How to get the most out of a craft beer fest?

When you make it to the front of a line for a popular brewery, spend an inordinate amount of time slowly sampling every beer they have available. For maximum obnoxiousness, insert lots of unwanted know-it-all commentary and exaggerated tasting mannerisms (swirling the glass, deep inhalations for the smell, lip-smacking, etc.) that serve only to irritate the servers and those waiting in line behind you.

 

Can you tell us what festival? Do they have a tap list? How big are the taster? Unlimited or ticketed pours?

Any further information can only help us serve you better.

Cheers!

 

Among other advice that you'll hopefully get here, I'd say have a designated driver. I undetstand that craft beer festivals are not a venue to go get wasted and I'm not encouraging anyone to go hog wild with the beers. But let's face it- you're going to the festival to drink.
Other than that- I always try to check the tap list to prioritize what I want to taste and see if there are limited availabilty brews that I need to seek first.
Enjoy!

 

I just went to a 300+ beerfest with unlimited samples. They actually had a list of all the beers so I put what I wanted in an excel spreadsheet and carried it around with me. When I hit certain places I just slapped my list on the table and said "I'm going to be here awhile." That always got the servers attention and better interactions because they knew you wanted their specific beers.

My tip (that I learned too late in the evening) is that you don't have to drink every drop of the pour.

 

How to get the most out of a craft beer fest?

Easy answer: volunteer!

 

drink water.
know the beers/breweries you want to try beforehand and make a strong effort in the first half hour to hit 'em.
eat beforehand. Like, an hour before. A relatively big meal.
drink more water.
get a sample, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. if you want another, get back in line. This helps everyone.
Talk to a brewer if you want, but again move out of the way of the pourings, and don't monopolize their time.


These days I just mosey around to wherever there's not a line. it serves me well. No beer is so special I feel like waiting in a 1/2 hour line for it. Usually.

 

^^^. Pretty good layout. Take your time and enjoy!

 

Make a list of the beers you want to try (like an actual list, not just in your head) so you don't forget about them. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to a fest wanting to try something and I get to the last hour and go "Oh no!" and run over to find out it kicked. Also try to scope out all the areas while you sip your first few samples. I remember one fest I went to I kinda wandered aimlessly and found a Russian River table in the back corner that didn't even have a sign/banner, and they weren't listed in the program. I scored a few pours of Supplication even though it was near the end of the fest.

 

Try everything you haven't had before.

 

Way to take the 'fest' out of beer fest everyone. Glad I don't hang out with a bunch of methodical robots.

 

Not from my own preferred haphazard method but I read it here somewhere, start with lighter styles (generically speaking) and work your way up to more pronounced flavors, and higher alcohol. Both dull your senses over time and you won't be able to distinguish the nuances of beers later on.

 

Ever seen the "soup nazi" episode of Seinfeld? Be like that.

 

NO BEER FOR YOU!

 

-Avoid the hopmonsters until you have tried ample other styles first. If you don't your taste buds will be rendered useless the rest of the night.

-Try to eat a nice meal 2 hours beforehand. Get a burger and fries and make sure its nice and partially digested by fest time. That way you wont get too full on beer/food in the first hour, but you also will have something in your stomach so the booze won't knock you on your ass as quickly.

-Similar to food festivals, watch what you mix. I was on a mission at a recent festival and started with sours Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge/Mamouche/St-Gilloise/AllagashMattinaRosa and then immediately went to heavy ass stouts KBS/BCBS. BAD CHOICE. But it hurt so good. Remember, beer can be really rich. Sometimes a stomach ache will get you before the booze will.

-Don't forget your ID...someone at every fest always does.

 

Don't drink too much... Until the last hour, then drink to much. May as well get your money's worth.

 

Don't pass out or act like a fool.

 

Go to an outdoor in bad weather, you will have the place to yourself.