Riverside Brews and Bites features limitless food, beer, bands at Old Bakery Beer Company

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ALTON - Alton's Craft Beer Week began Saturday, April 22 with a beer and food sampling at Old Bakery Beer Company. Riverside Brews and Bites was originally scheduled to be at the Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater, but weather concerns drove it to the brewery inside Old Bakery Beer Company.

Limitless samples of food and beer from several local restaurants and breweries from both sides of the river with a $25 admission. The host, Old Bakery Beer Company, debuted its Cerveza con Lima beer, which will soon be sold in cans. Old Bakery Manager Matt Vitali said the beer is a Mexican golden ale with organic lime concentrate. "The way we brewed it turned out with a good lime flavor," he said. "The finished product may have about five percent lime juice. It will be good hitting the market as it gets warmer outside."

Besides Old Bakery, brewers such as St. Louis's Urban Chestnut and Belleville's 4204 Main Street Brewing Company brought samples. Representatives of 4204 brought Answer, a session ale, which it hopes will hit the market as hard as its "flagship" pecan ale. The Belleville-based brewer also developed a beer based on hip-hop star Afroman, but did not bring it to the event. It did, however, have a psychedlic American pale ale called "420/4." Food was also a large focus of the event.

Old Bakery provided pulled pork wrapped in corn tortillas with a "drunken salsa" made with the new lime flavored beer. Great Rivers Tap and Grill Executive Chef Kenny Jaskiewicz and food and beverage manager Matthew Jones brought a beef tenderloin with espresso rub and a butter made with a porter from Old Bakery.

Morrison's Irish Pub brought craft beer yip-yips. Music was provided throughout the day by local bands, including Hope & Therapy and Polyshades.

Visitors could also attain a craft beee passport from the Alton Conventions and Visitors Bureau, which can be traded for a special bottle opener from the visitors center with six purchases from as many local venues in the span of a year.

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