Big Texas Beer Fest

I spent last weekend in Dallas, and thought I would share it with you. I am sort of sharing out of order. Next time, I'll tell you what I did Friday.

If you saw my pictures on the 14th, you noticed that I attended the Big Texas Beer Festival. Overall, I had a great time.  There was a exceptional selection of craft beer. I noticed the shortest lines at Blue Moon and Shock Top, which I would have expected. It was gratifying to see that the lines at the Texas Beer booths seemed to be the longest.

I do have some complaints, though.

First, as the line for VIP admission snaked around the building, it was obvious that a large number of folks bought VIP tickets. One guy making the hike to the end of the line elicited a laugh from all of us when he said, "I guess I'm not as important as I thought I was." By 12:10, the line finally started moving, and by 12:40, I was inside the building, leaving me only 20 minutes for the exclusive tastings. I don't know if paying $20 a minute was a wise move, but I tried to squeeze an hour of drinking into twenty minutes.

Second, the venue was huge, but the booths weren't arranged well. By 4 pm, when all the riff raff were in the building, and lines for the Texas beers reached fifty or sixty people, it was difficult to navigate. The place looked to me to be big enough to arrangle the booths in a single line back to back. That might have made the navigation a bit easier.

Third, did I mention the venue was huge? To steal a quote from The Blues Brothers, it was "a fucking barn." Now that's great for the large number of attendees, the acoustics sucked, and the live bands (Fish Fry Bingo and The O's) sounded like shit. Perhaps they shouldn't have had their amps turned to 11 (that's a discussion for the sound guy), but it was hard to hear the words to the songs. That's not to say the bands were bad.  They were really good. I even bought their albums on iTunes. (I just wish I could have found "When the Sh*t Goes Down". You just don't hear jug bass anymore.)

Fourth, and this is nothing the organizers could control, but only three food trucks showed up. Apparently several more who had said they would be there decided they didn't need the money from people who needed food to soak up beer.

Will I be back next year? More than likely. I had a very good time!

Mark Your Calendar - Texas Beer Festival May 7

On May 7, you really need to head to the Humble Convention Center for the Texas Beer Festival. Still in the planning stages, the festival will celebrate Texas craft beer in particular, and craft beer in general. "We would like to see a strong support of our local brewers and national craft beer as opposed to blind control of beers sales controlled by mega-corporations that promote their beer through mass media coverage and contracts with grocery stores rather than any basis of sales based on flavor," they say on their website. They are hoping to get every craft beer available in the state there.

Unlike other beer festivals, you will have to pay with "coopuns" (for you Ron White fans), this means you don't have to rush to drink as much as you can in a short time frame. That's good for your liver and good for your criminal record. Their other reason? "The TABC has guns."

So mark your calendars and arrange for baby sitters. Only those 21 and older can get in. And, please, for the love of Ninkasi, please brush up on your beer festival etiquette.

Foam on the Range - Houston, 10/22 - 5-8 pm

A Beer Lover's Celebration with 25 tables featuring over 100 craft brews and a VIP room featuring the finest beers at Foam on the Range. Enjoy live music while sipping and sampling your favorite brews. Interactive games, interesting vendors and concessions fill the experience. Under the Texas skies adjacent to Alamo Draft House at West Oaks Mall at Highway 6 @ Westheimer.

Yellow Cab Designated Driver tickets are $5 and Designated Drivers receive a Kroger gift bag, a bottle of Kroger water, live music and lots of people watching.

Hosted by West Oaks Mall, the event is being held outside on the grassy area behind Alamo Draft House. In case of rain, the event will move indoors so come rain or shine. The entrance fee covers tasting cups, beer, brew knowledge, a Kroger gift bag and Kroger pretzels, a bottle of Kroger water, fun, interactive games and live music. Food is available for purchase and is provided by Rioja Spanish Tapas Restaurant.

Each guest receives 24 beer samples. Additional beer sampling cards are available for $5 each which is good for an additional 12 beer samples.

Last year this event sold out so we encourage guests to get their tickets in advance. Tickets are available online and at the door, but space is limited. Foam on the Range is an element of Zest in the West which provides scholarships to the nonprofit West Houston Leadership Institute.

FOAM on the RANGE is an annual tradition brought to you by Food & Vine Time Productions the producers of Wine & Food Week, Brewmasters International Beer Festival, The Epicurean Adventure at Bayou City Art Festival, Cinco Charities Sip & Stroll and Zest in the West!

