Hot chowder and cold beer filled the hands of the people at the inaugural Fish and Brew Fest in Montesano. Vying for attendees with Montesano’s homecoming game, organizers said about 200 people attended Friday’s brew fest, where they sipped local beers and sampled food from different vendors.

Along with brisket and pulled pork sandwiches, clam chowder was a popular choice in the chilly evening.

“It’s really good,” Brian Brearty, of Montesano, said of the chowder sold by the Montesano Volunteer Fire Department. “Kind of a slow start but it looks like it’s going to be fun.”

Whitney’s garage, at the corner of Fleet and Pioneer, served as the beer garden where people visited with friends and neighbors and watched the Huskies knock the sap out of Stanford. Vendors offered jewelry, natural whisker oils and Seahawks swag. The cornhole tournament saw some heavy competition and ended up with everyone having a good time.

Kölsch, a light, crisp German ale, was the beer of choice on Friday evening and was offered by two local brewers. Jason Stenzel, of Olympia’s O-Town Brewing, said he was a bit surprised that the Kölsch Köbain was so popular given the coldness of the evening. Another popular choice from O-Town was their Baltic porter, Oridian’s Hammer, a darker and higher-alcohol brew.

The Eighth Street Ale House poured a Kölsch from North Jetty Brewing in Long Beach and also beers from Fort George, a brewery from Astoria, Ore. Montesano Chamber of Commerce and city employees offered red and white wine and beers in Crown Distributing’s stable such as Dick’s Brewing in Centralia, Deschutes Brewery and Spire Mountain.

City public works director Rocky Howard was manning the fishing derby registration on Friday evening. At about 6 p.m., only 20 or so people had registered for the derby. Despite the slow start, Howard was optimistic more people would register the following morning. He was also optimistic that the first Fish and Brew Fest would not be the last.

“It’s kind of a no-brainer — we break in, have a good time,” Howard said. “And the biggest fish caught in the river with a ticket wins a prize.”

Organizers from the Chamber of Commerce said they were pleased with the affair and how it came together in just a few short weeks. More activities are in the works for next year’s event, which will be planned for a less hectic weekend.

Derby winners were not available at press time.