Craziness is about to descend on Nashville yet again...
It's World Beer Cup and Craft Brewers Conference time in Nashville for a second time. Nashville last hosted in 2018, and I worked at the World Beer Cup side of the event. Was a great time to be in town. So many breweries in town from all over the world, and so many pop-up events. So many fantastic breweries and beers tasted and shared. And then also the random little moments like just sitting on the Yazoo porch talking and sharing a beer with a hop grower from the Czech Republic. That might have been my favorite (and most surreal) random beer-related happening in my life. I mean, literally sharing beers. The guy wanted me to taste the hop differences in a few beers, so he was handing me different beers he had purchased and was drinking and was giving me (in very broken English) his descriptions and asking my opinions. It was a fantastic afternoon... Totally random, totally off the wall, and totally fun and surreal. I also ended up working GABF as a result last time (not sure if that will happen this year... stay tuned).
I must say I'm looking forward to the next week or so. Events are starting to post and crazy beers are starting to drop into our beer stores that aren't usually in our distribution (for instance, I saw a bunch of Lawson's at Craft Brewed today). The World Beer Cup judging is on May 5-7 and the conference follows that on May 8-10. I am again working the World Beer Cup side of the event. The collaboration beers are starting to post (like the one pictured that is a collab between Yazoo, Russian River, Jester King, Green Bench, Allagash, River Drive Cooperative, Riverbend Malt House, and our friends at Bootleg Biology). I'll try to give an update during or after the event, and I'll try to check in a bit more frequently in the future. I kinda miss talking to you all...
