Seattle International Beerfest

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by cherche, Jun 25, 2015.

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  1. cherche

    cherche Pooh-Bah (2,476) Mar 27, 2013 Washington
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    Anyone going this year? I have always passed because of complaints about how expensive it ends up being because the tickets dont go very far...thinking about going this year because there are a few beers in the lineup I would like to try...for those of you who have attended before - does it end up being a rip off if you want to try more than a few beers? do they take like 5 tickets for beers like BBomb and Parabola?
     
    #1 cherche, Jun 25, 2015
  2. jason_nwx

    jason_nwx Pooh-Bah (2,571) Sep 12, 2012 Oregon
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    #2 jason_nwx, Jun 25, 2015
  3. cherche

    cherche Pooh-Bah (2,476) Mar 27, 2013 Washington
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    Thank you, very helpful! Not too excited about some of the beer costing 5 tickets...sort of absurd if you ask me...when will the Seattle/PDX beer events switch over to the model where they charge more to get in but have unlimited tastings? Lots of events in Cali and the Vegas beer events follow that model and I like it much more. I mean $25 gets you 2 tasters of BBomb??? You could get 4 12 oz pours of BBomb at the brewery for that price...smh.
     
    #3 cherche, Jun 25, 2015
  4. maltmaster420

    maltmaster420 Initiate (0) Aug 17, 2005 Oregon

    Not sure about Washington's law, but the OLCC doesn't allow "unlimited tasting" type festivals. Also, many of the all you can drink festivals I see happening in California seem to cost $50+, which is way more than I spend at most of the local fests where you have to buy drink tickets.
     
    #4 maltmaster420, Jun 25, 2015
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  5. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Agreed. Plus, I can't speak for cherche, but I've reached the age where I don't want to attend any "all you can consume" anything. I invariably try to make sure I get my money's worth, and that always leads to problems.

    With respect to PIB/SIB, I went last year (to PIB), and it would be my recommendation to focus on beers you haven't tried before, that you might want to sample prior to buying a bottle or bottles of it. I intentionally avoided the boneyard and HUB booths (for example), as I'd had everything they were pouring before, and could get them much more cheaply around town in PDX or Eugene.

    It's a fun event, but given the expense, crowds and difficulty finding parking, it's not something I need to do every year.
     
    #5 John_M, Jun 25, 2015
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  6. maltmaster420

    maltmaster420 Initiate (0) Aug 17, 2005 Oregon

    I don't know if they're offering it again this year, but last year their program mentioned free parking in the Lloyd Center ramp for attendees.
     
    #6 maltmaster420, Jun 25, 2015
  7. jason_nwx

    jason_nwx Pooh-Bah (2,571) Sep 12, 2012 Oregon
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    This is exactly my plan. :slight_smile:
     
    #7 jason_nwx, Jun 25, 2015
  8. jason_nwx

    jason_nwx Pooh-Bah (2,571) Sep 12, 2012 Oregon
    Society Pooh-Bah

    And yes - free parking at Lloyd Center.
     
    #8 jason_nwx, Jun 25, 2015
  9. TheBungyo

    TheBungyo Pooh-Bah (2,037) Dec 1, 2004 Washington
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    Actually, I prefer all you can consume. Not because I consume an outrageous amount but because I can try things without fear and dump anything that I don't completely enjoy.
     
    #9 TheBungyo, Jun 25, 2015
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  10. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    You don't feel like you can do that at a pay as you go event?

    I rarely drink an entire taster of beer that I'm served, as there typically are considerably more beers I want to drink than I can safely consume (and maintain my sobriety). In fact, I would say that I usually dump at least 75% of the beer that I purchase at a festival. Typically (although not always), I still end up paying less money then I would at a comparable "all you care to drink" event.

