Great Taste Pre-Party Events Thread

I'm always impressed that people are still out and about at 10pm on the 'eve. I'm long gone by then...

 

Word.. That's really the best way to handle it. They had a ton of MD last year at GTMW (I was able to go thru the line a couple of times while checking out their neighbors), so I think I'm mostly interested in the SR-71 for the pre-party. Didn't have a chance to try it when it was available in bombers, so this'll be my last chance!

If it ends up being later in the night, that's even better. I'm staying downtown at the Hyatt Place, so I can get all of my walking distance stuff done by then, grab some TG, and get some sleep.

 

People are going to lose their minds when Dexter's announces how they're going to handle MD/SR71.
Personally, I think it's an amazing idea.

 

Tell us the plan or you're just bragging

 

If you're going to allude to something that people will probably hate, my guess is that they'll hand out tickets at a certain time (say 6:00) and then not tap them until 9, 10, or 11. That being said, I've never been good at guessing games.

Personally, I hope it isn't that. I'm helping set up for the GT until 6, then have to drive out to Mt. Horeb to meet my son's new babysitter. (I didn't pick the night and I'm not overly happy with my wife's scheduling...)

 

Something else to keep in mind - They are going to have at least double the amount of MD this year possible 3x more depending if it was a 1/4 or 1/6 bbl last year...

 

All this would do is create a cluster F at 6 and at tapping time. I doubt they want to double down on their clusters.

 

Maybe they will do random tappings several times throughout the day.

 

Yes, everyone please go to Dexter's. Meanwhile, we'll be at Brickhouse BBQ for Central Waters enjoying the patio, decent food, no lines, and world-class beer without the hassle.

 

Stouts aren't usually tapped till the evening / later on. Like 9/10 PM from my recollection (as it's been since they've started doing said event).

 

CW Black Gold will be at Brickhouse BBQ

 

Hopcat announced theirs earlier...

We've partnered with our friends at Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids to bring in some of the highest-rated, hardest-to-find offerings in preparation for Great Taste of the Midwest.

We’ll feature 17 Founders beers when we open at 11a.m.. Beginning at 4 p.m. we'll tap into some Founders rarieties, including the hard-to-find and highly rated KBS and CBS. At 5 p.m. a crew from Founders will join us with some Founders swag for our Great Taste warm-up party.

Here's what we'll have on at 11 a.m.:

• Founders Porter
• Red’s Rye
• All Day IPA
• Centennial IPA
• Dirty Bastard
• Pale
• Nitro Pale
• Nitro Oatmeal
• Nitro Rubaeus
• Rubaeus
• Mosaic Promise
• Double Trouble
• Devil Dancer
• Imperial Stout
• Curmudgeon
• Angelic Revenge (Belgian-Style Strong Dark Ale brewed for Great Taste)
• Azzaca Double IPA (American Imperial IPA brewed for Great Taste)

Our special release schedule includes:

• 4 p.m. - Backwoods Bastard
• 5 p.m. - Blushing Monk & Big Luscious
• 6 p.m. - KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout)
• 7 p.m. – CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)

Mosaic Promise coming back? I can't imagine this is a keg from last year, that would be around 11 months old.

 

Brasserie V: Friday, August 7th – 4pm to Midnite

Join us for a Great Taste Pre-party with our friends at Perennial Artisan Ales out of St. Louis. Perennial focuses on hand-crafted, small batches of beer. Their beers are influenced mostly by Belgian and American craft styles, but the addition of premium ingredients such as fruits, spices or wild yeast strains sometimes causes the beers to defy traditional categories. Their barrel aging program features a wide variety of beers aged in wine and spirits barrels. On this night, we will be pouring 8 of their wonderful brews, many that are normally only available in their tasting room. Here is the lineup:

Abraxas
Savant Beersel
Fantastic Voyage
Suburban Beverage
Saison de Lis
Regalia
Mon Ami
Stefon

Many of the Perennial brewers and staff will be on hand to chat about their beers and share a beer with you, so come down and join us.

Also that day, we will be tapping a few cool kegs from our cellar that we have been holding on to for a while that represent the unique and special beers that we always have pouring here. Check back soon for the list!

