Pictures tell a million words. And I am fucking lazy, and don't feel like typing a million words. Plus, Paper Cup Diaries are random as shit. Here goes the adventure!

I never did my Untappd.

In case you weren't aware from my incessant tweets, Facebook posts, and press releases on the site...I went to the Annapolis Craft Beer and Music Festival last month (9/21) at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. It was an opportunity presented to me from a Mr. Jim Barthold, who runs the event. And I totally jumped at the chance. You see, if there was one thing I learned at BBC13, it was to take chances and force myself out of my comfort zone, and being in public places, is being out of my comfort zone.

This was the second year for the event, and if history was going to be any kind of teacher, most people probably wouldn't have shown up. You see, in 2012, there was a lot of negative feedback from their first outing. Not enough beer, not enough porta potties, not enough of this, not enough of that. They were tore apart on Yelp. Poor guys. But it seems they took it on the chin, and came back in 2013 with their proverbial guns a-blazing.

So, Saturday rolls around, FINALLY, and I get to the stadium to find a parking lot that's probably 1/3rd full. I silently fist pumped, because I hate looking for parking at these events, and at $5 a pop, I was ecstatic to throw them my money, and be able to have my choice of any spot I damn well pleased. it took me less than 3 minutes between getting my tickets, and getting through the entrance gate, commemorative glass in hand. Seriously though, I need a place for all these glasses I have building up. At this point is was still "early," about 11:45 in the morning, and there were probably about...200 people. Maybe. I make straight for Flying Dog and DuClaw and shoot the shit with them for some time before I venture out. At this point its about 12:15, the crowd has grown, but not overwhelmingly so. I take a look at the gate to see there is a line steady growing, and moving quickly. Great news! Makes me happy to see the negative backlash from last year hasn't had an adverse effect.

I start wandering around, getting a feel for land and I'm loving the set up. This whole shindig is in  front of the stadium, in a big grassy field (I'll admit being a bit disappointed at first that we weren't IN the stadium). The breweries line the outside of the event, Music in one corner, porta potties (about 10 on the inside and another 6 on the outside-but those don't count) in the opposite, and food in another. In the center of it all were your obligatory vendors of everything from cheap screen printed shirts, to hand-carved beating (walking) sticks, and everything in-between.

I had hoped the panoramic photos would give you an idea of how everything was set up, and the crowd that continuously poured in during the duration. When I left around 5pm, people were still coming in even though the event ended at 6.

So lets talk about the beer. The fest boasted an impressive number of about 35 different craft breweries (you can view the list here), pouring anywhere from 2 to 4 different beers. That equated to well over 100 different brews available to you at the festival, if you were able to hit each one. At no time did I wait any longer than 5 minuted for a beer. It was refreshing to see the lines move so quickly. A majority of the tents were hosted by the actual brewers, and in some cases, even the owners themselves. Now that is something I just love seeing at these types of events. I'm generally turned off when the people poring our beers are just volunteers with little to no knowledge about exactly what it is they are pouring. Want to know why? Because I LOVE sitting there and talking to the brewers/owners/lackeys about the beer they create until they hate me and want me to leave but are too polite to say anything to me. That's why.

Pretty much everything about this experience was a good thing. If there were any critiques I had, it's the food situation and the porta potties. There was ONE food vendor. The selection wasn't that great, and the line was...well, it was atrocious. If my understanding in my conversations with the event planners were any sign though, the food situation is more to blame on the stadium duds, than the event coordinators. And the bathroom situation? Well, there were 6 outside in the parking lot, but they MUST have been leftover from a football event, because they were full. FULL. And no TP. There were about 10 on the inside, and the line for them was also really long. But really, I've been to a ton of events and I've seen more toilets available, and have seen lines just as long. So there's that.

And then there was this guy.

Oh, there was music too. But I'm going to blatantly honest here, I didn't listen to a single note. But here is where they played:

Cozy, right?

There were also seminars available! One was hosted by my buddy Ben Wiser from Flying Dog about the history of Flying Dog, and the culture of Craft Beer. I got to stand behind him and look cool, and help pack up the beer afterwards. I was all about it. You can check out the full list of seminars that were available here.

If you ate one of these during the seminars, you're welcome.