Brewers you fill find at Foam on The Range

Ace	Lagunitas
Ace Apple	IPA
Ace Joker	Censored
Ace Pear	Little Sumpin' Sumpin'
	Hop Stoopid
Anchor
Humming Ale	Left Hand
Anchor Steam	Left Hand Milk Stout
Liberty Ale	Twin Sister IPA
Anchor Porter
	Oskar Blues
Avery	Dale's Pale Ale
Avery IPA	Mama's Litle Yella Pils
White Rascal	Old Chub
Ellie's Brown	Gordon
Hog Heaven
	Real Ale
Breckenridge	Fireman's #4
471 IPA	Rio Blanco Pale Ale
Vanilla Porter	Full Moon Pale Rye
Avalanche	Brewhouse Brown
Agave Wheat	Real Ale Oktoberfest
Brooklyn	Ska
Brooklyn Lager	Modus Hoperandi IPA
Brooklyn Brown Ale	Pinstripe Red Ale
Brooklyn Oktoberfest	True Blonde Ale
Local 1
	Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Dogfish	Stone
Punkin	Arrogant Bastard Ale
Indian Brown Ale	Stone IPA
Raison D'Etre	Stone Pale Ale
90 Minute IPA	Smoked Porter
Full Sail	Summit
Sessions	Summit Extra Pale Ale
Sessions Dark	Summit IPA
Sessions IPA	Horizon Red Ale
Sessions Amber	Seasonal Oktoberfest
Great Divide	Victory
Hercules Double IPA	Prima Pilsner
Titan IPA	Hop Devil IPA
	Golden Monkey Triple
	Hop Wallop Strong IPA
Green Mountain Cidery	Green Flash Brewing Company
Woodchuck Cider Amber	West Coast IPA
Woodchuck Cider Granny Smith	Hop Head Red Ale
Woodchuck Cider Pear	Trippel Belgian Style Ale
	Barleywine Style Ale
Harpoon
Harpoon IPA	Merchant du Vin
UFO White	Samuel Smith's Nut Brown
UFO Hefe	Samuel Smith's Organic lager
Harpoon Cider	Lademan's Framboise
	Ayinger Brau-Weisse
Artisinal Imports	Ayinger Oktoberfest
Xingu
Hobgoblin	Unibroue
North Coast Old Rasputin	La Fin Du Monde
	Ephemere
Belukus	Maudite
Wells & Young's Chocolate Stout	Trois Pistoles
Wells & Young's Banana Bread
Blache De Bruxelles
Hopus
Duvel
Duvel
Maredsous Brune
Ommegang Witte
Houblon Chouffe

If you go, make sure to drink some for me!

From my Memoirs

As I was gathering my notes from NHC and putting into something of a publishable form, I recounted my experience at Pro Night. In my notes was something that has bothered me about every beer festival, so I thought I would post it here and then ask for some input.

All 1300 attendees were standing five deep at the tables around the ball room where the beer was. We made a circle around the inner perimeter, fought our way to the front of a couple of lines, then said, “Fuck it!” and retired to our room.

At this juncture, allow me to propose a rule of ettiquette when you attend a beer festival: STEP AWAY FROM THE FUCKING BAR!!

Remember there are people behind you. After you get your beer, if you must ask questions, make them short and sweet. For example, “This is a nice beer. Would you consider helping brew something like it? May I email you?” Get the card then STEP AWAY FROM THE FUCKING BAR!

And don't simply turn and take a step to talk to your friends, who have formed a large circle in front of the table. We're not attackers. You don't have to circle the wagons to defend the jockey box. Take ten steps from the bar so other people can have some beer. We will leave you some. Just STEP AWAY FROM THE FUCKING BAR!

What would you add to a Beer Festival Etiquette list? Post your thoughts in the comments.

Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg this weekend

Join us in celebrating the fun and flavor of Fredericksburg's German heritage! Two stages of entertainment including oompah, waltzes, polkas, contests, and dancers; a variety of authentic German food and multiple varieties of cold drinks; 40 artisans; Kinderpark for the kids; souvenirs galore, and much more!

Friday: 6PM – Midnight,
Saturday: 10AM – Midnight,
Sunday: 10AM - 6PM

Adults $6, Kids 6-12 $1, under 6 - free. 2-day passes are $10 per person and are available for Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday. 3-day passes are $15 per person. Tickets can be ordered through the mail with check or money order -- please indicate which days (Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun) if you are ordering two-day passes. Make checks payable to Oktoberfest and mail to PO Box 222, Fredericksburg, Texas 78624.

Tickets can also be purchased online.

This year, we've added a Texas Beer section. Blanco's Real Ale Brewing Company will be pouring Fireman's #4, and their Oktoberfest. Austin's Independence Brewing Company will be pouring their Pale ale and the Brown Ale. We contacted (512) Brewing Company, Live Oak Brewing Company, and Franconia Brewing Company but due to the way Oktoberfest is operated, it was logistically impossible for them to participate. Maybe next year. Rahr and Sons Brewing Company never returned our call and apparently does not have a distributor in this area. Also on tap will be Saint Arnold Oktoberfest, Shiner Bock and Shiner 100, and Lone Star and Lone Star Light.

Brew B Que Festival - 5/9

Listen to live music, sample beers from Austin and Regional brewers, eat Bar-B-Que from Central Texas' great restaurants, Compete in games of skill. Watch the lumberjack show consisting of chainsaw racing, obstacle pole racing, world champion cross-cut sawing, log rolling, spring board chopping, standing block chopping, underhand chopping and more. Catch Austin's first ever chihuahua races, or be a part of the backyard BBQ challenge by bringing out your pit and team to show off your grilling skills and be a part of a documentary film on BBQ and brewing techniques.

Austin's Independence Brewing, Live Oak Brewing, and (512) Brewing will all be there. Why not you. Advance tickets are on sale now.

Austin Beer Festival

Far be it from me to spread speculation and rumor, but Craft Austin posted a link to this site with the comment: "Hmmmmm..."

Note to self: Keep May 9, 2009 open.