Hops for Harmony

What an event! This has to be one of the best beer-themed experiences I have ever had in Nebraska. The event took place last Thursday at the German-American Society on 120th Street in Omaha (I’m now just getting around to writing about it). My wife and daughter accompanied me that night, and were quite pleased with the setup.

Here’s a run-down of the breweries: Empyrean, Granite City, Nebraska Brewing, Spilker, and Upstream. In addition, there were several distributors and restaurants.

Not only were most of the Nebraska breweries in attendance, all with a wide selection of their beers, but some even brought food. I enjoyed my fill of great food throughout the night. Some notables were Lazlo’s ribs, Upstream’s black and tan cookies (made with cracked dark-roasted malt), and the German-American Society’s own homemade pretzels.

Our gracious hosts of the evening were Bob and Jim Frederick. Bob is a chairperson for Project Harmony, and Jim (his son) assists in the organization of the Hops for Harmony event. Project Harmony is an organization that helps children who are victims, or suspected victims, of abuse and neglect. Their team is comprised of law enforcement, social service, medical, and investigative individuals. The event raises money for the agency through ticket sales, raffles, and silent auctions.

Jim and I talked at length about Hops for Harmony. I informed him that this was somewhat atypical of most beer tasting events I attend. The attendees were very well-mannered and gracious...they even moved from the table after getting their tasting glass filled! Most of our readers can attest to people congregating at the tasting table while drinking, leaving the rest of us to wait until they had their 3-4 glasses before they move.

Jim stated next year may debut a different venue, since each year the attendance at the event has grown. I also had hoped other breweries like Thunderhead and Jaipur (they should bring food too) would have attended. Jim said he will try to get them to come next year.

I wanted to thank Bob and Jim for making this a great evening. This couldn’t have been a better combination...beer, food, and helping children in need. All of which makes you feel mighty good at the end of day.