We have a winner!
Bootlegger’s, Fullerton’s first and currently only brewery, brought home a bronze medal at this year’s Great American Beer Festival (GABF). The hardware was awarded to Funfest, their Festbier style lager that has recently become a year-round production beer due to its popularity. Good things happen when you make the same beer time and time again. Funfest is our Oktoberfestbier of the week.
Funfest pours out golden in color with a rich white cap of foam. Made in the style that’s served at the festival since about 1990, Festbiers are essentially an amped-up Helles-Style Lager. They differ from the Märzen which are copper in color and are much toastier in flavor and aroma. Funfest has aromas of rich cereals and grass. On the tongue, the beer imparts a biscuit and light toasty malt character with some bitter flowers on the finish.
Bootlegger’s was the first craft brewery I walked into when they are about 6 months young. I walked into the industrial warehouse-style building with my dad. Aaron Barkenhagen was sitting on the steps of his 7-barrel brewhouse and simply says, “Hi… you two thirsty?” I find out he’s the owner and his wife, Patricia, was walking around with their firstborn. Months later, the place is packed to the gills with beer enthusiasts. Fast-forward from 2006 to now and Boots has a production facility and a larger tasting room in Fullerton, plus two other locations in Costa Mesa and Redlands, and a handful of GABF medals.
Congratulations Aaron, Patricia, Robert Margalis (Head Brewer), and the entire Boots Crew on the Funfest bronze medal win!
Bootlegger’s Brewery (Fullerton) – 130 S Highland Ave, Fullerton
Bootlegger’s Brewery (Costa Mesa) – 696 Randolph Ave, Suite B, Costa Mesa
Bootlegger’s Brewery (Redlands) – 2351 W Lugonia Ave, #G, Redlands
Bootlegger’s Brewery (Costa Mesa) – 696 Randolph Ave, Suite B, Costa Mesa
Bootlegger’s Brewery (Redlands) – 2351 W Lugonia Ave, #G, Redlands
Prost!
Gilbert “Charlie” Perez, Advanced Cicerone®