To wrap this word fort up, this event was a success. The beer was great, and plentiful. The lines moved quickly, and it seemed everyone there was having a genuine good time. Talk about a major turn-around. For being beat down on the Internet after a faulty first year, they really came through for the craft beer drinkers of Maryland and threw one hell of a festival.

You can find out more about he festival on their website and Facebook for next year!
http://www.theannapoliscraftbeerandmusicfestival.com
https://www.facebook.com/AnnapolisCraftBeerMusicFestival



The previous review is in no way influenced by the admission provided to me from the event organizers.

Now, if there are three things I love, it's baked goods, good tunes, and beer. If there is one thing I'm terrible at, it's baking. And one thing I'm good at is suckering people into guest posting on my blog. Today we have Rebecca from The Bake & Brew, breaking down the songs she needs to get by when performing kitchen science. Once in awhile it feels good to flex the music muscle on HipsterBrewfus.com, and I'm honored to have Rebecca come aboard and share this post with you. You can check out Rebecca and her baking and brew blog over at http://thebakeandbrew.com and pester and annoy her on Twitter (@thebakeandbrew)  -Hipster Brewfus

Being in the kitchen just wouldn't be right without music to accompany the mixing, the measuring, the boiling, the baking, and the cooking. Here's my latest playlist for cooking after a long day at work. If you have Spotify, you can listen to the whole playlist here. If not, see the links below for all the related Youtube videos.

Get home when the sunlight is starting to slant. Take off the work clothes and put on the favorite t-shirt. Take one of the last Schlafly Summers out of the fridge and use your favorite bottle opener (the one shaped like a New Belgium glass). Lift open the window by the stove, put a pot of water on to boil, grab the laptop, put on some tunes, and brush the workday off your back.

[Sittin' On] The Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
All I can think about is the warm breeze and sitting by the Savannah river during this song. There's nothing like some whistling to welcome the evening and put a smile on your face.

Epic - Calexico
I don't think I'll ever prefer any Calexico over the Iron & Wine/Calexico album, but something about Epic has me coming back for more.

En t'attendent - Melanie Laurent
Hey guys. Remember Inglorious Basterds? Remember Shoshanna? Yeah Shoshanna does some sexy french singing. Mind. Blown.

Forrest Gump - Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean is a must for night-time cooking, night-time baking, night-time drinking. Double points if you're cooking for a special someone.

All Eyes on You - St. Lucia
And now for something completely different. This has been on repeat for weeks now (weeks upon weeks) in my car, when I'm getting ready in the morning, when I'm cooking at night. This hook just makes my shoulders move, and gets me moving right into the next song.

Slyd - !!!
Turn it up for this bass and for a little shimmy. Now this is when I really start dance cooking.

When They Fight, They Fight - Generationals
To continue the dance cooking. Again, the whistling. Oh the whistling.

Silver Lining - Rilo Kiley
Goodness I love listening to Rilo Kiley in the evenings. I'm not obsessed with everything she does, and I usually don't feel like listening to her songs over and over and over again. But her voice is so strong, so feminine, and so empowering. I guess most beer bloggers are dudes (right?), so maybe you don't want to feel like a woman, but damn if she doesn't give you some sass.

You and I - Wilco
Wilco. Always. There is nothing more satisfying than Jeff Tweedy whisper-singing to you as you pull together ingredients and create a meal.

The Breeze - Dr. Dog
Dr. Dog is a band similar to The Strokes in that I listen to them infrequently, but every time I do I think "Ahhh I need this all the time." But then I go back to weeks of not listening to them. It's my loss, really. And when I saw them in Bloomington last year, I swear it's the first show I've been to where 95% of the people watching sang along during every. single. song. Put an album on and you'll find yourself trying to do the same the first go around. Put that needle to the groove and sing.

Listen all y'all it's a Belgian Beer, Listen all y'all it's a Belgian Beer!

I can't stand it, you know I drank it

I'm gonna set it straight, this beer is great

I can't stand this cup for this Belgian beer

And the beer itself, ain't so crystal clear

So while you sit back and wonder why

I got this fucking cup at my side

Got it at the store, which was mostly a bore

I'm telling y'all this Kriek is sweet

That was way too hard. I'm half drunk, and trying to turn "Sabotage" into a beer review about Lindermans Kriek was draining all of my brain powers. In 2 hours, that was all I came up with.

