Who's on Tap? An Insider's Guide to Craft Beer Week and the 9th Annual Uptown Beer & Wine Festival

In case you haven't heard, this week is Craft Beer Week in the Chattahoochee Valley. The new multi-day event organized by Uptown Columbus will lead into the 9th annual Uptown Beer & Wine Festival on Saturday, November 17. This year's festival will feature more than 100 craft beers and wines and will take place in the Tap, Rankin Courtyard and Livery.

Stephanie Woodham, founder of Yalla Public Relations and an active member of the local restaurant community, is thrilled to be involved with Craft Beer Week and the Uptown Beer & Wine Festival again this year.

"The craft beer scene has seen tremendous growth in our community over the years," said Woodham. This is actually the 11th year Columbus has hosted the Beer & Wine Festival in the Rankin Courtyard. The first two years, it was hosted by The Loft. This is the ninth year it's been hosted by Uptown Columbus and it's one of our largest fundraisers."

Woodham has seen the growth of our local industry personally, and believes that the Beer & Wine Festival is essential to continuing to develop our area as a desirable location for residents and visitors alike.

"The Beer & Wine Festival has played a vital role in developing relationships between Columbus and the craft breweries, it's one of the only times in Columbus that brewmasters from each brewery can educate our community on the art of tasting craft beer, " Woodham explained.

In addition to participation and exposure through the festival on the day of the event, each of the breweries and wineries involved benefit in numerous ways long after the festival is over.

"The breweries and wineries alike see a great deal of benefit from our festival. Each year, we get positive feedback from local spirit shops," said Woodham. "Our Wine Garden sponsor, Uptown Wine & Spirits, saw an increase in sales from the wine selections offered at our festival last year."

New to this year's Uptown Beer & Wine Festival, is the Sip and Soar Package. The new event package is available to the first 100 participants for $75 and includes a 10 a.m. Blue Heron Adventure Zipline (two jumps from 45’ free fall, 1200’ Zip Line, 500’ zip line, a tree top canopy tour, and 1100’ zip line), lunch provided at the festival, and entry to the festival all day.

For those wondering how to get involved with the craft beer scene locally, Craft Beer Week is an ideal way to get an introductory overview of the standout breweries in our region. Starting tomorrow, November 13, Uptown has organized one event a day until Saturday's festival. Locals will be able to visit selected local restaurants and sample top brews from places like Creature Comforts, Pretoria Fields, and The Southern Brewing Company. (See the full schedule for Craft Beer Week included at the end of this article.)

Want to dive in deeper into learning more about the local beer & wine industry? Woodham had some great advice on where to begin whether you're a local or just visiting for the weekend.

"If people want to get involved in the local craft beer scene, I encourage them to visit Maltitude or Uptown Wine & Spirits on Broadway in Uptown Columbus. Each of these spirit shops have a vast variety of craft beer labels, an extensive wine portfolio and very knowledgeable. Places like Nonic Bar & Kitchen are a great place to sample a variety of craft beers on tap."

Tickets for the festival may be purchased through the Uptown Beer & Wine Festival Facebook event page, at The Springer Opera House Box Office, or online at SpringerOperaHouse.org. Regular entry costs $45 and limited quantities are available. Designated Driver Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the gate of The Tap courtyard on Saturday. Please note, all attendees of the Uptown Beer & Wine Festival must be 21 or older. For more information, please visit www.UptownColumbusGA.com ◼︎