Some friends and I are thinking about going, but we aren't sure if it will be worth the ticket price. Is this an event where you will be able to try a good amount of different beers with your 25 2 ounce pours? Are the pours generally limited to 2 ounces, or are they generous with them? Is the sampling cup something worth keeping, or is it just a little plastic throw away cup?
..I've never been but might be serving this year. I've heard the pours are strictly 2 oz and that police are stationed through the festival watching you pour said beers. I'm not making this up.
I attended the event last year and it was excellent. The pours were mostly of the 2oz variety in a "souvenir" plastic cup. You did have the ability to purchase more tickets, I believe $10 for 10 tickets. No more VIP tickets left. However, there were plenty of excellent beers to enjoy from Brewer's like Goose Island, Destihl, Greenbush, Revolution, Haymarket and more.
Do the breweries usually just bring their standard lineups? Or are there limited or special beers too?
Last year I believe was the first, so it depended upon the brewery. There was heavy disappointment from breweries like Founders who sent their basic lineup and no rep, while breweries like goose island sent two reps, bourbon county, marisol, and a few more. I'll also add that they are in fact very strict on pours. It took a lot to make this fest happen and part of the agreement was that there would be strict enforcement on the pours to avoid the extreme levels of intoxication that can occur at these things. All in all, I had a blast last year and will be back this year.
normal stuff, but some bring seasonals or limited... there were a few BA beers, some pumpkin beers, Sam adams had the oak aged ale and also the maple pecan porter last year.
