2017 FOBAB

Anecdotally, I was told by someone that the Saturday afternoon session last year, was the busiest they had ever been to.

I was excited to be there, so I wasn't too upset that I didn't get to chase whalez, but it was a little crowded.

In addition to that, we arrived about 45 minutes before the doors opened and ended up losing about 30 minutes on the front end of the festival.

 

The main difference is that there is no VIP session Saturday night so your chances of whale hunting are more favorable.

 

Good info thanks guys.

 

Maybe we need a FOBAB FAQ. It's probably way too early but since I have a little time I'll throw in my 2 cents. Generally I am up fairly close to the front of the line - they start letting people inside the UIC Forum about 10-15 minutes before the scheduled start time, and give you a glass and program. I use that time to decide priorities as far as beers I want to try. They start letting people into the beer rooms right at the specified time.

The beers are arranged by style. Often you can find very sought-after beers sitting where you wouldn't expect.

Somebody usually posts a program on BA and if you are going to the later sessions you can look at that to plan what you want to drink, and of course read the posts from those who came before you . Although it is very crowded there are areas that aren't too bad that have some great beers, especially the sours and non-stouts. There are even plenty of great stouts that have a short or no line. So if you want to whale-hunt go for it but you can have a great time without focusing on that.

Traditionally there has been a foul stench that develops as the beer hits people's GI tracts, but last year the ventilation seemed much better. Jim's Original Hot Dogs is around the corner from where you line up and is very good for provisions while in line. You can go out during the session and get decent hot dogs then go back in. There are kind of lame food choices in the back of the main FOBAB room. I have driven to FOBAB but public transportation or Uber/Lyft is definitely the better way to go.

Goose Island is traditionally the star of the show, but depending on their set-up it may not be worth standing in their lines. I have been to sessions where the GI line wrapped almost completely around the periphery of the room.

The last couple years they project tweets up onto a big screen so if you are into Twitter you can use #FOBAB and your comments will be there for all to see. There is a balcony where the brewers and other VIPs can gaze out upon the peasantry. There is an eclectic choice of music played which traditionally includes the theme from Gilligan's Island.

That covers the high points I guess. There's lots more to say and somebody probably already said it better but that gives you the gist of it.

 

Very helpful for game-planning, thanks man. You're right, we are super early on this but now that I'm committed to going I can't help but start stoking my excitement a little bit.

Sounds like the toughest task will be finding a balance between whale hunting and enjoying all the fest has to offer. If someone posts the program on Friday that'll help bigtime, I'll be watching for it since I'm probably doing one of the Saturday sessions. Really appreciate the info!

 

i've gone a few times, and each year layout and more importantly, the information provided, has gotten better. The first year I went, styles were all over the place, beers weren't sequential etc. I hope one day they have a map or list the beers on an end cap so you know what's down each aisle. Of course, because of the somewhat chaotic order, I randomly bumped into Utopias one year.
Just be prepared to not get some of the beers you're looking for, but don't let that rain on your parade. There's a ton of great stuff out there.

 

The bump in Utopias thing seems to be a trend ha. Last year I "stumbled" upon utopias aged on cherries. It was in one of the aisles. No line. Had 4 pours of it. Was amazing. Then people started to realize what it was. This year I am over the Goose Island line hype. I have had every variant, except for OG rare, so my goal is to enjoy some other amazing beers at the event this year. This will be a wonderful thread to monitor as the calendar turns to September and excitement rises ten fold. Cheers everyone.

 

To be fair, FoBAB is typically an opportunity to try the current year variants before they're released.

It's worth a look if the lines aren't nutso like they were last year (though, that line was mostly for Prop 14 and you could skip ahead if you weren't looking for that)

 

Looking for some guidance on volunteering. How do I volunteer and how much latitude would I have to pick which session to volunteer for and which to attend? Finally, I'd be volunteering with a friend from out of town who wouldn't be able to make the training session--is this a problem? TIA.
@joltinmatt

 

So, being I signed up for IMBIBE, I will be doing VIP this year for the first time. A good friend who I usually go with is doing general admission, thus will be riding solo. Who else that is doing VIP for the friday night session would be interested in getting together in the city beforehand for a few brews? I will be taking PTO that day for sure so availability will be flexible. Just wanted to put this out there. Let me know.

 

I've only been once - I enjoyed it.

A big issue is that some of the rows tend to become absurdly crowded. People will want to try three extremely flavorful pours from the same table, so they will wade through the crowd, then camp in front of the table, sipping their pours (which is better than the people who slam the pours instead). I can't really fault the people doing this - it is more a function of the space. What I will urge everyone to do is to be conscious of cross traffic, and to let people move through.

Pro tip 1 - line to get in to the building can be extremely long, slow, and cold. Be prepared! Layer!

Pro tip 2 - if you join the long goose line, join with a group, and send emissaries to bring back pours for the group as you circle the room.

Pro tip 3 - ask the volunteers for suggestions of where to head next! Just because there isn't a line somewhere doesn't mean a lesser-known brew isn't amazing. Oh wow, triple negative! I don't know what I even meant anymore. I haven't been this muddled since the end of last year's FoBAB*

*my night ended at a restaurant, eating some delicious food someone else ordered for me (I think?), in a crowd of people I didn't really know, with uncertainty regarding if I paid for anything before I left the establishment. It was great!

 

Don't drink beforehand. There's way to much beer at FOBAB.

 

In regards to this tip...will any table be cool with giving multiple pours to said emissaries if they're carrying multiple glasses?

This is why I'm thinking Sat afternoon session. No temptation to make fatal mistakes beforehand.

 

Lol, what happens when you get up to the GI counter and have no glass because your emissaries passed out somewhere....

 

"Alright, fuck the cup.. Could ya pour it in my hands?"

One of the best movies. Hahaha

 

Yeah I guess a big meal prior would be a better idea.

 

Missing the training session isn't a big deal. You just are responsible for reading the material yourself, which they'll send you in a PDF. It's all
Pretty much common sense stuff.

You can give them your availability for the days to can attend. The final session always needs the most help, it's also why Saturday night can feel super crowded. They don't have enough people pouring.

Technically I think it's against the rules, but considering volunteers are the ones pouring, you'll be hard pressed to find anyone that really cares.

 

I am from Iowa and never went to the volunteer sessions and it's never been a problem. Usually one of the ImBibe organizers sends out an e-mail for volunteers to ImBibe members, and the details are in the e-mail. If you aren't in ImBibe somebody could probably just copy the e-mail to you and you could contact the organizer.

 

Re: pours for friends, yeah, we usually did it in sightline of the group in line, so we would all wave at the person pouring. We also stuck to non-busy tables (and lots of lower ABV sours to keep pace). Good way to try a variety of stuff, and fun to see what friends come back with.

 

Well played and duly noted.