How many beers do you sample at a BEER FEST?

I used to work our local beer fest, so over the course of the 4 day fest I'd try about 50 beers.

 

I used to work the beer fest in Greensboro, got there really early, set up in about 20 minutes, then hit all of the stands I could before the doors opened, because once they did, it got busy in a hurry, not a lot of time to taste

 

I'll never know for various reasons

 

I sample as many as I can but usually I only taste the first 6-7 before everything either tastes terrible or like nothing...

 

I'm a buffet lover and go for quantity over quality and beerfest the same way. If I don't pass out it was a waste of money for me.

 

75 is ridiculous...did your girlfriend also carry you out of EBF?

 

I've never been to one. If I went, the purpose would be to drink a lot. How can you possibly give a beer a fair sampling with only a couple ounces, after having drank who knows how many other beers that are mingling on your palate? Seems to me any festival like this that features dozens of rare beers is a monumental waste of beer.

 

I voted "Don't keep count", but, depending on the fest, it's probably generally in the 25-40 range. I could do more, but the lines usually hold me up. That and the bathroom breaks.

 

I usually get the nickname small pour please. If I want to give it a better go I can always go back or heaven forbid buy some. My parents grew up in the depression and some of their habits have worn off on me. I refuse to waste (read pour out) anything unless it is really heinous.

 

There is rarely more than 6 at any festival that I have not had before, and also is of a style that I would be interested in so 11-16 is typically my total of 2oz pours. I am not interested in new lagers or whacked out wheat/fruit experiments, but pretty much every other style I am open to at least trying. There is a home brew plus pro festival coming up soon for a charity - now there will probably be dozens there that I have never tried and may not ever have an opportunity again so my tally will be high enough to take a cab that day!

 

All the beers that I want to try!

 

im not trying to get drunk. whats the point of sampling, if you're too drunk to really taste it, or even worse not be able to remember it. basically at 2oz pours i just figure roughly 6 samples give or take (depending on abv equals) 1 beer. i know what im comfortable drinking and just go off that. Nice thing about multi day festivals is you can still try a lot of beers and not get drunk trying to try them all at once

 

I don't limit myself, or keep count, but the key for me is keeping a good water to beer intake ratio. At last years Great Taste I actually drank more water than beer due to how hot it was.

 

This is so over looked. Minus the BS with trying to get into Lupalin Carnival @ Four Hands this year they had kegs of water at ever brewerys table it seemed like. Having 3 or 4 oz of water after every 2 or 3 beers really went along way

 

Yep - I was able to step over the people who had passed out as I got on the shuttle back to the bar to have dinner and a night cap.

 

I know. Its sad sometimes. I learned alot of lessons after my first Beef Festival.

 

Too many!!! My wife does not drink beer so she drives. On festivals that you use a ticket per pour my wife give me her tickets so I end up drinking double. For tickets on unlimited pours I almost always get early access or vip passes so I end up drinking knowing I don't have to drive and my wife will go wait in line at the same time I am in line so I drink one and than go meet up with her in whatever line she is standing in so my wait time is half of what it should be.

 

It depends on the festival. Some places only provide like 2 ounce pours, so I can try 30+ over the course of a few hours. I recently went to one where I was given solid 4 oz pours. It started to be a issue of stomach volume by about beer #15, not to mention most were 7% or higher ABV.

 

This my big mistake at the first one I went too. I ate a big dinner and about halfway through I was feeling sick because I was so dang full. Now I know to eat, but not pig out before.

 

I didn't figure this out until it was too late. It never occurred to me that I should drain pour a delicious BA stout that I was tasting for the first time.

Next fest I will be the small pour guy and my numbers will go from measly 11-20 to 41+.