Cristie ThomasA newly-launched event during Marietta’s annual Rivers, Trails, and Ales Festival is the RTA Beer Fest. Back for its 2nd year, RTA Beer Fest will feature over 15 regional breweries, a variety of local food trucks, live music, activities for the kiddos, and much more.
The first year of RTA Beer Fest packed 300 locals and festival-goers into East Muskingum Park to taste 42 beers available from 12 regional breweries. This year, 500 ticket holders will have the opportunity to choose from over 50 beers available from 15 breweries; the growth is an indication of the level of excitement produced by those passionate about support small business, local brewers, and unique community-based events like this one.
In celebration of good beer and great fun, Clutch MOV has partnered with the Rivers, Trails and Ales Festival to spotlight the 2019 lineup of participating Beer Fest breweries.
Brewery: Devil’s Kettle Brewing
Location: Athens, OH
Interviewer: Jeremy Stackpole, RTA Ales Director, with questions provided by Gavin Fury
Interviewee: Cameron Fuller, Devil’s Kettle Brewing
When did the brewery open? Devil’s Kettle opened in 2015 with a mission to exemplify time-honored traditions in brewing.
Do you specialize in brewing any individual styles, regional styles, or families of styles? If so, what drew you to focus on them? Our taproom aims for a pub-like feel more than an industrial warehouse. Our tap list is usually dominated by traditional beer styles, particularly German-style lagers. In today’s beer market, these styles are mostly overlooked and overshadowed by high intensity and adjunct laden beers like NEIPAs, pastry stouts, and fruited sours. Those are the types of beers that we describe as sipping beers (pinky up!) that are hard to drink a lot of.
You’ve described yourself as a brewery for people who drink beer, not sip it. Can you elaborate on this idea? Our more traditional style beers are ones that “taste like nothing” to the drinker who just downed a flight of those other sugary beers. Meanwhile, if you take the time to finish a whole pint of our beers, you’ll find yourself wanting another rather than need something to “wash it down”. This is what we mean when we market ourselves as a brewery for people who drink beer, not sip it.
Which of your offerings are best sellers or customer favorites? Our top-selling beer is usually Spider Silk. This oxymoronic beer is a light but strong blonde ale. It clocks in at 7% ABV but drinks surprisingly smoothly and easily. Other favorites include our traditional Munich-style dark lager named Galatea Dunkel and of course our IPA named The Fuller Nelson.
Do you distribute and/or package your products? Where can people find your beer? We only bottle our barrel-aged beers which include barleywines, imperial stouts, and various sours. Everything else we keg, which we distribute only around Athens, the greater Columbus area and in between, and a little towards Jackson and Marietta.
What draws you as a brewery to want to participate in RTA Fest? As a brewery, we don’t participate in many beer festivals, but we always find a place for the Rivers, Trails, and Ales festival. We really enjoy the vibe of being outdoorsy and adventurous alongside a laid back beer festival. Plus Marietta is such a charming town that the festival gives me an excuse to visit every year.
Do you plan to participate in any events other than the beer festival? Which ones? I would love to explore more of what the festival has to offer beyond the beer fest, however, I have a newborn now, so much of the rivers and trails parts would be a challenge. In the past, there’s been a nature walk, which sounds wonderful for my son, and I hope to participate in that again.
The 2nd annual RTA Beer Fest will take place on Saturday, August 10th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in East Muskingum Park on Front Street in downtown Marietta, OH. Tickets are now on sale! More information can be found by visiting www.rtafest.com.