2019 Great American Beer Fest tips

Discussion in 'Mountain' started by Mebuzzard, Sep 5, 2019.

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  1. pjeagles

    pjeagles Zealot (576) May 29, 2005 New Mexico
    Trader

    To add on to that- a good number of these volunteers will be have been sampling pretty hard. Over the years I have found that volunteers are more of the Saturday night GABF crowd than the Thursday night/ Saturday day session crowd.
     
  2. kbenson

    kbenson Zealot (667) Aug 15, 2012 Texas

    Unless it's a beer I know I'm going to love, I usually ask for a half (1 oz) or less pour. I really just want to try the beers. And very small pours lets me try a bunch more before I get totally trashed. I also rinse my cup at every chance and drink the water from the rinse rather than dumping it.
     
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  3. BarrelAgeMe

    BarrelAgeMe Initiate (0) Nov 18, 2015 Nebraska

    Don't be a pussy.
     
  4. Domingo

    Domingo Grand Pooh-Bah (4,206) Apr 23, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Yeah, I'd agree with that. The Saturday afternoon crowd is probably the drunkest of all of them. The brewers are either celebrating or drowning their sorrows. The volunteers are getting hog wild and trying to hunt for leftovers to take home. The rare stuff is mostly gone, so people are just drinking whatever is left. It's an interesting scene.
     
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  5. Ratman197

    Ratman197 Pundit (875) Aug 11, 2007 Colorado

    The pours are only 1 ounce, how is 1 ounce a half?
     
  6. Ratman197

    Ratman197 Pundit (875) Aug 11, 2007 Colorado

    Volunteers are NOT allowed to take beer home!
     
  7. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,122) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    How is 1 oz. even a pour? I completely understand why they do it, believe me I do, but I can't get a feel for a beer in 1 oz. Hell, I can't even tell what it really looks like, let alone get a good whiff of it. I'm hoping I can somehow get a second glass so that I can at least get 2 oz. so I can write a review of beers from 2 or 3 states that I've never had a beer from.
     
  8. Domingo

    Domingo Grand Pooh-Bah (4,206) Apr 23, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society

    ...and people are not allowed to drive over 75mph on the highway...
    We've all known volunteers that came away with stuff they aren't supposed to.
     
  9. Mebuzzard

    Mebuzzard Grand Pooh-Bah (4,216) May 19, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    You can always get another pour.
     
  10. Ratman197

    Ratman197 Pundit (875) Aug 11, 2007 Colorado

    They get caught they are banned from GABF. It's not that easy. Been Beer Service staff for 20 years.
     
  11. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Cough cough cough Chelsea cough cough
     
  12. lightman1

    lightman1 Zealot (595) Oct 19, 2013 Arkansas
    Trader

    It looks like everyone has covered most of the important stuff. But I'll repeat, don't get up to the front of the line and try to engage the server in conversation. Everyone behind you will hate you and some will call you out for it. And rightfully so! Get your sample and move on!
     
  13. JohnGalt1

    JohnGalt1 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,796) Aug 10, 2005 Idaho
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Personally, I am not a fan of the pretzel necklaces. They get broken up and stepped on... They are way more slippery than beer or water on that smooth concrete. A while back some dude was trotting after a female and he stepped on some pretzel debris, slipped and went down fast. The side of his head hit the concrete so hard it sounded like a car backfiring... He managed to get up and keep running after the woman, but he was gonna feel that more than the hangover the next day.

    And try Snooze for breakfast. I am not a pancake person normally, but had a peaches and cream pancake there that was amazing.
     
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  14. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    My first year I went someone barfed on the concrete. People were falling in it because it was so slick. So gross. Ever since switching to the members session instead of the late night Saturday session it has been way less insane. Still insane, just not as much.
     
  15. ManBearPat

    ManBearPat Pooh-Bah (1,813) Dec 2, 2014 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society

    When you’re drinking, watch your step because you could fall, especially on slippery things ... this applies to life outside the festival as well
     
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  16. kbenson

    kbenson Zealot (667) Aug 15, 2012 Texas

    If the pours are an ounce at GABF (I must be thinking Rare Beer Tasting), then I ask for a "splash". Essentially I ask for less than they would pour. Again, I'm only trying to taste the beer. And there are LOTs of beers to try. Bottom line is if you're there to try a wide range of beers, don't drink full pours or you'll risk getting drunk before you've tried everything you were hoping to try. Or don't drink full pours so you can try more beers before you ultimately do get drunk...
     
  17. pjeagles

    pjeagles Zealot (576) May 29, 2005 New Mexico
    Trader

    And you most likely will get drunk, best laid plans be damned, faster than you thought possible. You could be at one booth trying a touted DIPA and see the next booth has a BA Imperial Stout that sounds good. Oh, and a BA Coffee Stout. And a BA Barleywine. And you try them all in under a minute. And then on to the next booth!
     
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  18. tylerstravis

    tylerstravis Initiate (0) Feb 14, 2014 Colorado

    If your friend(s) go get a beer, you don't have to drink that same beer. You can stay close and check out something different.
     
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  19. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Ride or die bro
     
  20. Chadzero

    Chadzero Devotee (363) Dec 20, 2008 Texas

    Any good websites have a listing of all the auxiliary events this year?
     
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