Global stouting

What’s so international, you might ask, about River City’s International Marmot Beer Festival?

How about versions of the brewery’s winter seasonal Midnight Marmot Imperial Stout conditioned over oak chips soaked in Irish and Canadian whiskeys, Scotch and good old American bourbon, as well as straight French oak chips with Washington raspberries.

Those are half of the 10 Marmot variations that will be pouring at the event Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. For $25 in advance, $30 at the door, you get 2-ounce samples of each, a 12-ounce serving of your favorite and a growler to go for an additional $10 (one per person).

There’s also a souvenir snifter for the first 125 ticket buyers. You’ll probably still be able to get one of those at the door if you show up early enough, but there are no guarantees.

“We’re really fond of the Midnight Marmot, and we wanted to do something with that,” says River City’s Emily Schwartz. “It started out with a couple of beers we had in the cellar, and expanded into this whole lineup.”

That includes fresh Marmot (8.7 percent alcohol by volume, 78 International Bitterness Units) on American oak chips soaked in Kavanagh Irish whiskey, Pendleton Canadian whiskey, Shieldaig Highland Peaty single-malt scotch and Buffalo Trace bourbon. The American chips are toastier, Schwartz says, while the French chips have more of a smoky-tobacco character.

The other five versions to be tapped include the 2014 and 2015 vintages of the regular Marmot; nitro pours of this year’s release and last year’s Oako-Coco, aged with oak chips and cocoa nibs; and one dosed with the house-made root beer.

“We actually have had people in the taproom order Midnight Marmot mixed with root beer,” Schwartz says. “It really does add a different flavor, texture and mouthfeel. It’s a different experience.”