East End Reverse Keg Ride – Now With MORE Beer!

REGISTRATION IS NOW LIVE!  (See the BLUE button below)

Once again, that crisp Fall air means that the end of Pedal Pale Ale Season is drawing near!

As you may have heard, back in April of 2013 about 600 of you, our GOOD FRIENDS came out to help deliver the first Pedal Pale Ale kegs of the season at our annual PEDAL PALE ALE KEG RIDE, and raised over $9,000 for our two charities!  And just like last year, we need to get the last of this year’s empty Pedal Pale Ale kegs back to the brewery… which in my book is the perfect excuse for another bike ride.  (Okay, it’s still a pretty flimsy excuse, but work with me, okay?)

FIRST, A BIT ABOUT THE BEER: In case you’ve missed it so far this year, our summer seasonal, PEDAL PALE ALE is a crisp, American Pale Ale with a bright floral hop character, and a lighter body than its big brother (our flagship Big Hop IPA).  I believe it just might be THE PERFECT post-bike-ride beverage, but that’s just my opinion.  And since this year’s supply is winding down, we need to send it off in style…

THE RIDE:  From the OTB Bicycle Cafe, we’ll head off in a nice tight group.  Of course, the big difference is that unlike the KEG RIDE in the Spring, everybody knows where we’re going on the REVERSE KEG RIDE… to return the kegs to the brewery at 147 Julius St.

Like the Spring Keg Ride, this will be slow-paced, slightly meandering, and maybe even a little surprising, in spite of already knowing the destination.  When we arrive, we’ll say goodbye to Pedal Pale Ale until next year, and raise a glass of SNOW MELT WINTER ALE to toast it’s passing, on us of course.

Like last year’s Reverse Keg Ride, this one is right around Halloween, so again, it’s COSTUMEPREFERRED. And as a little encouragement, there will be prizes awarded in these three categories:

DIFFICULTY, PACE: There’s no two ways about it.  Riding from OTB to EEBC is an uphill trip.  If you’ve not been on your bike for 3 years, this ride may not be for you.  But we’ll do our best to keep the pace nice and gentle, and keep the group together…which will mean some waiting around for the quicker riders.

Parts will be on roads with regular car traffic, part will be on paved trails, so any kind of bike/tires should work just fine.  And if you need to pick up a used bike for this event, check out FreeRide.

THE PARTICULARS: Saturday, November 2nd.  Rain or shine.

Check-in: 3:00pm at OTB Bicycle Cafe, 2518 E. Carson St. in the South Side. Map HERE.

Depart at 4:00pm, Arrive at 5-5:30pm

K
eep the Glass: You’ll also leave with a commemorative KegRideGlass, so be sure to bring a bag or a busboy to carry it home.

Return trip: Why return when you can stay for a 3 Hour BEER FEST!!! (More on this below.)

Cost: $20 for REGULAR on-line registration, $30 for LATE on-line registration. There’s NO day-of registration, and the ride is limited to the first 300 participants.  Regular registration will end on a mysterious day of our choosing without notice, so yeah… sign up now.  All Registration will close when the ride hits the stated limit, or on October 25th at noon… whichever comes first.

This charitable contribution gets you a fun day of riding your bike in a big group… and this year’s very first SNOW MELT WINTER ALE fresh from the brewery.  Not to mention all the silliness that comes with riding a bike in a Halloween costume.  And of course, your registration goes to support an excellent cause…

THE CAUSE: A friend of the brewery who has walked the walk of sustainability for decades is battling cancer and the EEBC community is here to lend a hand in their time of need. This year we’re pedaling for Billy Pepmeyer of Agents of Change Recycling.

HOW TO SIGN UP:  If the idea of dressing up in a costume and following kegs being pulled around town by bicycles sounds like the kind of thing that interests you, I have to say that you’re our kind of people!  All you have to do is REGISTER, show up at our starting point with your costume, your bike, and your helmet.  Get yourself checked-in, collect your all important "beer token", and then just follow the bouncing kegs when we head out.

CAN KIDS COME? On the ride portion of the day’s activities, yes. But not at the BeerFest.  But be advised that this ride is on OPEN CITY STREETS, and a decent portion of this trip will be up one loooong hill.  And of course the kids don’t get a beer at the end of the ride.  But we can substitute that beer with some Home Made Root Beer for anyone that’s interested.

TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW: As you know, we do LOTS of events every year… Beer Dinners, Festivals, Volunteer Days, but these rides are probably my favorite events of the year.  It’s a great excuse to get out on your bike with your GOOD FRIENDS for day of group riding, some good food, some good fun, some GOOD BEER, and of course a good cause.  So seriously, tell everyone you know about this.  The more people we have, the more money we will raise, and the more fun it will be.  

NOW, ABOUT THIS BEER FEST THING…

We’ve finally answered the centuries old question: What should we do AFTER the Reverse Keg Ride?  Since you’re already at the brewery, why not stick around for a couple beers?

Immediately after the Reverse Keg Ride, for the modest price of $35 ($45 if you miss the EarlyBird pricing) we’ll be opening up our brewery and our taps to you for to spend some quality time with a wide range of East End Beers.  PLUS, great music by DJ Zombo, food trucks parked on Frankstown Ave to fill your belly, and a heck of good time as we sample GOOD BEER with GOOD FRIENDS. You’ll also see behind the scenes: the mill, the brewhouse, the giant fermenters, and Scott’s secret beer lair.

The Fest is limited to the first 250 ticket holders. Like the ride, there will be no day-of ticket sales. The Fest happens on Saturday, November 2nd from 6:30-9:30pm

I hope to see you on the ride, or see you at the Fest… or better still, see you at BOTH!

Cheers, Scott