About 10 years ago, I bought my first Lindermans. I'm almost 100% it was the strawberry Lambic. I drank the whole thing, and threw up. I'm pretty sure it was the Lambic. Ok, so maybe i'm like, 25% sure, but it was thick, sweet and reminded me of cough syrup. Yeah, definitely the Lambic. I drank the whole thing, and regretted it nearly immediately.

When I was in Kentucky, sometimes it was the lesser of the two evils, so I picked this one up. Along with a 6 pack of Sam Adams "White Lantern." And then I drank them. And that's all I remember. I took notes, and then proceeded to forget all about these note for months. Recently I have stumbled upon them, and said to myself "Fuck it. Do it up, homeboy." The following is what I was able to decipher from the scribbled notes

-Smells like Hosmer Mt. Black Cherry soda.

-Looks pinkish/red. Pink fuzzy head.

-Taste? Awesome! For beer drinkers who don't know they are beer drinkers.

-Tastes like candy/soda.

-Mouth isn't as syrupy as I expected it to be.

-But holy fucking sweet.

That is just the first side. I really liked this beer, but it is super sweet. While I drank it, I got a bright idea to mix it with the Sam Adams I had. That's how I party, yo.

Mix #1 75% Kriek 25% White Lantern

-OK. Sweet is still overwhelming

-Spices are subdued. Mostly dilutes Kriek, but not by much.

Mix #2 50% Kriek 50% White Lantern

-Excellent. Perfect combination with spice/sweetness.

Mix #3 25% Kriek 75% White Lantern

-VERY GOOD.

HAD TO STOP TOO SWEET

This is why I cant have nice things.

THE

SCRAWLINGS

OF

A

MAD

MAN...

**This service was provided to me for review. All the following nouns, pronouns, adjectives and thoughts are my own**

I'm here to tell you about a club. In this club there are no decoder rings. No secret handshakes. No secret clubhouses with passwords. Although if there was one, everyone knows it would be "New England Clam Chowder."

No, in this club there is only one thing. A shit load of awesome beers. This club, Ladies and gentlemen, is the Beer of the Month Club. And it rules. It rules so hard.

Let me start from the beginning...

About a week and a half before my Beer Bloggers Conference adventure began, I was contacted by the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club to see if I would be interested in reviewing the service they provide. They asked that I pick one of the four tiers of membership (that's right, four), and they would send something out to me. Obviously, my answer was an enthusiastic "YES!"

Being the ball of neurotic that I am, spent the next hour or so debating between the three membership levels, weighing the pros and cons, and contemplating my existence. The three groups are:

The U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club 

"Twelve, 12 oz. bottles of hand-crafted beers each month from two different lightly distributed U.S. Microbreweries. You'll get four different beer styles, three bottles of each style."

The U.S. and International Variety Beer Club

"Twelve, 12 oz. bottles of hand-crafted beers each month from two different international breweries. You'll get two different beer styles, six bottles of each style."

The International Beer Club

"Twelve, 12 oz. bottles of hand-crafted beers each month from two different international breweries. You'll get two different beer styles, six bottles of each style."

Now, this is where the real  "variety" ends. The last club offers just 2 beers, with the quantity being multiplied per membership rate. There is a lot to read about, so you can click the following link and check out everything they have to say about their totally exclusive, super awesome Rare Beer Club.

The Rare Beer Club

There are three choices for this membership; two bottles, four bottles, or six bottles. Like mentioned above, its just multiples of two different beers.

The biggest factor that helped me out was being able to see what all the past beers have been (Past Selections). Seeing that made it a no brainer, and I chose the Rare Beer Club. I arrived home the day I had to hop on the train to travel to the Beer Bloggers Conference, and my box of goodies was waiting for me!

If the beginning of my judgement started then, I was already surprised. It was a bit less than a week after making my selection, and finalizing the communication and everything, my box was waiting for me. That speed really surprised the hell out of me, and pleased me to no end. Check out my loot!

Do you like it as much as I do?

The first thing I noticed, aside from the super quick shipping, was the packaging. Handy cardboard bottle holders, very much similar to the ones from Letspour.com.I used them again to send out the swag to the winners of my last giveaway. Then there were the cardboard coasters, and 4 sheets of paper. each one dedicated to each beer. It gives all kind of brewery information, and information about the exact beer that you're drinking. Including food pairings, glassware recommendations, serving temps, so on, so forth. AND WHAT NOT.

