Brew Ha Ha: Beer flowing to help public TV station
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By Jody Ferres | Saturday, September 15, 2007 |
Apples, champagne, sweet fruit or rich toffee aren’t exactly what one expects to taste when they crack open up a Budweiser or Miller Lite.
But for $25 and a valid ID, about 2,000 individuals had the chance to become beer connoisseurs for the day at the eighth annual Brew Ha Ha in LeClaire Park.
The event, which serves as one of WQPT’s largest fundraisers of the year, is a favorite many look forward to each year.
The beers ran the gamut from traditional to fruity to non-alcoholic — each a little different then the next.
Cecelia McDaniels and Tara Beier know that every September they better put aside a Saturday to spend the afternoon together at the Brew Ha Ha.
“We both have families, we don’t do this kind of thing often so it’s pretty fun for us,” said McDaniels, who came up from Peoria for the weekend. “It’s a lot of local brews and ones that I would be nervous about trying.”
Beier, who still lives on the same street she grew up on in Bettendorf, was always the adventurous one in their younger years when going to school together in Iowa City. “Cecelia wouldn’t try anything new. Me – I would try anything at least once,” said Beier. “Since coming to the Brew Ha Ha my beer list has grown quite extensively.”
In addition, cheese tasting and live music helped entertain the crowds on the riverfront.
And with two large screens broadcasting the Iowa/Iowa State game and the Cubs, the sports fanatics could still have their game — and beer.
Whoops and hollers could be heard over the bands playing at LeClaire Park while a large crowd gathered around the tents with the projection screens. Chris Mathers almost didn’t come down to the Brew Ha Ha — which would have been the first one he missed – because he didn’t want to miss seeing Iowa State win.
“My buddies called me up and told me to get down here because I could have it all today,” laughed Mathers, a Davenport resident. “It’s a nice day, great viewing of the game and great beverage.”
With 156 different brews, everyone could find a beverage they could classify as great.
At the Brew Ha Ha, each person through the door gets a sheet with the brew names and a glass. Each glass has a line — about 8 ounces — that dictates how much each drink-testing patron can have at each booth. For some, those 8 ounces just isn’t enough.
Derek Manders fell in love with Dimitri Wine and Spirits’ Podkovan Dark, a caramel/mahogany taste that gives way to smoky dark fruits with chocolate from the Czech Republic. The Davenport resident first started drinking the specially crafted brews last year at the Brew Ha Ha.
“When you go to a bar, you almost hate buying a big mug of beer that you might not like, which is why I stuck to Budweiser,” said Manders. “I came here last year and figured out what I had been missing for the last decade.”
“I always tried to get him to take a swig of mine, but he never would,” joked his buddy, Dan Majors. The two attended St. Ambrose together in the mid-90s. “He finally agreed to go and he was the one that made me put this year’s on my calendar.”
After the Brew Ha Ha commenced at 6 p.m., Old Chicago opened their doors and provided an after party until midnight, with bands, free pizza and even more beverage.
“It’s a good event — we’ve never had a problem because it’s a tasting event,” said WQPT chief development officer Lora Adams, pointing out the Davenport police just in case. “It’s kinda like having your Mom look over her shoulder at you all afternoon.”
People’s Choice Winners
Best Brew:
1. Blue Cat’s: Tuck’s Tenacious Trippel (Marriage of spicy, fruit and alcohol flavors supported by a soft malt character.
2. Bent River: Uncommon Stout (Dark medium bodied ale full of rich coffee and roasted barley tones)
3. Bent River: Jalapeno Pepper Ale (A perfect compliment of sweet fruit and bold peppers)
Public television
After eight successful Brew Ha Ha’s, WQPT chief development officer Lora Adams believes the Quad-City community realizes how important local public television is for the area.
“Most people think it’s women over the age of 55 or families with young children that watch public television, but people watch ‘Austin City Limits’ or shows like ‘This Old House,’” said Adams. “We’re really diverse in our programming and can reach out to many audiences.”
With recent cuts in state aid to local public television stations and WQPT’s license holder cinching their purse strings as well, WQPT has felt huge pressure to make up the funding with events like the Brew Ha Ha.
The city desk can be contacted at
(563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com.
Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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