Page 28 of Stout Bear

He briefly touched her arm in greeting. “How about we grab some beer samples and BBQ? The judging starts in an hour.”

“I'm starving,” Laney laughed. “Those pancakes this morning just made me hungrier.”

They stepped into the lively beer garden together. String lights hung overhead, creating a warm glow as the sun began its descent behind Fate Mountain. Long communal tables filled the center space, surrounded by brewery booths along the perimeter.

“Let's start with some competitor samples,” Max suggested, guiding her toward a row of brewery stations on the left side of the garden. “Always good to know what we're up against.”

At the first booth, a bearded man in a Raven Peak Brewery shirt poured small samples of a golden ale into tasting glasses.

“This is their summer citrus ale,” Max explained as they each took a glass. “Been getting a lot of buzz.”

Laney took a sip, her eyebrows rising. “Oh, that's good. Really bright flavor.”

Max nodded, analyzing the competition. “Nice balance. Not quite as complex as Timberline Sunrise, but solid.”

They moved to the Mountain Stream Craft Beer booth next, where a cheerful woman handed them samples of a dark lager.

“Their specialty,” Max said, swirling the liquid before tasting. “Strong malt profile.”

Laney sipped carefully. “Rich, but a bit heavy, don't you think?”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Max agreed.

After sampling from three more breweries, they approached the Fate Mountain Brewery booth where Gwen was charming a group of visitors. She brightened when she spotted them.

She grabbed a wooden paddle holding three small glasses and handed it to Laney. “Our signature flight: Timberline Sunrise, Bear's Den Amber, and Hidden Falls Hefeweizen.”

He watched Laney bring the Timberline Sunrise to her lips. “This really is incredible,” she said. “So refreshing.”

Pride swelled in Max's chest. “Let's grab some BBQ before all the good stuff is gone,” Max suggested, nodding toward the smoky food stalls on the opposite side of the beer garden.

The aroma of barbecue intensified as they approached the row of grill stations. Smoke curled up from half a dozen setups, each contestant working behind their designated area. A large crowd gathered around Theo Keenan's station, where the burly chef was slathering a bold sauce on perfectly charred ribs.

“That looks amazing,” Laney said, pointing to Theo's ribs as the sauce sizzled on the grill.

They collected small samples from three different BBQ competitors on a single plate—Theo's ribs, pulled pork from Southern Smoke BBQ, and brisket from Mountain Man Grill.

“Perfect combination,” Max said as they carried their loaded plate and beer samples to an open spot at one of the picnic tables in the center of the beer garden.

They settled on the bench, arranging their beer paddles and BBQ plate between them. Around them, the beer garden buzzed with conversation and laughter. The wooden tables were filled with other festivalgoers comparing notes on their favorite brews while judges moved from booth to booth with clipboards.

Laney took a bite of Theo's ribs, closing her eyes in appreciation. “Oh my god, these are incredible.” She licked sauce from herfingers. “I can't decide which is better.” She alternated between bites of food and sips of beer. “The beer complements the BBQ perfectly.”

“That's the idea,” Max smiled, watching her enjoy the pairing. “Good beer makes good food even better.”

As they ate, Max couldn't help but quietly analyze the other beers they'd sampled. The Raven Peak summer ale had promise, but lacked the depth of his Timberline Sunrise. Mountain Stream's dark lager seemed to be drawing crowds, though.

“The competition looks stiff,” he commented, taking another sip of his own creation.

“Worried?” Laney asked, raising an eyebrow as she reached for the Bear's Den Amber.

“Not particularly,” Max replied with a smile. “Just sizing up the field.”

Across the beer garden, the mayor began gathering everyone toward a small stage set up near the brewery tents for the upcoming announcement of winners.

“Looking forward to the results?” Laney asked, standing close beside him in the gathering crowd.

“Always,” Max replied. “Though I think we both know Theo has the BBQ locked down this year.”

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