Swine & Stein Brewfest returns bigger than ever

Gardiner Main Street was filled with plenty of Swine & Stein action Saturday morning to make up for last year’s scaled-back festivities.

Swine & Stein Brewfest is an annual event organized by Gardiner Main Street.

Usually the “swine” part of the event includes a pig butchering demonstration, but due to staffing issues, it was not included this year. To make up for it, The Blind Pig Tavern had a pork roast and local vendors also featured pork as their main options. According to the meat smokers at The Blind Pig, the pig started smoking on the grill at 3:30 a.m. and by lunch time, it was ready to be served, making the lack of the demonstration seem minimal.

The “stein” part of the name was backed up by 16 brews on tap and two cideries and two distilleries pouring beverages.

The one-day event was back in-person for the first year since 2019. Last year, due to the pandemic and emergency restrictions on gatherings, organizers offered take-home bags instead of having the popular in-person event.