Beer Fests; Love 'Em Or Leave "Em?

[jimjohson]

I don't know , I might just be cheap. With a $35 cover charge (double that as SWMBO'll be there as the DD) it's going to take a lot of 3oz samples just to break even. A "so many beers, so little time" scenario.

[Chuck N]

So, as I said earlier, I didn't go to the beer fest. But I did go to the liquor store. This is what I got...

good beer.jpg (56.9 KiB) Viewed 1014 times

I feel much more gooder now.

[Inkleg]

Like Gymrat pointed out. A lot of small local breweries bring stuff that's not easily found. Jekyll Brewing
brought a keg of their Hop Dang Diggity that had been aging in a tequila barrel, good stuff.

Are beer festivals a deal. Not really it's an outing/date/have to be doing something with my spare time anyway, with beer involved.

Just a couple of things to mull over if you're thinking about it.

Check the list of venders, not all festivals are created equal.

GO EARLY, cannot stress this enough. I'll get in line and hour before gates open. If I don't already have a pass from helping steward the beer competition.

Pay extra for VIP if they have it. It normally has a huge tent set up, many many beers on tap, a lot that are not available to the general public, catered food and very importantly private bathrooms.

Have a DD

Enjoy

[FedoraDave]

Like Gymrat pointed out. A lot of small local breweries bring stuff that's not easily found. Jekyll Brewing
brought a keg of their Hop Dang Diggity that had been aging in a tequila barrel, good stuff.

Are beer festivals a deal. Not really it's an outing/date/have to be doing something with my spare time anyway, with beer involved.

These are good points. Sampling something that you might not find otherwise is always good. And looking at it as an outing or a date puts it in the same category as going out to dinner or a movie; you're paying money for something you could do at home free fer nuthin'. So expect a price tag.

I've also found that sometimes (only sometimes), with the real small concerns, such as start-up nanos and/or brewpubs, you wind up being served by one of the owners/brewers, and if there's not a crowd (and lots of times there isn't with these small guys), you can actually start talking brewing with them, and get some insight and pointers. Always worth a shot.

[Gymrat]

Count me in the reluctant crowd. Beer fests, like everything else, cost more on Long Island. Prices tend to run around $55. Just a quick search revealed one feb7, $65-$85. And millions of people live here. I went to only one, a very small local cask festival in my own town, last winter. It was full of hipsters trying to get drunk from very odd beer. There was nothing I tasted that I would seek again. Now I know that was one bad experience, but I could spend the same money on hockey or baseball tickets and have great fun. Or go to a craft beer bar and get a couple of flights for a quarter of the price, with a server waiting on me, instead of waiting on line.

I wouldn't pay $55 to go to one of those.

[Gymrat]

Like Gymrat pointed out. A lot of small local breweries bring stuff that's not easily found. Jekyll Brewing
brought a keg of their Hop Dang Diggity that had been aging in a tequila barrel, good stuff.

Are beer festivals a deal. Not really it's an outing/date/have to be doing something with my spare time anyway, with beer involved.

These are good points. Sampling something that you might not find otherwise is always good. And looking at it as an outing or a date puts it in the same category as going out to dinner or a movie; you're paying money for something you could do at home free fer nuthin'. So expect a price tag.

I've also found that sometimes (only sometimes), with the real small concerns, such as start-up nanos and/or brewpubs, you wind up being served by one of the owners/brewers, and if there's not a crowd (and lots of times there isn't with these small guys), you can actually start talking brewing with them, and get some insight and pointers. Always worth a shot.

BINGO!
At the brewfest in 2013 there was a brew pub from Wichita represented. The master brewer was serving up the samples. I told him how much I liked his IPA and asked him what hops he used. He not only told me what hops, but he gave me the schedule (which was just like the one I use, no 60 minute charge of any kind, additions start at 15 minutes to go), told me all about hop standing, which he did with this batch, told me about the yeast he used. By the time he got done I had all the information I needed to clone his beer. He was enthusiastic about talking to a home brewer.
All of the smaller breweries were like that, though most weren't as detailed.

[Gymrat]

I don't know , I might just be cheap. With a $35 cover charge (double that as SWMBO'll be there as the DD) it's going to take a lot of 3oz samples just to break even. A "so many beers, so little time" scenario.

Typically they have a special rate for designated drivers. Most of the ones I read about it is $10, and there are some perks for them, usually all the free soft drinks they want and maybe a lunch.

[Gymrat]

How much would you all be willing to spend to go to the Great American Beer Festival?

[FedoraDave]

How much would you all be willing to spend to go to the Great American Beer Festival?

That's quite a different event. I spent quite a bit to go to the AHA convention a couple years ago, and it was worth every penny.

[swenocha]

As confirmation to my previous discussion, read this commentary on Hootenanny's festival this weekend: linky No way I'd want to attend that.

This, however I truly enjoyed...



or this (Sandor Katz speaking at Funk Fest)...



Truly special moments to be involved in.

But, in truth, I find I enjoy small tastings with friends (like the one I just finished, and the one I'll be having at Super Bowl here with Borg folk) much more than any of those...

[swenocha]

To follow up on this, the Hootenanny Facebook event page for yesterday's festival lists everything bad about attending poorly run beer fests. Beer fests can be great, but pay attention to who is putting it on. Not all beer fests are built the same...

[FedoraDave]

To follow up on this, the Hootenanny Facebook event page for yesterday's festival lists everything bad about attending poorly run beer fests. Beer fests can be great, but pay attention to who is putting it on. Not all beer fests are built the same...

Woah. What a disaster.

[Kealia]

I've never been to a beer festival that I haven't enjoyed but I am selective on which ones I attend. They have typically been in the $35 range but I only attend the events where:
1) I like breweries attending
2) I can read up on who will be there if I am not familiar with them
3) They aren't specializing in a style I don't care for (or don't want exclusively. For example, I wouldn't go to an all-saison festival)
4) They won't have HUGE crowds (like the ones San Francisco puts on)

I set myself up for success, so I limit the possibilities for a bad experience.

And I agree with Swen - small tastings with friends are the best.

[swenocha]

A Nashville newspaper did a story on the fest disaster that occurred this weekend. He tried to be fair and tell both sides, but it's obvious that no one is buying the Hootenanny version... linky

[Brewbirds]

I'll add to Kealia's list that the venue/location is also important.

BB2 and I were going to volunteer at one in Austin last year but it was at a park with in a neighborhood so there was very limited parking; they couldn't even promise us a handicapped spot as volunteers.

To make that worse there was no nearby bus service.

And then there are rows of lovely portopotties for your beer drinking convenience which always have longer lines than the tents.

I don't care which breweries are going to be there, that is not a recipe for fun in my book.

We passed and made sure the organizers knew why.

Hopefully there will be a few good ones here.