PHOTOS: Beer and Booze and Bacon, Oh My – Casper Hosts Booze & Bacon Festival
Stop us if you've heard this one: This little piggy went to the market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy ate roast beef and this little piggy had none. This little piggy...was slaughtered and butchered and had its belly sliced into neat little strips that were then cooked and incorporated into a variety of dishes that people ate while they imbibed in lots and lots of alcohol.
It was an embarrassment of riches in Casper on Saturday; especially for those who love pork and Patron, as Frank's Butcher Shop presented the Booze and Bacon Festival at the Ford Wyoming Center. And, as the name implies, there was enough booze, beer, and bacon to choke a horse. Or a pig.
Hundreds of hungry and thirsty attendees gathered to eat, drink, and be merry. But they also gathered to vote on their favorite dish, favorite beer, and favorite drink, with prizes being awarded
At the end of the way, Mountain Hops Brewhouse won the award for Best Beer. A Taste of Wyoming won the award for Best Booze and Little Shop of Burgers won the award for Best Bacon. But the real winners were all of the attendees, who were treated to a day of alcohol and pork and, really, who could ask for anything more?
Eric Magnuson, the owner and brewer of Mountain Hops Brewhouse, said that winning the award for Best Beer was a sweet victory, made even better by the fact that it was his own community that voted for him.
"Being small and local, it's great to be able to to come to a local thing and win something," he said. "It's great that we can come here [and be recognized]. So many times today, I got 'We didn't even know you were in town,' so it's great exposure for us little guys."
And that's sort of the entire point of the Booze & Bacon Festival - to bring together community establishments and showcase them in a huge way. Various restaurants, bars, breweries and more came together for an afternoon that was a big hit with the community.
We wish these photos could do the event justice, but the Booze & Bacon Festival really is something that needs to be seen (and tasted) to believe. Still, here are some photos from the event.