Harvest Moon Beer and Wine Tasting Features Local Experts

The Farmington Harvest Moon Celebration second annual Beer and Wine Tasting, set for 6 p.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 22, kicks off a popular three-day celebration in downtown Farmington.

Held at Riley Park and Walter E. Sundquist Farmington Pavilion, the event will offer a selection of craft beers from the Great Lakes Region and around the world. More than 30 unique wines and meads will be available as well.

Special guests include Rex Halfpenny of the Michigan Beer Guide, who will join attendees to taste and discuss craft beer. He has been a panel judge for the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup, the two largest commercial competitions in America. He has been published in magazines such as American Brewer, Beer the Magazine, Brew Your Own, Celebrator, Great Lakes Brewing News, Midwest Brew Notes, and New Brewer Magazine. In 1997, Halfpenny completed the Sensory Evaluation of Beer program at the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago.

Also present, Lee Hershey has been the wine teacher at Schoolcraft College for nearly 30 years. He was recently selected as a consultant to fill the wine cellars at The Grapevine in Novi, a wine bar with more than 1,000 bottles featuring over 400 different labels. Hershey’s students also claim that he is quite a story teller.

Specialized food pairings prepared by Culinary Studies Institute will accompany the beer and wine tasting.

Featured performer Austin Scott is a Detroit native who has been writing and performing his music for more than 15 years. While his primary genre is country, Scott also incorporates hints of rock, pop and folk into his sound.

“Last year’s beer and wine tasting was such a great success,” Janet Bloom, events planner, said, “we decided to bring it back this year and spice it up with a little country flair.” 

Representatives from the local breweries displaying their products for sampling have been invited to guide the beer enthusiasts through their sampling, and will be available at individual serving stations to answer questions. Some of the invited breweries include Shorts Brewing, Atwater Brewing Company, Sherwood Brewing Co., Liberty Street and Kuhnhenn.

Wine and mead representatives will also present at individual tasting stations to discuss their products.

For more information, visit the DDA's website.