BOTTOMS UP Beerfest's mercifully small four-ounce pours.

  • BOTTOMS UP Beerfest’s mercifully small four-ounce pours.

The Seattle International Beerfest is upon us once again, with Fisher Pavilion becoming a celebration of, in the organizers’ words, “rare, hard-to-find, exotic beers“โ€”hundreds of themโ€”from Friday, August 22, through Sunday, August 24. Though hot weather isn’t necessarily the best for drinking imperial stouts, big IPAs, barleywines, and strong ales, the heavy beers are in abundance and come recommended (and Beerfest at least offers them in mercifully small four-ounce pours).

This year, a handful of American brewers are bringing the most interesting selections to the table: Louisville, Kentucky’s Against the Grain, whose bottles aren’t frequently seen up here, is supplying 70K, a behemoth 13.1 percent imperial milk stout

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