By Caroline Roosevelt
Contributing Writer

By the time the Kennett Brewfest rolls around, it’s usually time for those autumnal flavors and heavier styles of beers such as your spicy blends and your stouts, and if you’re not a purist, maybe a pumpkin flavored something will slip onto the roster. 

This past Saturday faithfully marked the 27th year of the beloved Kennett tradition, and the warm, sunny weather beckoned the last vestiges of summer flavors. Crossing over the tracks by Kennett High School, one can experience a birds’ eye view of the crowd amassed at the new Kennett Borough building at 600 South Broad Street. The menu of nearly 80 mostly local breweries attracted a veritable swarm of attendees ranging from groups of younger enthusiasts to connoisseurs, and then people like yours truly - a fair weather beer drinker tasked with the arduous chore of indulging in tasty ales and food truck fare for the sake of my role as an arts and features writer for the Chester County Press. Quelle domage.

Upon entering the event, I received a little mini stein with the Kennett Brewfest logo, which was where all the unlimited (within reason) pours go. Before heading to sample heaven, however, I ordered from the Asian fusion food truck, Koi on the Go, and I highly recommend the fish tacos, which were served street taco style with panko-battered cod backed with a delicious orange mayo sauce. 

Next came my afternoon with the beers. Several vendors featured their version of an Oktoberfest or other autumnal variants, and despite the 80-degree weather, I started with Cartesian’s Harvestfest - a festbier, which for those of you not in the know (and I wasn’t), a festbier is a weisn, which is a pale German lager often on tap at your local Oktoberfest. Cartesian, a Philadelphia-based brewery, had a nice offering of the festbier which was floral, not too heavy, and a great start to the event.

Next, I sauntered over to Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company -- a vendor at the Kennett Brewfest since 2017 -- for their Grizzly Grisette. This ale was pink - and it turned heads. This sour wheat ale intrigued me based on its the description on the placard at their tent. Grizzly Grisette was my winner; packed with notes of peppercorn, blackberry and allspice, this one kept me in summer mode as I walked away with my tart and not too sweet sour wheat ale. 

So, there I was, checking off the varieties I wanted to make sure to try, from traditional to esoteric, when I was suddenly interrupted by a sign for Well Crafted’s Pumpkin Spice Latte Blonde Americano - Blonde Coffee Stout. There’s no way they weren’t trolling the purists with this one and I had to try it. The pale golden ale lived up to the name; it was chock-full with pumpkin, vanilla and cinnamon flavor, and while I couldn’t see myself drinking more than one, it was a delicious addition to my “tried it” pile. 

Last, I was piqued by the minimal set up of Brooklyn based brewery, Other Half. Their purveyor was set up behind what looked like a trifold poster display reminiscent of a science fair project. Upon approaching the table, instead of describing the beer, he looked at me and quickly asked, “Single or Double?” Completely caught off guard by the idea that I had an option, I answered “Single” and later learned this was their Hazy Imperial IPA they call “Broccoli,” and while I am not usually a fan of IPAs, I enjoyed the citrusy notes, and it was a refreshing response to the heat.

The Kennett Brewfest is just one of a trifecta of events throughout the year that take place at the South Broad building. Summerfest and Winterfest also complete the trio, and as you make your plans for the coming winter, save the date for Winterfest on Feb. 22, 2025. I think I’ll be back and eager to brave the cooler temperatures for a few of the wintery brews promised at the Winterfest.