Brewvival 2016

I read it more like they aren't going to invite every South Carolina brewery to show up. I'd expect the established players who always bring high-quality beers like Coast and Westbrook will be there.

 

This is how I read it as well. I am excited about the changes, I really like the idea of having all new food vendors each year.

 

I like the change to more out of town breweries (like it used to be 3 years ago) but not a fan of not releasing the beer list. I don't see what the purpose of that is. I don't expect a list weeks before the event but certainly a couple days before so I can see what is offered instead of blindly wondering what everyone has.

 

http://brewvival.com/blog/7th-annual-brewvival

I haven't been before (due to parental responsibilities), but I will do everything I can to get there this year. I think the 'non-posting' of beers will help cut down on lines for a specific few brews that everyone wants to try. Just my 2 cents...

 

More and more festivals don't publish lists before ticket purchasing time. I'm not sure I can think of a recent festival I've been to that did have a published list when tickets went on sale. Just the way things are going these days.

Regarding not posting a list even a couple days before the event, not a fan... But I guess it'll be interesting to see if it does cut down on lines like they suggest.

 

No one expecting a list before tickets go on sale. They are saying they are not releasing a beer list (or majority of breweries) at all prior to the event.

So you think that if CC brings up a keg of DB Huna, there won't be a line? haha. Unless they plan to keep every beer secret until the second they tap them, lines will still be the same. But instead of a planned line, it will be word of mouth...and then a lot of people are going to be pissed they missed on beers they wanted to try.

Imagine walking around all day and hearing about all the great beers you missed out on because you were standing around in line for whatever xyz brewery might have brought.

 

Was directly responding to this.

 

Been the past 3 years and this post from Brewvival revives my excitement for next year. I don't disagree with any of the decisions from the blog post.

I think many event organizers are realizing breweries are not necessarily known for their planning skills and have struggled to get lists from everyone as to what they will be pouring or even been told something was coming and had it changed. That's what I've heard from a few event organizers that I have met in the past.

 

Don't doubt it one bit and know it to be the case for my local festival (Hickory Hops) as I know the organizer of that festival quite well. Sending out a list of breweries would be a good idea though... and almost all of the beers should be known 2-3 days before the festival.

In the end though, if I trust the festival organizer to put on a good festival, I'll buy tickets regardless of the information known at ticket purchase time and assume that they know what they're doing.

 

I like the changes. I don't at all think it implies NO SC breweries, just that NOT ALL SC breweries will be there. I think limiting the SC breweries is a good thing. I love COAST and Westbrook, and a couple others are solid, but it doesn't need to be a SC Beer Fest (that limits the amount of space for national breweries).

Also don't at all mind the no prior announcement of a beer list. Although its fun to watch them trickle out slowly, I also think it will be fun to show up completely blind and receive the list there. Not sure how it will cut down on lines, unless they don't at all post what beers they are tapping, even the day of, which seems silly.

I also think its important to remember that the vast majority of tickets sold last year were sold prior to the announcement of any specific beers. Ticket sales won't be affected at all. This will 100% for sure sell out, with or without pre announcement of beers.

 

Just realized that I'll be in town for this festival. Read previous post about the festival and although it sounds awesome, many didnt believe it to be worth the $80 point. Just wondering if it would be worth my time to attend and try some of the beers mentioned. I'll be coming from Chicago, which has a large footprint of breweries mentioned in past Brewvival festivals. I'd love to try more of the SC brews but the sound of its limitation has me wondering. Convince me guys/girls...convince me!

 

I will be a first time attendee to the festival this year. I am super excited, because of the experiences that friends have told me they have had in the past. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for maximizing the opportunities to try as many one offs as I can while there and any other advice you can give to a newbie for the fest. Also does anyone do a bottle share before or after the fest?

 

In the past, it has always been worth it. I liked it even better the earlier years when it was more "national". While all the local breweries are good, we used to get the out of market breweries like Funky Buddha, Seventh Sun, and Cigar City bringing the heat. The new changes are bringing it back to the earlier years (at least that is what they are saying).

While you may be come from a large Chicago beer footprint, the beers at this event are typically not anything you can normally get, either one offs, brewery only, aged for years, and/or very limited.

While I can't go for the first time in past four years (already had an out of state trip planned), it is always one of the highlights of my beer year. Its a great time to be in Charleston as the weather is usually fantastic.

 

I have not been to this event. After totally missing Huna day tickets is this fest one of the best regionally. I have heard about it.

 

Want to go but wife doesn't drink beer and none of my friends do. Don't wanna walk around alone. I'll go one day tho.

 

Such a great event, and the surrounding events with Edmund's Oast are really making it a weekend not to miss.

 

Thanks for the reply. I will propably end up going because...well, its beer! I'd appreciate any heads up on stuff...food, lines, the general area, etc. I've been to Charleston before but always missed out on going to COAST. Just bad timing or short operation hours, I guess. At least I will get to try some of their beers at the festival. Thanks again!

 

Food lines are the longest lines of the whole event so go when need a break from drinking, not necessarily when you need food. Pack some lance crackers in your pockets for a quick bite to eat. Bring a water bottle to refill (a regular ole bottle of water works fine). Bathroom lines are nothing. Lines for beers are random. Some are long and fast, some short and slow. Some have no lines. Some have long lines for off the shelf stuff (Wicked Weed). Keep an eye on the chalkboards to see times of when certain beers will be tapped. Keep your eyes/ears open when in line. There just might be the owners/brewers of some of the most popular breweries around right in front of you.

A meal/drinks at Edmunds Oast the night before is a must do. They had a bunch of Cantillon last year (too rich for my blood) plus their house beers are awesome.