At first blush, Nighthawk Brewing is an odd setting for a festival celebrating farmhouse beers.

The Broomfield brewery, which opened in January 2015, is housed in a metal warehouse on a thoroughfare called Industrial Way. It shares a building with a paintball business.

As head brewer Dan Moore is quick to point out, there are honest-to-goodness farms nearby. But more to the point, saisons and farmhouses are close to Moore’s heart, and he has enough friends who share that passion to be able to pull off a new festival celebrating the style.

A photo posted by Nighthawk Brewery (@nighthawkbeer) on Apr 24, 2016 at 7:34am PDT

The debut Funk & Farm Fest on Saturday will feature saisons and farmhouse ales from an eclectic assortment of 15 Colorado breweries (TICKET INFORMATION AVAILABLE HERE).

Why does the style appeal to Moore, who cut his teeth homebrewing, working in a homebrew shop and working in logistics for Great Divide Brewing before taking over the kettles at Nighthawk in October?

“I think it’s very ambiguous. At the same time, it’s very specific,” he said. “There are so many different ways and ingredients and approaches to brewing a saison. But when you are drinking one, you know you are drinking one.”

With some styles, you know what you are going to get, as Moore points out. All IPAs are hop-forward, for instance. But a saison can focus on yeast character, showcase adjunct malts such as wheat and rye, or spotlight hop aroma or flavor via dry-hopping.

The festival also will serve as a coming out party for Follow the Light, a Nighthawk side project featuring barrel-fermented brett and sours.

Don’t expect sours at Funk & Farm. (Hey, you’ve got Avery SourFest next month for that). Moore has told brewers to leave their goses and strawberry American wild beers behind.

Rather, Moore is taking a page from Trinity Brewing’s annual Saison and Farmhouse Invitational in Colorado Springs and focusing squarely on those styles (but with a Colorado-only focus).

For one afternoon, at least, a Broomfield warehouse will feel a little like a Belgian farmhouse.

POUR LIST

Nighthawk Brewery

• Spring Orange Saison
• Tropihop dry hopped Saison
• Random Tasq Black Currant Amber Saison
• Saison Ete’ 100% Azacca Saison

Follow The Light

• Barrel Series 001 Farmhouse w/brett
• Barrel Series 002 Bourbon bbl saison w/brett
• Barrel Series 003 100% Brett saison w/chamomile (VIP SESSION ONLY)

Atom Brewing

• Arlo Farmhouse Inspired Ale
• Maggie Gin Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale

Our Mutual Friend Brewery

• Saison
• 24fps

Colorado Plus Brewpub

• SweetRidge Saison

Elevation Beer Company

• Raspberry Gulch

Wynkoop Brewing Company

• Saison De Siegle Rye Saison
• Saison De Hibiuscus Rye Saison
• Forethought bbl aged Rye Saison
• Necessity sour Rye Saison

Goldspot Brewing

• La Cienega brett saison

Dad & Dude’s Breweria

• Bloodrocuted Blood Orange Saison

Mu Brewery

• Lime Brett Saison

Wiley Roots Brewing Company

• Sappy Roots
• Funk ya Couch
• Grisette

Trinity Brewing

• Magical Brettanomyces Tour #5
• One Ear Naked Saison

Odd 13 Brewing

• Walking Phoenix
• Vincent Van Couch

Spangalang Brewery

• Beatrice Saison
• Ethel Sour Saison

Crooked Stave

• Surette
• Vielle

Black Project

• Dreamland
• Mach-Limit: Tempranillo
• Supercruise: Tempranillo

 

Edit: The pour list for Crooked Stave and Black Project were added on May 27, 2016.

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