April 20-21: Oxford Beer Festival

We are mere days away from the Oxford Craft Beer Festival, which will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, at Colonel’s Quarters at Castle Hill.

I have a special interest in the event since I’m organizing the VIP area, which involves six Oxford chefs being teamed up with craft brewers to create unique dishes that either integrate or pair with craft beers. All VIP ticket holders have access to the general admission area as well, and will have access to special brews, complimentary food and water/soda, and entrance into the festival one hour early (at noon).

Also happening in the VIP area will be a silent auction featuring beer-themed items as well as items donated from local Oxford businesses such as RockIT Computer Solutions, Sweet Cheeks, Deal’s Auto Repair, Lafayette Carpet Cleaning and more.

Some things to know before you go (for all ticket holders):

• Online ticket sales are ending soon.
• There are only 100 VIP tickets available per day.
• Ticket prices increase by $10 at the door.
• There should be enough free parking, but for those who would like a ride to the event, there will be a shuttle going to/from the JCPenney parking lot ($10 fee).
• There will be some fun gifts/crafts for purchase at the event, so don’t forget to bring some extra pocket change with you.

Check out the Oxford Beer Festival site for event information and ticket comparison. General admission is $35/pp/day and VIP admission is $75/pp/day.

Find out more about the VIP chefs in the videos below.

Tim Woodard from Little Easy Express Lunches and Catering (Cooking Sunday, April 21)

Sam Thamutok from Rice & Spice (Cooking Saturday, April 20)

Sean Adams from Honey Bee Bakery (Cooking Saturday, April 20)

Erika Lipe from Lenora’s (Cooking Saturday and Sunday)

Jon Myrick from Proud Larry’s (Cooking Sunday, April 21)

Rob Ray from McEwen’s (Cooking Saturday, April 20)

Do You Like Beer?

You’ve waited and waited, wondering if a beer festival would ever come to Oxford….Well, the wait is over!

The Oxford Craft Beer Festival will be held on April 20 and 21 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Colonel’s Quarters at Castle Hill. More than 140 craft beers will be sampled along with food, live music, games and more.

Brewmasters from near and far will be on hand to answer questions and participate in special demonstrations created exclusively for this event.

VIP ticket holders will gain access to the exclusive VIP Lounge hosted by EatingOxford.com, where brewmasters and local chefs will team up to prepare dishes that incorporate craft brews. This is something you won’t want to miss!

Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, secure your tickets for an event that’s sure to sell out. General admission is $35/day; VIP is $75/day.

Note: A shuttle and discounted designated driver tickets are also available.

Castle Hill Debuts New Southern Menu

Have you been to Colonel’s Quarters at Castle Hill lately? They’ve just released a new menu filled with Southern favorites such as pimento cheese fritters, pulled pork on homemade biscuits, catfish po-boys, chicken spaghetti, meatloaf and more. Vegetable plates are also available. View the entire menu here.

The kitchen at Colonel’s Quarters at 120 Castle Hill Drive is open from 11 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. every Sunday and also offers a full bar every Sunday, thanks to its resort status. For more information visit the website or call 662-234-3735.

New Chef and Menu at Colonel’s Quarters

If you haven’t been out to Colonel’s Quarters at Castle Hill lately, the restaurant recently hired Lauren Lanza, the chef from Yocona in Exile. She’s brought a new menu to Colonel’s Quarters, with items such as fried goat cheese salad, braised short rib grilled cheese, butternut squash lasagna and pan-roasted salmon.

Brunch is available from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the kitchen is open until 9:00 p.m. and the lounge is open til midnight. Colonel’s Quarters also has resort status, so the bar is always open on Sundays.

 

Upcoming Events at Castle Hill

If you haven’t gotten a chance to check out the new (new owners) Castle Hill Resort yet, there are a couple of events coming up that sound fun:

• Wednesday, June 30 – Sausage & Beer Tasting, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Sponsored by Lazy Magnolia and LBs. Meat Market, the sausage dishes will include duck, gator, Italian, Hawaiian and boudin. Call 662-234-3735 to reserve space. ($40 per person)

• Wednesday, July 14 – Cigar, Steak & Bourbon Dinner

In addition, the website is now live and you can peruse the full menu (offered Wednesday through Sunday), which includes items such as potato-stuffed lobster tail, blue corn crusted scallops, house-made basil fettuccine, bone-in veal strip and more. The Sunday champagne brunch is also still available.

Have you tried the menu? Share your thoughts by commenting below.