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Central Valley Brewfest brings best suds to town
brewfest
Dust Bowl head brew master Don Oliver, Dust Bowl owner Brett Honor, radio show personalities Bueller and Brent of Rock 96.7, and Dust Bowl founder and owner Brett Tate toast to a successful partnership with their Brewfest creation, "Shame and Desperation."

For a closer look at Brewfest, and the special brew created by Bueller and Brent and Dust Bowl Brewery, catch the May 8 episode of Studio209 at turlockjournal.com/multimedia or youtube.com/turlockjournal.

 

 

 

Ales, lagers, stouts, porters, ciders. When it comes to beer, there is something for everyone.  The upcoming Central Valley Brewfest aims to cater to veteran beer drinkers and new tasters alike with a variety of classic beers, as well as new ones — like the special release "Shame and Desperation," a joint venture of radio station Rock 96.7 and Dust Bowl Brewery.

Shame and Desperation is a unique brew created specifically for the second annual Brewfest.  The exclusive brew was born out of collaboration between Bueller and Brent of the Rock 96.7 morning radio show and local brewery Dust Bowl. Bueller and Brent stepped out from behind the microphone earlier this month to tour Dust Bowl Brewery, witnessing the beginning stages of their beer creation: a porter infused with raspberry and coffee provided by Turlock Coffee.

"We got the opportunity to come up with our own brew with Dust Bowl Brewing. Brent and I went to the Tap Room and came up with some flavors, decided on what we wanted and now they're making it happen,” said Bueller. "I actually found out about Dust Bowl last year because of Brewfest, and I'm glad we're collaborating on the beer together."

The Central Valley Brewfest was born from Veronica Camp's desire to bring a fun and inviting atmosphere for locals to learn more about their favorite beer and be introduced to new ones. As a former national event planner for E and J Gallo Winery, she participated in numerous food, beer, and wine festivals and found the Central Valley an unexplored market for such events.

"I wanted to recreate scenes from big city beer festivals here on my own home turf. The Central Valley Brewfest is a one-of-a -kind event, keeping our locals on the cutting edge of a growing trend,” said Camp.

The number of breweries participating in the 2014 Brewfest has more than doubled since last year, a testament to the Central Valley's interest in beer culture, said Camp. An increased interest in craft brews has grown throughout California in recent years, but until last year there were not many options for people in the Valley to sample a variety of beers and ciders. Camp hopes to help cultivate Turlock and the Central Valley as a beer lover’s destination, similar to other established areas like San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento.

"I am confident in saying the Central Valley Brewfest can and will boost the local economy,” said Camp.  “Soon we will have folks traveling from outside the Valley as the event continues to evolve."

The Central Valley Brewfest will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. May 10 at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, 900 North Broadway, Turlock. Tickets purchased in advance are $30, and $35 at the door. They can be purchased online at cvbrewfest.com or at the fairgrounds the day of the event. To encourage safe driving, there is a discounted ticket for designated drivers to purchase for $20. All guests must be 21 years old to attend.