Beer Festivals Baby!!
Spring has officially sprung and you know what that means? Beer Festivals Baby!!
Trying out new beers, hanging out with your friends and just drinking under the sun… these are all the things that I absolutely adore when going to Beer Festivals. When going to a pub or a brewery I sometimes just want a pint of something even though there may be a ton of stuff on the board… but when I am at a Beer Fest? I really tend to avoid what I love and actively go after the weird stuff that I have never tried. This is one of the biggest appeals for me. Who wants to try that bizarre Cucumber Kettle sour from that brewery that no one has ever heard of before? Let’s do it! This is also perfect because you are not beholden to drinking an entire pint of something. Shoot… I have even been to festivals where they want to pour me a good bit of something in my taster and I have said… a good bit less please. I try to remember that Beer Festivals are a marathon not a sprint. My goal is to stay as hydrated as possible and to try as many beers that I have never had before. Even IF that means going to those lovely porta potties that everyone loves going to.
And what is trying new beer if you don’t have your friends with you? Sure… you can do it but man is it fun to have your friends with you and seeing how they are liking the beer you all are currently trying. Also… if you are at one of the bigger festivals and lines start to form near the end of the day… you can have some of your friends plant themselves in the big lines. That way you can rotate and everyone is continuously getting beers even when a good deal of other people are sadly stuck in line without a beer in their hand. Even if you are stuck in line though… You are amongst people that also love beer! I love chatting up people in line and seeing what they’ve tried and who knows… they might just point you towards a beer that you’ve haven’t yet tried! Or even better… they might be an owner of a brewery and they want to give you their card for a free tour sometime! (This has happened to me before!) As the old adage goes… sharing is caring and is lots of fun! Especially with beer!
Now… there are a couple different ways that everyone knows how a Beer Fest can operate. It’s tickets or free for all. I always love the free for all but… I really want to break down both options with their pros and cons.
Tickets!
The Pros for this really gives the people in charge a great deal of control over how the festival is going. Obviously. You can give six tickets or more to everyone and for the most part… people will stick to that and not a lot of people will get sloshed and be a bit too much for people to handle.
The Con for this is that you never know who has those tickets. I’ve been to many where some people just don’t want to use all of their tickets and then give them out randomly. So there is that.
Free For All!
The Pros for this is that people get to relax and not have to worry about ‘burning’ their tickets and then choosing something that they don’t like and they feel like they’ve wasted a ticket. It allows more freedom in really going out and trying obscure beers and breweries that some people have never heard of before. There are always going to be the ‘Big’ breweries out there but the ‘Free For All’ approach lets me relax and try as many different beers that I would’ve never usually tried before. This is really where I can ask for a smaller pour of something in case it might seem like a risky gambit. BUT… this method of a Beer Festival really allows people to go crazy and see what kind of different stuff is out there that might change their minds and allow them to maybe fall in love with a new brewery that they might’ve been too afraid to try with the way the ticketed system works.
The Cons for this… are blatantly obvious. People will inevitably get sloppy. The organizers should make sure to have a good amount of water stations because people will need them! Especially if the sun is out? Oh man… you do not want to have drunk and dehydrated people on your hands. It is extremely dangerous. Also… Food really helps! Get those Food Trucks in!
So… Enjoy yourself when heading out to Beer Festivals! Be safe and have a great time!
