Hoppy Possum brings homebrews to Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. – When Tom T. Hall sang of liking beer, he spoke for legions of people."It makes me a jolly good fellow," Hall sang, punctuated with: "I like beer."Jolly good people indeed, those who will attend Hoppy Possum. Founded in 2019, Hoppy Possum: Southern Brewers Cup returns on Saturday, Sept. 28, to Anderson Park in downtown Bristol, Tennessee. A lot of things for a lot of people, the event ultimately celebrates the amateur homebrewer of beer."It is an opportunity to try more than 180 beers, ciders, meads, and seltzers," said Gavin Andrews, founder and organizer of Hoppy Possum: Southern Brewers Cup. "It lends itself to out-of-the-box creativity. This is limited only by the creators' imagination."Imagine the taste of an Orange Crush seltzer topped with whipped cream. Or beer that invokes tastes of berries, chocolate, or perhaps even whiskey. Possibilities as wide as the widest of skies present themselves by the glass at Hoppy Possum."But it's not just a beer festival," Andrews, 39, said. "Also, we've got great music and food trucks."Saturday marks the second year of Hoppy Possum in Bristol. This year, they will encounter competition in the form of the third annual Bristol Oktoberfest. Each event heralds beer as its star and each festival unfolds throughout Saturday afternoon.While Hoppy Possum stages in Anderson Park, Bristol Oktoberfest encompasses a range of participating businesses in downtown Bristol — including The Cascade Draft House on State Street."We'll embrace everyone with open arms," said Spence Flagg, owner of The Cascade Draft House, which specializes in constant rotations of creatively made craft beer. "Let's be thankful that we have this much going on."Be mindful: Hoppy Possum is for ages 21 and older. For the price of general admission, attendees will receive a Hoppy Possum branded glass. Hold on to that glass."That's your tasting glass," Andrews said. "You can get free samples all day."Unlike many beer festivals, Hoppy Possum defines as a competitive beer festival. Open exclusively to non-commercial home brewers of beer, mead, cider, etc., a full list of rules is available on their website.Popular vote determines the top five beer entries. Those five will move on. A panel of judges will then provide additional scrutiny, from which will emerge the overall winners."We have $10,000 in the cash pool of prizes," Andrews said. "Top price in the beer category is $5,000."Second place earns $1,600. A crisp $800 routes to third place, $400 to fourth, and $200 to fifth. There's more. Popular vote determines the top three non-beer entries. Again, they move onward to face a panel of judges. First place wins $1,000, second garners $700 and third takes home $300."All the brewers are amateur," Andrews said. "None are professional."Brewers from perhaps as many states as 13 will attend. Andrews said that while many of them allocate incredible amounts of times and resources into their beer crafting, none are professionals. They're hobbyists whose hobby happens to be creating beer."These are not casual enthusiasts by any stretch," Andrews, of Erwin, said. "We've seen growth every year. We've had people from Arkansas, Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey. They come from all over."Andrews doubtlessly identifies with many of those brewers. For one, he's from Buffalo, New York. However, he moved to Erwin, Tennessee, more than two decades ago. During those years, he developed a love of beer and brewing."Why beer?" Andrews said. "Oh, gosh. I was a home brewer for many years. Inevitably, people will ask you when are you going to start a brewery."Andrews does not own a brewery; he works in the field of higher education. Flagg, however, does own a brew-centric business. His Cascade Draft House in downtown Bristol thrives on tourism as well as like-minded individuals who seek and find often wildly creatively brewed craft beer."Being from Cascade, we're always looking for something different," Flagg said. "The home brewers, they're just awesome. We are slowly turning Bristol into a craft beer destination."Get this: Flagg said he recently sought to identify the numbers of breweries and such within a 50-mile radius of downtown Bristol. His results astound."There are 50 breweries within 50 miles of Bristol," Flagg said. "There are 30 vineyards within 50 miles of Bristol and 30 distilleries. Bristol, we're a beverage destination."As in years past, fun attaches to more than waves of batches of brews. For instance, Andrews said that some of the brewers add aspects of showmanship to their creations."I have seen Yeti costumes," he said. "One had a banana brew, so they dressed as a monkey. The monks come every year.""You get to see people's personalities come out," Andrews said. "People put themselves out there. We had one group called Ancient Brewing. They come dressed as monks. They make Belgium beer. The monks come every year."Distinction brands Hoppy Possum. Pioneers in home brewing find a home in Hoppy Possum to offer their creatively brewed beverages to an eager public. They band together in the name of beer, the likes of which one simply cannot buy from the local grocery store."We've created a platform to celebrate the home brewer in ways that never has been done before.," Andrews said. "These are things you can't just get in a store."What: Hoppy Possum Southern Brewers CupWhen: Saturday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.Where: Anderson Park, 512-598 Alabama St., Bristol, Tenn.Info: 423-218-3258Web: www.hoppypossum.com"It lends itself to out-of-the-box creativity. This is limited only by the creators' imagination."— Gavin Andrews, founder and organizer of Hoppy Possum: Southern Brewers Cup