I thought those inserts were super cool. Sure, having the beer is great, but this beer is all relatively rare. It's nice to have some information to checkout while you check out the beer (without having to go on BeerAdvocate).

Saint-Germain Page 24 Brune

De Proef/Cigar City Tropical Triple

Dupont La Bière de Beloeil

Grassroots Arctic Saison

Now, it could totally be my ignorance, but I haven't seen these bottles in any of the shops I frequent. I was definitely more excited about the Cigar City collaboration, and the Grassroots brewing.

This post isn't necessarily about these beer though. I mean it is, but it isn't. Plus, of the four beers I received, I've only enjoyed one.

I shall never forget.

In doing some of my own research, I thought it would be best to do a list of pros and cons of sorts. So, you know here goes nothing.

Pros:

  -You get beer mailed to you. Right to your doorstep, and nothing is better than beer mail.
  -You have the opportunity to try a variety beers you might not have the chance to try otherwise.
  -The service is fast, and extremely friendly.
  -Some of the beers they have, are simply phenomenal.
  -You can re-order past beers you missed or thoroughly enjoyed.
  -Option to pay full membership at once, or monthly.

Cons:

  -Price-wise, it can be a bit expensive. At the least expensive, you're looking at $39 for a 12 pack, or $47         for two bombers. Those prices include the shipping charges.
  -With the twelve packs, you could potentially be stuck with quite a few beers that you just don't care for.

The odds are good, right? 5:2. But you know...Beer is an expensive hobby. Even without having joined this club, I probably spend...a lot more than I should. It would be really hard for me to justify these added expenses, unless I decided to curb my already pre-existing beer buying condition. That could prove to be difficult, as there is such a huge availability of great beers that I can pick up off the shelf. With that said, I still think what they provide is a great service, with lots of options available to the consumer. I mean, lets be honest, buying beer is expensive enough, and buying beer online is even MORE expensive. We all know this. In that aspect, the Microbrewed Beer Club is not special, in the least. In fact, their shipping costs just might be lower than some other places.

Really, the best thing you can do for yourself, if this is something that interest you, is check out their website. If you have any questions, do the Twitter to them, or Facebook them.

And uh, I guess that's all I have to say about that. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club

Website: http://www.beermonthclub.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beermonthclub

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/beermonthclub/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+beermonthclub/posts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeerMonthClub / https://twitter.com/RareBeerClub

Second Annual Annapolis Craft Beer and Music Festival Date Announced

Over 100 Artisan Beer Tastings 

Music of all Varieties on The Pilsner Stage

Arts, Crafts, and Specialty Food

Annapolis, Maryland (August 15, 2013)—The date for the second annual Annapolis Craft Beer and Music Festival has been announced for Saturday, September 21, 2013, at The Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. The festival hours are Saturday, 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm.

The Annapolis Craft Beer and Music Festival -- the only craft beer festival of its size in and around historic Annapolis with 35 breweries represented pouring over 100 craft beers -- combines award-winning artisan beer tastings from regional and national artisan breweries along with music of all varieties on The Pilsner Stage. Attendees have the opportunity to shop for gifts from dozens of arts, crafts, and specialty food exhibitors and purchase oysters on the half shell plus other delicious Maryland cuisine in the food concessions court.

According to Jim Barthold, of City Dock Productions, “in just a few short years, craft beer has developed a tremendous following among men and women of all ages. There are literally hundreds of craft beers being brewed today, each with its own distinctive characteristics. Tasting and comparing brews has become an activity of the beer enthusiast. This is a festival whose time has come, there is no other event like it in Annapolis.” Mr. Barthold explains, “The Annapolis Craft Beer and Music Festival combines the rare experience of sampling craft beers while listening to eight local popular bands…selecting from a menu of food items ranging from crab cakes to knockwurst and shopping among arts and crafts exhibitors."

A general admission ticket includes a souvenir pilsner glass, samples of craft brews, and music of all genres all day long under the music pavilion tent. For details and to purchase tickets:

www.theannapoliscraftbeerandmusicfestival.com or call 1-410-263-4012. 

