Snallygaster - DC - Which tickets to buy?

I'm looking at the tickets right now and I only see a $4.75 ticket processing fee. So with that (after taking away the admission fee) you'd be spending only $24.75 for 25 tickets and the mug. I went to it last year and don't remember if it sold out (I got tickets ahead of time) but there was a huge showing of people to buy tickets at the entrance and the place seemed to get crowded pretty quick. Considering how well it went last year it could sell out but that's all speculation

 

I didn't get a chance to go, but 4 or 5 people all had the same opinion: LINESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Lots of them. So prepare yourself for that.

 

Tasters AVERAGE 3-6 tickets (dollars) and full beers AVERAGE 6-9 tickets (dollars). Ehhhhhh sounds like I would drop $100+

 

I enjoyed it cause the location last year was on the waterfront and with friends and good weather so that all helped with a good time. But like some of the other comments there were plenty of lines but maybe Snallygastor might better prepare for that this year. Ticket prices for drinks vary and if you only go the expensive route you will run out fast and have to buy more. I lucked out and got some free tickets cause it was so busy the guy didnt count off exactly the 25 to make it go quicker. I'm still thinking about going again

 

I went last year. Different location this year - not so sure I like that. Lines were long, especially if you did not buy a ticket in advance. As expected, long lines for interesting/rare/unique brews, which then of course ran out quickly. I bought an advanced package, but when I arrived they had run out of mugs. They offered to mail me a mug or I could get the value in tickets. I took the tickets. There was a kid's play area last year, which was fun for my brood, but which also had three kegs just for that area (and the shortest lines).

 

I think it's worth it to get them ahead of time. It was a bit quicker getting in with the prepaid tickets, but the lines comment while true didn't seem to be as problematic on the Waterfront as they were in Rustico's small parking lot the previous year. I will say that the crowd composition leans a bit more amateur, which helps somewhat where many head straight for the Pumking or the Weinstephaner, which while great beers, are readily available in the District while my first beer was Fritz Briem's 1809, my first time trying it, and one of my last beers was Alewerks' pumpkin beer which blew me away. So don't be daunted and do your research beforehand and chances are you'll be alright. My only worry is the space is once again in a somewhat restricted area--Union Market. I guess we'll see!

 

If you're interested in trying many of the beers without having to wait in line, while putting in an honest day's work, I recommend volunteering.

I volunteered at Snallygaster last year. Lots of work, but lots of fun. my 'shift' was supposed to be from 8-2, with free admission to the rest of the event once I finished. Due to the overwhelming number of people who showed up, I was never relieved, and worked until the event ended at 5. Still, pouring beer for 6 hours wasn't so bad, as I had about 15 solid taps within arm's reach, and felt i owed it to my customers to be well-versed on the products available.

My 'volunteer' t-shirt basically meant a free pour anywhere I had time to visit - particularly in the early part (the hour of VIP time wasn't super crowded, so had lots of time to run around trying beers). Also, volunteering came with a $50 gift card to Churchkey/Rustico.

I expect things to be better run this year...hopefully an 8 hour shift will mean an 8 hour shift.

 

I actually thought that as far as these things go, the lines were actually not that bad. There were enough different beers available that you could always get something good without waiting in an insane line. Last year's event was probably the best-run beer event of this kind that I've ever been to, honestly. So, way to chime in on an event you didn't attend, asshat!

 

I am the king of second hand knowledge, bro.

 

and that's why I volunteer at every beer festival I can Went last year as a patron... I got the living social deal not that I remember what it was, but it was a good time, but yea pretty pricey.

volunteering for 9 hours is a bit outrageous though.

 

Ok so LINES(S) means different things for different people. Can we quantify this in some way?

Went to a douche_bag_beer_fest a few weeks ago, and LINES(S) meant 30+ minutes or so (in the goddamn heat). Was it the same for this one last year? Just tryin to get an idea..

 

Since I was pouring last year, I couldn't really tell how long the lines were in general....but I would estimate that my station (which had 2 different beers) was probably 15-20 people deep most of the afternoon. Counting out tickets for full pour vs. sample kind of slows things down as well.

 

I went last year and had a real swell time. I didn't think the lines were that bad, and I think I was there from around 1-5 or so? I really don't remember standing in line for more than 5 or 10 minutes for any beer. There were usually several taps next to each other, so you could get several pours once at the front if so desired. Part of the fun was definitely the nice locale. There were a few beers on the rarer side, but as mentioned they were not cheap. I wouldn't go if all you're interested in is the beer, but if the beer, plus the food, plus friends, plus a big group of congenial beer drinkers appeals to you, I'd say it's worth a try.

 

pro tip: buy more tickets than you think you'll use. The ticket line a couple hours into the event is by far the biggest headache.

 

anyone else get in for volunteering? they're still looking for more fyi

 

I'm volunteering, people. Got an e-mail on the 20th. Hopefully I can try some of the rarer stuff before my shift starts at 1! The list of beers is looking pretty stellar: http://www.snallygasterdc.com/documents/2013SnallyBeerList.pdf

Who else is volunteering?

 

Wish I didn't have a dang wedding to attend! (I mean, cheers to the happy couple!)

 

Does anyone that volunteered last year know that they will let you try the beers?