 

Maduro is w/ Bells again:

Opening at 10am on Friday the 8th for a Mega-Pre-Party! Beer-mosas (with Oberon), and Bloody Hearts (with Two Hearted) to kick off. Full tap takeover all day - 19 lines of unique brews from our Friends in Kalamazoo!
We have tripled our outdoor seating capacity! More room for more beer!

 

Too many great events to choose from. What a nice problem to have!

 

The draught list: Special Double Cream Stout, Venus, Uranus, Black Note, Bourbon Barrel Aged Expedition Stout, Raspberry Wild One, Mango Habanero Oberon, Cherry Stout, Mars, Kalamazoo IPA, Wedding Ale, Sparkleberry, Two Hearted, Hopsoulution DIPA, Oarsman, Traverse City Whiskey Barrel Aged Porter and Bell's Lager of the Lakes

 

They brewed it again this year. Its been on draft at Founders the past couple of months.

 

Probably better run than that BA sump tapping last year at Brasserie V we had a seat at the bar they just ignored us until just before they ran out lol still got to try it but they either had a hard time with the crowd, which didnt seem that crazy, or poorly planned.

 

Womp Womp

 

I love Brasserie V, but they do seem to have trouble handling crowds. When they had Saison du Ble, my friends and I were at both bars and none of us got pours, despite having been there at the bar for hours beforehand. Got to chat with Cory King, so that was worth it, but still a little disappointing.

 

it was packed to the max last year, couldn't move...but I think everyone who wanted a pour got one and that was with a smaller keg

 

Ah, Mornin' De
Ight not in there?

 

What do you know, brother????

 

I know lol Robin was sitting right next to Levi funk and his buddies the staff was giving them what appeared full pours of the limited draft beers (which I don't have a problem with people getting preferential treatment especially Levi awesome guy) but maybe give some of the people you where ignoring pours first, just a suggestion.

I agree brasserie is awesome one of my favorite spots when I'm in Madison normally but I don't think I'm going to go there for those events anymore. I'll stick to maduro and brickhouse for pre parties.

 

Hopefully they told that cheap dink Dave Engbers to cough up a barrel of Cashew Mountain Brown.

 

Will there be a Shorts event next Friday? Are they pouring at Great Taste this year?

 

Short's has been at the Great Taste the last few years, so I hope they'll be there again. And they've been at the Brickhouse on Fridays too, so again, hopefully. So to answer your question: no idea.

 

The link is for the 2013 tap list.

 

Guess they haven't had any events since then...

 

I almost posted that list and then saw the date right before I hit Post.

 

Goose Island is at Madison's again. The "generous" celebration last year let you buy $10 tasters of Bourbon County beers.

http://www.wisconsindistributors.co...west-pre-party-at-madisons-with-goose-island/

 

2 years ago everyone got like 5 drink tokens? This changed?

 

Yep. Last year was $10 for a roughly 4oz sample of whatever BCBS variant you wanted.

Oh, and no split checks. So don't go with your friends unless you've got cash or someone's willing to swipe the tab on their card. That one really chapped my ass last year. 6 of us had dinner + drinks and they brought out something like a $300 check.

 

2012 and 2013 parties were great. My wife and I got quite a few pours of free BCBS variants. While I don't expect the beer to be free, I also don't expect to pay $2.50 an ounce.

 

It definitely changed last year, but the description for this year does say "the first 200 patrons in attendance will received a complimentary beer", so they may be doing tokens but just a single token.

 

What are a couple of the better hotels to stay at to be centrally located for all the events going on? I'm already thinking ahead to 2016... even if I can't get tickets next year I would like to stay over Friday night for all the pre-parties after seeing some of these lineups.

 

Dexter's Pub shared their event.
July 28 at 3:55pm ·


Join us Friday August 7th @ 9am for the best breakfast to hit Madison. Toppling Goliath Morning Delight, Greenbush donuts and coffee on our patio. Plus the chance to buy tickets for SR-71....yes, you read that correctly. We have the only remaining 1/6 barrel of SR-71 and would love to share it with you! Stay tuned for more details coming this week including an absolutely amazing tap list!


nope nope nope nope

 

But but but....new glarus

 

No, they will not. This year's lineup is CW, 3 Sheeps, & Upland.