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HOUGHTON -- The day was hot, but the brews were ice cold.  It was the perfect summer afternoon to get together and talk, what else?  Beer.

“It's a beautiful day; we heard there was going to be a lot of great beers here, so we thought we'd have fun," said Michigan Tech University student Scott Stanton.

This year was the first for the Keweenaw Brewfest, but the event didn't seem too hard to get off the ground; organizers cut off admission at 600 preordered tickets yesterday.  And the funds are staying local.

"My wife runs a Community Foundation in Houghton--the Keweenaw Community Foundation,” said Keweenaw Brewfest Coordinator, Mike Rose.  “I thought maybe I would do this.  It sounds like a lot of fun, and the proceeds can go to benefit that foundation."

For the price of admission--$20 for college students and $25 for adults--15 wooden nickels were given.  Each nickel was good for a chance to talk to the breweries as well as tasting a four ounce sample pour.

"The folks are very educated on the different beer styles,” said Anheuser-Busch Brewmaster Jennifer Eckstein.  “I think that's probably something local to the area that you may not see in other areas of the country, so that's been actually fabulous to talk about beer with people that really understand the brewing process.”

More than 20 breweries and 60 beers were represented at the fest.  Along with the brews, there was also a rib competition between three local restaurants:  The Library Bar, Pilgrim River Steakhouse, and The Shelden Grill.  And the winner was The Shelden Grill.

Organizers say you can expect to see the Keweenaw Brewfest back in Houghton next year.