ELLINWOOD — From ales to ports, the third annual Ellinwood Craft Beer Festival celebrates the best  beer the heartland has to offer. The beer connoisseur can sample 15 different regional beers, ranging from vanilla flavor to espresso to chocolate from breweries in Colorado, Kansas and Missouri at this year’s event. It is from 2-8 p.m. on Oct. 18 and costs $25.
“We’re featuring some seasonal small batch breweries,” said Richard Kimple, Ellinwood American Legion and chairman. The festival began, not only to bring people to Ellinwood on a date specifically chosen not interfere with home games of some state college sports, but to give beer lovers a chance to try new flavors. Plus, the event is the only craft beer fall festival in the area.
Sponsored by the Ellinwood American Legion, the German theme is carried throughout the fall festival with music and German brats, bierocks and potato salad for sale.
The type of beers available has been expanded to fifteen, providing beer lovers a chance to sample a wide variety of beer. Beers include the Great Divide, Yeti Imperial Stout, Left Hand Brewery’s Milk Stout, Twisted Pine’s Espresso Stout, Breckenridge’s Vanilla Porter and Schlarfly’s Kolsch German style will all be there.
Much of the beer will be served from kegs, but some bottled beer will be served as well. Bottled beer such as Odell Loose Leaf,  Oskar Blues Old Chub and Emperyean Vanilla Porter will be available.
“This is beer with taste and flavor,” said Kimple. Each participant will receive a souvenir six ounce Pilsner glass, which is new this year.
In honor of Ellinwood Mayor Frank Koelsch, Kolsch beer, which is translated as Koelsch, is a specialty beer with a classic golden ale that is fermented at warmer temperatures, will be served, said Kimple.
Mayor Koelsch is “rapidly becoming Ellinwood’s longest serving mayor,” said Kimple. Koelsch served in Vietnam and has been active in building the membership in the American Legion.
In addition, Sentinel Gallery, in conjunction with the festival, will be open and having some new art displays.
The proceeds will benefit veterans from the Legion and the Wounded Warrior project.