Advance group sales of 10 or more are available and a limited number of discounted tickets are being sold at specific times on the festival's website: www.theannapoliscraftbeerandmusicfestival.com. The festival will benefit The Arts Council of Anne Arundel County which seeks to promote cultural attractions and the arts: http://annearundelartscouncil.org/

The Navy-Marine Corps Stadium has ample parking, which makes it the ideal venue for the Festival. Directions: take Rt. 50 to Annapolis, take exit 24 (Rowe Blvd) and make the second right onto Taylor Ave. to the entrance at Gate 5. Parking is $5.00 per car.

View Larger Map

Well-known for its maritime culture, colonial heritage and charming downtown shopping district on the Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis is the epicenter of entertainment and cultural events for the state. To ensure widespread awareness of the festival, the event is being aggressively marketed throughout the region with a multimedia advertising and publicity campaign via TV, cable, print, radio and online, as well as through posters, postcards and brochures.

And, after the festival, visitors can stroll through the brick-lined street of historic Annapolis! Plenty of nearby hotel accommodations in every price range, continuous shuttle bus service to downtown and all of the many shops, restaurants and attractions of historic Annapolis are just some of the amenities visitors will enjoy while visiting the City of Annapolis for the weekend. Check the festival website at www.theannapoliscraftbeerandmusicfestival.com for accommodation suggestions.

The Annapolis Arts and Crafts Festival is produced by City Dock Productions, an event management company with more than 37 years of experience presenting arts and crafts festivals, music festivals, wine festivals and other consumer product shows and public events. For details, call Jim Barthold at 410-263-4012.

I threw up the Brewfus Signal for some guests posts, and with the quickness, Wolf, AKA Beer Guy PDX, responded. Today's post had me laughing and cringing while I read it. This guy gets me, and I think this post will be right up your (the readers) alley. Keep reading for tips on how to stay safe during a beer fest, and be sure to check him out afterwards at http://www.beerguypdx.com/. You can also find him on Twitter (@beerguypdx )! Thanks again for answering my distress call, Wolf. Much appreciated!

-Hipster Brewfus



It's summer in the Pacific Northwest and that means Beer Fest Season is in full swing here in Portland, Oregon. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is the time of year you'll find great beer-related events going on almost every weekend in my burg and surrounding environs. Of course, the major beer festivals like the highly celebrated, often imitated, but never duplicated Oregon Brewer's Festival can be like a trip to grown-up Disneyland and it takes some planning to do them right. This can often be quite a daunting endeavor for the beer fest noob. If that's you, I'm here to help.

I'm a beer festival veteran. I've been to all of the big, local ones many, many, many times. Hell, I've been to all of the tiny, little-known ones, too. I know my way around the Buzz Tent, let's put it that way. I've been at this for a long time and I've learned all the tricks for making beer festival attendance more fun, efficient and awesome, and I'm going to share those tricks with you RIGHT NOW.

Just like a seasoned mountain climber braving the harsh conditions of Mt. Hood, a beer festival attendee has to have the right equipment. Check out the photo below and read all about the essential gear needed for a successful day at a beer fest:

1) Cargo shorts. I know cargo shorts are hideous, but they are costume de rigueur for beer fests. Why? Ginormous pockets. You are going to be carrying all kinds of stuff and you'll need immediate access to that gear...which isn't easy when you have a tasting glass permanently attached to one hand. Yes, your tush looks amazing in those skinny jeans, my young friend, but you'll have a helluva time trying to dig that last taster token out of your tiny, tight pocket when you're three sheets to the wind. I know what you're thinking: I'll just bring a backpack. You'll be sorry! Backpacks get mighty heavy after a few dozen beers. Additionally, I happened to walk past the lost and found at the last beer fest I attended, and guess what I saw...lots of lost backpacks. I'm just sayin', cargoes are the way to go!

2) Pretzel necklace (not shown--eaten). You'll get hungry, that goes without saying. There are usually food carts and snack booths at most beer festivals, but the lines can be long and the prices are just this side of felonious gouging. Make sure your snacks are always within reach and IMPOSSIBLE to misplace. The pretzel necklace is the greatest invention of all time. Get yourself some string...some pretzels...tada!

