The South loves its food-based festivals. You’ve got the Ramp Festival in southwest Virginia, the Moonpie Festival in Tennesse, a catfish festival, also in Tennessee, and there’s a BBQ festival every weekend somewhere below the Mason Dixon. Now, in Richmond, we can all get together and celebrate the food that truly deserves its own party: bacon. Devils Backbone Brewery is putting on the first ever Richmond Bacon Festival (maybe the first ever bacon festival in Virginia?). More than 20 restaurants are joining in on the fun bringing their A-list of bacon-based dishes like bacon mac ‘n cheese and bacon ice cream. Even better, since DB Brewery is behind this stroke of genius, there’s a strong craft beer presence, so basically, what you’re getting here is a Bacon and Beer Festival.
Name two awesome things that are even more awesome when you combine them? You’ve got peanut butter and jelly, any two Kardashians, and bacon and beer. The festival is this Sunday, June 9th, but to keep the bacon and beer love going, I’ve rounded up three bacon beers worth giving a shot.
Rogue Bacon Maple Ale: Low on the IBU’s, high on the malty goodness, Rogue suggests pairing this beer with doughnuts. Duh. rogue.com
Pisgah Benton Bacon Stout: It’s seasonal, so you gotta catch it when you can, but the boys put Benton’s Smokehouse Farms bacon and Sorghum Molasses in this dark beauty. Lots of bacon here. pisgahbrewing.com
Hogsback Aporkalypse Now Oatmeal Bacon Stout: Okay, this is a Canadian beer and I haven’t had a chance to try it personally. But I like a good pun that hinges on bacon and classic ‘70s cinema. hogsback.ca