    It sounds like you probably have better discipline than I do. What I find happens at all you can drink events, is that I have a difficult time "taking my last drink." I keep on finding one more thing to try, as after all, I've paid for it, so why not go ahead. That doesn't happen at pay as you go events, as having "just one more," means I need to shell out some extra money as well. That usually stops me. I usually don't want to spend an extra $4 or $5 for a taster of beer that I'm only marginally interested in. :-)
     
    #10 John_M, Jun 25, 2015
  11. glkaiser

    glkaiser Initiate (0) May 19, 2006 Washington

    I always enjoy SIB. If you want to taste a lot, the "Big Deal" is worth it. $45 for 40 tickets. At ~$1 per ticket, 5 tickets for 4oz of Bbomb isn't "that" insane, if that's what you want to do w/ your tix. It's a bottle pour, and the tickets required for each beer are based on what the organizers paid for the beer.

    You can always find some great deals on the draft beers there, and that's what I stick to.
     
    #11 glkaiser, Jun 25, 2015
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  12. itsThatBoyE

    itsThatBoyE Zealot (642) Feb 10, 2015 Washington
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    I went last year. It was fun and got to try some good beers I wouldn't have had the chance otherwise.

    The pamphlet is at Holy Mountain already in case you want to see the entire list, layout, ticket costs, etc.
     
    #12 itsThatBoyE, Jun 26, 2015
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  13. cherche

    cherche Pooh-Bah (2,476) Mar 27, 2013 Washington
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    I have reached the age where i can go to an all you can drink event and still stay in control :slight_smile:

    Like @TheBungyo said - i would prefer to be able to try just about everything and if i dont like it just dump it and move on to the next without thinking about wasting tickets or whatever...i mean if you go to SIB and get a few tasters that are 5 tickets each you could end up spending much more than the $50 or so that the Cali events cost...plus i am willing to pay more for not having the hassle of tickets and having to budget them...
     
    #13 cherche, Jun 26, 2015
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  14. TheBungyo

    TheBungyo Pooh-Bah (2,037) Dec 1, 2004 Washington
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    Let's say I go to a fest and they give me 10 tickets, 1 (4 oz) ticket per taste. It wouldn't be too odd for me to dump 5 tastes, so then that means I've spent the cost of the fest to get (usually around $35-40) to get around a pint of beer that's supposed to last me 4 hours? Doesn't make sense to me, and that's why these types of fests interest me very little.
     
    #14 TheBungyo, Jun 26, 2015
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  15. cherche

    cherche Pooh-Bah (2,476) Mar 27, 2013 Washington
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    Couldnt agree more...And that is super wishful thinking that each taster you want only costs 1 ticket...most are 2 or more and some are 5 or even 7 tickets!
     
    #15 cherche, Jun 26, 2015
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  16. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
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    This event has always been on my "maybe someday" list, and every year something pops up that steers me away. And, i don't feel like I'm really missing out. Maybe next year.
     
    #16 BBThunderbolt, Jun 26, 2015
  17. maltmaster420

    maltmaster420 Initiate (0) Aug 17, 2005 Oregon

    I thought about going, but I'm going to be seeking out bars with A/C for the next few days. Drinking high octane beer in the 100 degree sun isn't my idea of fun.
     
    #17 maltmaster420, Jun 26, 2015
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  18. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
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    Well, if you're going to be in Seattle that Sunday, we're getting together at Toronado. I suspect we'd let a Southerner in.
     
    #18 BBThunderbolt, Jun 26, 2015
  19. fsck

    fsck Initiate (0) Apr 13, 2013 Washington

    Yeah, I don't think it's even debatable outside of costing more for the light drinkers. All you can drink festivals are far superior in being able to enjoy yourself, try a ton of things, and worry less. You still don't get drunk with tiny pours and lines everywhere.
     
    #19 fsck, Jun 26, 2015
  20. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Everyone, of course, is entitled to their opinion. I personally don't agree with this thinking, and I try to avoid all you can consume events of any sort. However, for those who prefer them to pay by the drink events, all I can say is that I wish there were more such events for you in the NW.

    The only reason I even bothered to respond to this latest post, was regarding the comment about not getting drunk at these type of events. After attending 3 GABF events and numerous ZAP events, I can say from actual experience that your statement is complete nonsense.
     
    #20 John_M, Jun 26, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2015
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