Saturday, 27 April 2013 13:41
Written by Henry Bentley
Whether it is your first time or seasoned vet, there are a few things that you should consider before you go. Here are 15 tips and suggestions to help make your visit successful and pleasurable.
1. Drink Water
This is probably the more important thing to do, besides enjoying the beer and one great thing about Beer Festival is the plentiful amounts of water. There are pitchers at the booths, which are constantly filled. There are water coolers almost everywhere you look. There is no excuse not to drink plenty of water during the event. Generally, I just down the water I use to rinse my tasting glass. Thinking back on last year, I likely drank at least 2 servings of water for every serving of beer.
2. Eat
Eat before, after, and maybe even during the festival. Food will help counteract the impact of the alcohol in your system.
Don’t go to the festival on an empty stomach. You won’t be able to drink much before getting sick or you’ll waste your time waiting for over-priced food. Whatever it takes, eat before.
3. Arrive early and bring ID
The line to get in can take you up to 45 minutes to get through. If you arrive 45 minutes to an hour early you’ll spend your time waiting for the opening instead of wading through the line. The less time you’re in line after the doors open, the more time you spend inside.
You will not be allowed to enter without identification so don’t forget it.
4. Not allowed: backpacks, outside food, bottles, cans
Leave your backpack at home it won’t be allowed in. You can, however, bring in a small over-the-should camera bag or purse.
Outside food and drink are generally not allowed. You will have to dump it before you enter. The exception to the food rule is pretzel jewelry.
5. Make a pretzel necklace
The exception to the food rule are pretzel necklaces because they are considered jewelry or a part of your costume. Some folks might think these are tacky and annoying but I think it is a great way to have a sack at your disposal throughout the festival. After all, eating will help minimize the affects of the alcohol.
6. Don’t drop your cup/glass
You only get one and if you break it, you won’t be able to get a replacement. It can also cause a huge ruckus because everybody around you tends to yell out when a glass is dropped and this noise carries.
If you need help not dropping your glass, buy a tasting glass holder. These are usually a ring with a lanyard attached. I bought mine from http://www.brewcaddy.com/.
7. Don’t yell out when somebody else drops their cup
It’s annoying. Set a good example and just don’t do it. Although, if you witness a glass getting broken it is hard to resist saying, “awww.” Because , well, it’s sad.
8. Wear a costume
One great aspect Beer Festivals is the number of people wearing creative costumes. Some are as simple as creative matching t-shirts and others are as elaborate as a full beer-pint body suit.
9. Take notes on paper
You might also consider a beer notebook.
10. Have a plan
In order to maximize your time at a festival, you should have a game plan. Here are some game plan ideas:
- Try only one style of beer from as many breweries as possible.
- Focus on a particular region.
- Visit the popular breweries not available in your area.
- Go to every brewery without a line. As the night goes on, this become more rare but it does happen.
If your plan is to try beer from popular breweries that do not distribute to your home town, then get their early and visit those places first. Breweries like Stone, Lost Abbey, and Dogfish Head can have very long lines.
11. Check out the Brewers Guilds stations
Each brewers guild that shows up has its own station in the festival and they server the beers of their member brewers. It is a little known fact that the beers served at these stations are different than the beers served at the brewer’s stations. Avoid the lines and check it out.
12. Bring a camera
There is a lot of interesting things to see: people in crazy costumes, elaborate booths, your friends, and maybe even your favorite beer personality. It would be a shame not to have a camera to capture the moment.
Cameras are also useful for remembering details about what you are drinking. If you’re not writing down your notes, you can use your camera to snap the name of your new favorite brewery or the beer list at a particular booth that you might want to remember later.
13. Know beer vocabulary
If you’re not quite a beer geek yet or even fairly new to craft beer, now might be a good to catch up on your beer vocabulary.
14. Drink responsibly
Drinking lots of water and eating regularly will help slow down the effects of alcohol but if you drink way too much nothing will help. Don’t forget to drink water when it’s not around every corner like it is at the festival.
Drink responsibly, moderately, and don’t drive