It's back on May 30th, tickets on sale February 4th. I see at least a few new ones this year, and more to be announced. Hill Farmstead is making their debut... I'm hoping Alchemist and Lawson's come back again, I really enjoyed those last year.
Great list as always. Bummer that I have retired from beer festivals, although this may be the only one that I would make an exception. Weldwerks, Westbound & Down, Trillium, Side Project, Hill Farmstead, Green Cheek, Ghost Town, Monkish, Cellarmaker, Bierstadt...
Wow, Hill Farmstead is showing up? Reason enough to drain the retirement fund to pay for admission. Especially considering I would never drive through the backwoods wilds of rural Vermont and risk getting snakebit walking from the parking lot to the HF taphouse (okay, a little hops hyperbole). Seriously, an HF appearance on the west coast is a great reason to attend.
Decided to head out to FWI this year. I heard there's a pretty big share the night before, does anyone know where it's at?
HF was one of the best brewery visits I've ever had. It's such a beautiful location with a ton of outdoor seating all over the expansive lawn. And Vermont, being cold and snowy most of the year, isn't exactly a hotbed for cold-blooded snakes. There are only 12 species total in the entire state, so it would be rare to even see a snake there. Plus, the only venomous snake in the state is so rare it is classified as Endangered. The bigger issue is NOT getting drunk, since it's VERY hard to go there without driving and the beer is so enticing.
After wanting to but not being able to go for a number of years I'll finally be there for my first visit. Looking forward to it!
I got to the site at 10:02AM, and couldn't add it to my cart cause it was 'sold out'. But kept refreshing since it showed up as available on/off and eventually got to check out by 10:08AM. Wouldn't say it was easy to get this year, but I feel like I saw a lot of people selling tickets for cost in FB groups last year.
Any pro tips for a first time attendee? I know the stay hydrated, eat something, wear sunscreen and a hat stuff, but wondered more about the logistics. I have a GA ticket and will be driving in from Atascadero where I'm staying. When's a good time to show up? Is parking easy to come by? That kind of stuff. Obviously Hill Farmstead is one brewery that I don't want to miss, so will probably head over there first, or is it better to wait until the line dies down a bit, if it ever does. Maybe better to hit some other booths first? Any tips you pros can offer are greatly appreciated. I'm there to enjoy great beer but not looking to get shit faced. Thanks!
eat the food skip the lines drink your rinse water to stay hydrated drink some wine while in paso dont be a dick and tip your waitress aloha
To me, Seal Beach was so close to being a neighborhood pub. I would check the hop cam in everyday hoping that they would get beer from Moonlight. They had some great beers running through there
I remember going to this after work. It was an hour before they closed. They still had some on tap. It was a mad house when I got there and I was tired.
