EVENT: MIGHTY FINE BEER FEST IS NEARLY HERE!

With Mighty Fine just around the corner, we took a chance to sit down with Owner and Head Brewer Todd DiMatteo (AKA Top Rope Todd, AKA The Brewer, AKA El Topo Chico) to get the lowdown on GWB’s newest beer festival!

Mighty Fine Beer Fest kicks off on June 21st on Duluth’s town green, the same setting as our signature beer festival, Little Beer. With around 50 of the best breweries in the US, Mighty Fine has something a little different to offer—a festival all about West Coast IPAs! “I feel like the clear and bitter hop-forward beers aren’t getting the love they deserve on the East Coast,” Todd explains. “To me, those clear and bitter beers that ruled craft lovers in the late ’90s and early 2000s have sorta disappeared and been replaced by hazy IPAs. While the ‘West Coast IPA’ has evolved, the intention is still there—a hop showcase supported by a lighter-bodied beer with a drier finish, so it pops and bursts with hop flavor. That’s what it’s all about!”

Mighty Fine was born from a desire to put the spotlight back on those beers that Todd—and, indeed, a lot of us—“grew up on.” Speaking to most of the team here at GWB, the West Coast style is responsible for our love of craft beer. Clear, bitter, and overflowing with hop flavor are all reasons we love the style—and, indeed, what brought us into the industry in the first place. “I’ve been drinking and celebrating lagers for a long while now, with what we make and our Little Beer fest, and I had almost forgotten how much I loved IPAs. I became fatigued over the last decade with the fuller-bodied hazies and was on a trip to Denver, of all places, where I drank more IPA than I had in a long while—and it got me thinking…” says Todd. “…and with that, an idea came to me—a Mighty Fine idea!”

Fast-forward to now, and we’re just a few weeks away from Mighty Fine’s first-ever year. If you’ve been to Little Beer before, you’ll have an idea of what to expect. The air in Duluth’s town green will be filled with aromas of old-school hop-forward IPAs, the sounds of revelry from hundreds of beer lovers reminiscing over their favorite style, and cheers from the wrestling ring.

Yes, you read that right! In true GWB fashion, our events are much more than just world-class beer. We’re bringing a fresh look to beer festivals with high-energy entertainment from S.L.A.W. (Strong Ladies Arm Wrestling) and electrifying pro wrestling by Turnbuckle Productions. “The arm wrestling idea was one that was pitched to me by Hannah Gentry from S.L.A.W. We had been talking about doing something together, and Little Beer didn’t seem like the best fit. But when the idea for Mighty Fine was evolving, I reached out to Hannah, and we made it happen!” Todd explains. “There was something about classic American entertainment that paired well with the classic American West Coast style perfectly—and it also offered something different!”

Now, we all know the big question y’all have—the elephant in the room… Will Todd be making an appearance in the ring?! “As a kid, I—like a lot of other 8-year-olds—dreamed of wrestling professionally when I grew up. But alas, I prefer to maintain the physique of a beer maker instead of a pro wrestler,” laughs Todd. “I’ll stick to what I’m good at!”

As for the rest of the entertainment, we’ll be welcoming back All About Beer for expert panels and hop-talks throughout the day, and everyone’s favorite DJ, BlaqMozart, will be on the ones and twos, soundtracking the whole day with festival-worthy beats.

So, if you’ve got a ticket, rest assured—you’re in for a great day of good ol’ GWB hospitality. Get excited—it’ll be here before you know it! If you don’t have a ticket… why not?! What more reasons could we possibly give to get you on down to Duluth?

How about a full list of brewers, then?

Participating Breweries
2nd Shift Brewing – Barrique Brewing & Blending – BKS Artisan Ales – Breakside Brewery – Brujos – Cellarmaker Brewing – Cerebral Brewing – Cloudburst Brewing – Creature Comforts – Crooked Culture Brewing – Everywhere – Faction Brewing – Fast Fashion – Fidens Brewing – Finback Brewery – Fonta Flora Brewery – Fort George – Garston Hops – Gooding Farms – Good Word – Ghost Town – Green Cheek – Halfway Crooks Beer – Hop Butcher for the World – Inner Voice Brewing – Indio Brewing – ISM Brewing – Kros Strain – Mellotone Beer Project – Monday Night Brewing – New Image – New Realm Brewing Co. – North Park Beer Company – Offset Bier – Ology Brewing – Orchestrated Minds Brewing – Outer Range Brewing Co. – Pearl & Pine Brewery – Pinthouse Brewing – Pizza Port Carlsbad – Resident Culture – Six Bridges – TapRoom Beer Co – Three Taverns Brewery – Twain’s Brewpub – Variant Brewing – Widowmaker Brewing – Wrecking Bar.

Tickets are just $72.50 for VIP entry (includes unlimited beer samples and a branded glass), or $65 for general admission with a 5oz taster cup. You can grab tickets via Event Sprout using the link HERE!