familiar brews), it’s the grand gauntlet of current commercial brews. Since high gravity beers are now legally available, you can try samples of stronger varieties like Abita Angrygator or Sierra Nevada Torpedo. If it all sounds like too much, there’s also a special designated driver rate, so you can enjoy the festival without endangering your trip home. As great as beer is for drinking, there’s so much more you can do with it too. With that ambition in mind, you’ll be able to attend some of the festival’s sessions, including education on pairings and cooking with beer. This festival offers the keys to unlocking beer’s true potential (and its ultimate delciousness).
