More Thoughts on the Peoria International Beer Festival
More thoughts on the beer festivals:
Anyone who says the flavors do not eventually run together is a complete liar.
They do.
Still, it is a good place to meet folks and see people one would not otherwise see except for the semi-annual event.
When Dan and I started going, the beer festival was $3.00 to enter; fifty cents for a four ounce sample. This year it was still fifty cents for the samples, just $13.00 to enter. So I spent $18.00 on my ten tickets and my fees: four dollars for two hot dogs; and of course you bump into people who give you tickets or you know people at tables who give you an extra bit of the brews.
I bumped into my former carpet cleaner guy who is branching out on his own. Everything he is doing is eco-green friendly; so I will hire him.
I bumped into Tom Gardner: now a distributor for Duvel Beer (Good guy to know) as Tom and I were college friends twenty some years ago. Tom married a girl on our floor (much the same as I did) and the difference is he is still married and has a son. Tom once worked for Sprecher.
I saw Keith and JC and Tisha there for a brief moment as they were entering as we were leaving. Always good to see them.
Any meeting/festival type of event brings out the best in all of us, as I am amazed at how many folks you recognize. I am also amazed that (and perhaps this is because we go early at 1:00 PM and leave around 4:00 PM before the crazies show) how well behaved everyone acts. There are lots of “excuse me” and “pardon me’s” as one makes it across the exposition floor. I am equally amazed that in going perhaps twelve of the sixteen years of this event how I have never, and I mean never, seen anyone throw-up or hurl their beer in a bucket. I mean it, never.
Today, as I read my festival book (which at earlier festivals was a sheet of paper), I am amazed further at the detailed descriptions of the beers and the countries and the breweries that fill the pages. The nice thing is Home Brewer Clubs (Galesburg, Peoria, Bloomington, Burlington Iowa and Macomb) are represented to sample their efforts. So many American Micro-Brews were represented, it would be impossible to list them all. My favorites are of course: Avery, Flying Dog, Left Hand, Two Brothers, Atwater, New Holland, Founders, Ommegang, Hoppin’ Frog, and Abita. From the international arena: Abbye Des Roca; Greene King, Kalnapilis, Okocium, Youngs, Erdinger, Ayinger, and so many more.
Safely stated, if you could not find a beer to your liking; you are either dead or you just hate beer—either of which is a shame.
Oh, and no gout as of yet and no hangover. Thank goodness.
Anyone who says the flavors do not eventually run together is a complete liar.
They do.
Still, it is a good place to meet folks and see people one would not otherwise see except for the semi-annual event.
When Dan and I started going, the beer festival was $3.00 to enter; fifty cents for a four ounce sample. This year it was still fifty cents for the samples, just $13.00 to enter. So I spent $18.00 on my ten tickets and my fees: four dollars for two hot dogs; and of course you bump into people who give you tickets or you know people at tables who give you an extra bit of the brews.
I bumped into my former carpet cleaner guy who is branching out on his own. Everything he is doing is eco-green friendly; so I will hire him.
I bumped into Tom Gardner: now a distributor for Duvel Beer (Good guy to know) as Tom and I were college friends twenty some years ago. Tom married a girl on our floor (much the same as I did) and the difference is he is still married and has a son. Tom once worked for Sprecher.
I saw Keith and JC and Tisha there for a brief moment as they were entering as we were leaving. Always good to see them.
Any meeting/festival type of event brings out the best in all of us, as I am amazed at how many folks you recognize. I am also amazed that (and perhaps this is because we go early at 1:00 PM and leave around 4:00 PM before the crazies show) how well behaved everyone acts. There are lots of “excuse me” and “pardon me’s” as one makes it across the exposition floor. I am equally amazed that in going perhaps twelve of the sixteen years of this event how I have never, and I mean never, seen anyone throw-up or hurl their beer in a bucket. I mean it, never.
Today, as I read my festival book (which at earlier festivals was a sheet of paper), I am amazed further at the detailed descriptions of the beers and the countries and the breweries that fill the pages. The nice thing is Home Brewer Clubs (Galesburg, Peoria, Bloomington, Burlington Iowa and Macomb) are represented to sample their efforts. So many American Micro-Brews were represented, it would be impossible to list them all. My favorites are of course: Avery, Flying Dog, Left Hand, Two Brothers, Atwater, New Holland, Founders, Ommegang, Hoppin’ Frog, and Abita. From the international arena: Abbye Des Roca; Greene King, Kalnapilis, Okocium, Youngs, Erdinger, Ayinger, and so many more.
Safely stated, if you could not find a beer to your liking; you are either dead or you just hate beer—either of which is a shame.
Oh, and no gout as of yet and no hangover. Thank goodness.
posted by Eric Sweetwood at 7:27 AM
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