ICONA’s Avalon Brew Pub first got our attention during the summer while we attended an annual Rugby Tournament one block over. It was a wonderful find!! Burgers & Beers…how can one go wrong. We enjoyed their local brews on tap & gourmet burgers. This place...was a keeper.
We learned that they were having an Oktoberfest-Saturday October 13 from 1-6. We arrived after 2 pm and were greeted by Teresa at the ticket table. Despite the arrival of some breezy fall weather she was all smiles and happy to accommodate the arriving patrons.
Your admission price included your first free beer! So we sought out the bar and were attended to by another smiling face, Susan. Their 6 In-House Brews were flowing from the taps. In addition to their usual IPAs (We Don’t Play, Chil Pils & Cooler by a Mile) they offered a Double IPA, an Amber Ale and Oktoberfest. We sampled 2 and found the Double IPA to be our choice of the day. Their beers were balanced and did not contain the high carbonation levels found in other craft beers. The majority of the crowd was hoisting souvenir stein glasses that were included with a pre-event ticket purchase. They also had the mugs for purchase which included one free fill of your choice of beer.
The crowd of festival goers was a nice mix of family, groups of friends, couples and locals. There was also a mix of music. The corner stage rotated a live band, a singer and a DJ. There was a guy walking around with an accordion but we were either too early or too late for his performance.
The ICONA also offered food for purchase. The menu had the traditional beer festival standards. They went big with their style of Bavarian soft pretzel. This thing was huge and came with 3 styles of dips.
We stayed a few hours but the crowd never dwindled. There was plenty of staff so there was never a long wait for either food or beverage. The seating ranged from bar-top stools, round picnic table to fire pit groupings and few cabanas. Think you needed to reserve the latter two.
The food/beverage manager Dan was a visible face in the crowd. He enjoyed checking on the guests as he moved throughout the Sandbar Village Beach Bar & Lounge. I guess I failed to mention the exact location on the ICONA property. The Sandbar is located next to the beach. Although the dunes block the beach/ocean view they make up for it with actual sand in the seating area. So flip-flops were the right accessory for day.
Finally, what is party without a host? The quintessential host was represented by the management. Mark was decked out in his green lederhosen outfit. He circulated throughout the crowd. He mixed, mingled and even danced. There were a few patrons who also sported their own personal Tyrolean hats or Alpine hats (learn something new every day). Perhaps next year they will sell some hats (maybe donate profit to charity) as many guys were anxious to get those worn by the staff.
As with any review there has to be the negative…well outside of the sun moving behind clouds and the arrival of fall temperatures the only thing lacking was additional kegs of their own Oktoberfest brew that lasted most of the day and then kicked. We look forward to arriving earlier next year to hoist a few of their specialty/ featured beers and hope for an appearance of a stout or porter to round out their delicious lineups of in house brews.
ZIGGY ZAGGY ZIGGY ZAGGY –HOI HOI HOI to ICONA & Avalon Brew Pub
PS: Oct 20, 2018…look for them at the Diamond Beach Beer & Wine Festival: 12-4pmMore
