It was a veritable feast of beer; a cornucopia overflowing with delicious elixirs of wheat, barley, hops, other tasty fermentable crops and saccharification, if you’ll excuse my language.

Thousands… no, that’s not right. My handwriting is a touch dodgy; notes not doing what they should. Several hundred people rode up to Fairmont Hot Springs Resorts’ ski lodge June 15 and 16 for the second annual East Kootenay Beer Festival.

Brewers from a wide swoop of geography surrounding the Columbia Valley headed to Fairmont for the festival, including Invermere’s fledgling and fun Arrowhead Brewing, smartly seizing on a stylish theme touching into the recent past.

Fernie Brewing Co. was also on hand for the festival, adding to the estimated 70 or so beer flavours available for sampling.

Located in a tent beside the ski lodge, with a band playing on the ample deck overlooking the glowing Purcells, while the Rockies glowered sharp and clear directly overhead, the festival allowed for an easy movement and flow of participants.

While the event was monitored by the Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment, there were no reported incidents stemming from the festival – as organizers had a steady stream of passenger vans and busses winding back and forth from the resort to the ski hill.

The setting is amazing for any kind of event. Add in a veritable feast of foamers to the mix and a glorious late spring day/evening and it’s magic in the mountains!

Speaking as a beer lover who was driving and couldn’t sample the delicacies, despite several ingeniously devised bouts of whining to my partner, this is an event I shall return to – with a room booked down below and a seat assured on the shuttle.

Click on an image to enlarge and to begin self-directed slide show…

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW and

Carrie Schafer/Through My Eyes Photography

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