3) Obscure brewery hat (and/or other prominently displayed piece of logo apparel). The idea here is to wear a conversation starter. Every other putz will be wearing a hat from Well-known Brewery. You? You're a rugged individualist. Your hat from Woodchipper Suds or Crazy Larry's Brewpub will set you apart from the crowd and get lots of questions coming your way from beer drinking supermodels. Okay, the supermodel part is a big, fat lie, but lots of hairy beer geeks will strike up conversations with you. Hey, I've met some of my very best friends at beer fests. That's no lie.

4) Sunscreen. Contrary to popular belief, the sun does shine occasionally in Portland. For gawd's sake, Melvin, lather up! Sunscreen prevents skin cancer and premature aging. Learn it, know it, live it!

5) Wads and wads of cash. Most beer fests are cash only affairs. Save yourself a mess of stress and load up on the greenbacks before you go. The last thing you'll want is to run out of taster tickets and find yourself stewing in a long line at the only ATM for miles around.

6) Beer tap scepter. Because...you know...it's a gawd damned beer tap scepter! Don't judge me.

7) Festival appropriate t-shirt. Your t-shirt should let everyone know that you're a beer fest pro. Acceptable shirt styles: old, worn shirt from a previous year of the festival you are currently attending; trendy craft brewery shirt; macro-brewery shirt just for the irony; zany, wacky shirt that tells everyone that you are ONLY there for the beer; no shirt because, well, you're drunk. I like my awesome lederhosen t-shirt. I get absolutely zero compliments on it. Women hustle their children and pets away from me. The crowd literally parts when that crazy guy walks by. It's perfect.

8) Beer gut. A beer fest is the one place where a fellow like me can display an ample beer belly with pride and aplomb. You know, I didn't just wake up with this gut one morning. It took lots and lots of semi-professional beer drinking to get it into this kind of shape. Don't hate. Keep drinking those fine craft beers and you can have one of your own someday!

9) Sensible shoes. Now, you may be tempted to wear sandals on a warm summer day, but that is a bad, bad idea at a crowded beer fest. Why? Have you ever had a hundred buzzed people step on your toes? Effing ouch! Those lines are long, slow! , and filled with some inebriated fest goers. Save your tootsies and wear close-toed shoes. Steel-toed boots are always an acceptable option. too.

10) Bluetooth headset. Just kidding! Only a total d-bag would wear a b-tooth to a beer fest!

11) Swag bag. I don't know about you, but if some brewery is going to be giving away pens, stickers, bar mats, bottle openers, whatever, I'm taking that stuff home by the fistful! Bring a handy tote bag to tote home your swag. Mine is a compactable Arrogant Bastard bag. It fits neatly into my cargo pockets until needed.

12) Water. I highly recommend bringing along your own water bottle. They will charge you up the wazoo for a bottle of H2O at most beer fests. Hydrate, homie, or you could end up in the first aid tent. This is some serious beer consumption you're engaged in and keeping yourself adequately watered is a must. Plus, bringing your own reusable water bottle is the enviro-awesome thing to do.

13) Bus pass. Beer Guy PDX frowns on drinking and driving. Make sure you are fully prepared to get to and from your beer fest without the need to drive. Seriously, I'm not joking here. Purchase a day pass for mass transit. Prearrange a cab. Impress your sweetie with a limo! Hell, call me and I'll pick you up. It's all good, as long as you aren't dragon-breathing it down the 84 freeway after a long day of beer tasting.

14) Notepad and pen. Most beer geeks have a weird, unstoppable, freaky desire to document all of their beer conquests. That's me. If that's you, I strongly suggest bringing along a little notepad and some kind of writing instrument to get the job done. Many people keep track of their drinking history with a smartphone or iPad. That's fine, but I recommend against the electronics. Keep your nose off the screen and enjoy the beer and atmosphere!

15) Shades. I wear my sunglasses at night, so I can, so I can, watch you weave then breathe your story-lines...

16) Smile. Share lots of these with your fellow craft beer enthusiasts. We are a beer-loving, fun-loving community and we should all do our best to make every beer festival as enjoyable as possible for everyone. With great beer comes great responsibility. Go forth and make new friends! Finally, be kind to the people serving the beer. Most of those folks are volunteers devoted to making sure you have a fun day at the beer fest. Remember that a please and a thank you will mean a lot to them and validate their self-less efforts.