When most people talk about drinking responsibly, they’re talking about limiting the number of drinks consumed and staying off the road afterward, but this phrase has a whole different meaning when it comes to BrewFest.
BrewFest is an event for people in Moscow to try locally made drinks and learn more about how alcohol can be consumed in a more environmentally responsible way.
The event will take place from 5-9 p.m. at the 1912 Center in Moscow today. Tickets for the event are available ahead of time at Mikey’s Gyros, the Moscow Alehouse, Camas Prairie Winery and Moscow Brewing Company until 4 p.m. Friday. Tickets for five drinks are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
Louise Todd, the president of Buy Local Moscow, said BrewFest started last year in conjunction with the University of Idaho’s EarthFest, as a way to connect people within the Moscow and university communities.
“It was a way for us to try to bridge the gap between the community and the university, like things we would be doing for EarthFest,” Todd said. “And so, we kind-of figured, ‘well, everyone loves drinking. Let’s try to make like a local, ‘drink beer’ fest that showcases how you can lessen your carbon footprint by purchasing beverages that are produced locally.'”
Todd said the festival focuses on cutting down transportation costs, and includes suppliers that actively participate in green production practices, such as Camas Prairie Winery.
Jeremy Ritter, the owner of Camas Prairie Winery, said the company tries to focus on being completely green, and implements ideas in several ways — including the use of lightweight bottles and avoiding harsh chemicals for cleaning.
“We’re the only winery in the state of Idaho, as far as I know… that (is) IDEQ (Idaho Department of Environmental Quality) approved,” Ritter said.
Todd said organizers are trying to make BrewFest as green as possible by eliminating sources of unnecessary waste, and using decomposable cups for the drinks.
Todd said the events of BrewFest should be enjoyable, and will include two local bands as entertainment — Mise and Simba and the Exceptional Africans.
“There’s live music, and then there’s lots of raffle prizes. So all of the breweries bring swag and stuff like that and so every time you use one of your drink tickets then you get entered into the raffle,” Todd said. “And so every 15 minutes, we’ll be giving out growlers, shirts, hoodies, stuff like that.”
She said, based on last year’s sales, she expects all 250 event tickets to sell out.
Daphne Jackson can be reached at [email protected]