Toppling Goliath to host Mornin' Delight bottle release Saturday

Toppling Goliath is preparing for another bottle release this weekend, and this one's going to be their biggest one yet. Mornin' Delight 2018 will take place all day Saturday at the Toppling Goliath brewery on Prosperity Road east of Decorah.

Tickets for the release went on sale on a first come, first serve basis a few months ago, and sold out within the first 5 minutes, says Toppling Goliath Marketing Director Sarah Hedlund. The $6 ticket allows entrance to the release event on Saturday at a designated time. Once at the event, ticketholders will be able to purchase one Mornin' Delight boxed set - two 22 oz. bottles - for $100, one piece of branded glassware, and one pour of Mornin' Delight beer. Once the ticketed event ends, the taproom will be open to the public with food, beer, and a live band playing in the parking lot.

Hedlund says based on Mornin' Delight ticket sales and past release events, she expects a crowd of 3,000-4,000 people at the brewery on Saturday. An event of this magnatude requires lots of planning, which Hedlund says began about 3 months ago. Organizers use arial maps to create plans for efficient security, parking, and traffic flow through the brewery. They also meet together after each release event  to analyze data and discuss how the release can be streamlined.

Saturday's release will be the 3rd held at Toppling Goliath's new location. Hedlund says the largest release held at their old facility on College Drive drew 1,500 people, which was difficult to accommodate in the smaller space.

A crowd of 3,000 -4,000 beer tourists will have a definite economic impact on Decorah. Hedlund says she has contacted local businesses to give them a heads-up about the event and the expected number of people who will be coming to Decorah. In January 2017, Toppling Goliath conducted an informal economic impact study which revealed an average of 1 million dollars coming into Decorah during just one day of their release event.

"People will be coming from all over the world for this event," says Hedlund. "Mornin' Delight is our most popular non-barrellaged beer. It's made with high quality maple syrup and coffee, takes a long time to make, and every bottle is hand dipped in wax. It's a very special beer."

In addition to the release on Saturday, several local businesses will have Mornin' Delight on tap on Friday for Mornin' Delight Eve.