St. Joseph's Pints And Pork Challenge To Pit Breweries, BBQ Teams In Taste Battle

MANHATTAN, IL — The beer will be cold, and the barbecue will be hot, when a favorite fundraiser for Manhattan's St. Joseph's School returns Saturday, Sept. 27.

The Pints and Pork Challenge will take place under a tent in a parking lot north of the school—use 255 W. North St. for directions—from 5 to 9 p.m., and will feature beers from 10 vendors, and pork to go with 'em. Tickets can be purchased in advance online for $50, and $60 at the gate. Designated driver tickets available for $30. Advance sales end Friday, Sept. 26 at 11:59 p.m.

Ticket price includes all you can enjoy of beer and BBQ, a keepsake glass and a ballot to vote on the food and beer. Each brewer brings two different craft beers to sample. The pit masters will each cook 50 pounds of pork.

At the end, attendees cast votes for best dish, best brew and best pairing. Split-the-pot and raffles will also be offered. The event is 21 and over, only. Water stations are also set up, making beer sampling simpler.

Teams competing this year include:

1. Pollyanna Brewing and Manhattan Meat Wranglers
2. Brickstone Brewery and The Taco Man
3. Arrowhead Ales and Arrowhead Ales
4. Hickory Creek Brewing and Papa J's Pizza
5. Trail's Edge Brewing and Rooster's Que
6. Flipside Brewing and Twin Stacks
7. Miskatonic Brewing and Black Walnut BBQ
8. Old School Brewing and EJ's Texas Q
9. Go Brewing and Arrowhead Smoke Works
10. Hailstorm and Legends Bar and Grill

Raffled off will be a Wagon o' Booze, containing 50 bottles of wine and liquor. Tickets are 10 for $20. The rain or shine event includes live music in a cozy setting, with hay bales placed around firepits to socialize and keep warm, organizers said.

For more information, visit the event's website.