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Nightstalker

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Can some one please explain WHY at a LOCAL Nashville TENNESSEE!!!!!!!! brewfest the LOCAL NASHVILLE TENNESSEE!!! and surrounding TENNESSEE!!!!!!!! breweries are NOT going to be at, NOR supporting the LOCAL brewfest. Do not get me wrong, I understand that there is probably little to no if not a loss of money at these brewfest BUT, how much money is spent already on marketing. And how much of a loss is it when you get a chance to talk DIRECTLY to the LOCAL people of YOUR HOME STATE. Including some that have had NO idea you are around. For instance I am M'boro native and I find it hard to believe that (for instance) Mayday,, or lets say Jackalope who has been around for a short while could not use the HEY HERE WE ARE AND WE SUPPORT YOU TENNESSEANS. Those two could use the publicity as Mayday is new and Jackalope has got a few beers that I (now) like and maybe some do not know about.

I am sorry but this stings a little and this is coming from a guy that not only brews his own BUT STILL buys LOCAL breweries beer. Kind of a slap in the face and I hope this does not effect them as much as I am betting it does but, I can say I have talked to a few and this is not a well liked topic. I have already heard and seen that post have been deleted from FB about this subject. :mad:

Either way and on a more positive note, I am still going to go and support this local even soooo, is anyone going to the brewfest??? If so I am going to the 12-4 .. let me know if you are and I would love to meet up with some of you fine beer drinker/brewers. ;) :mug:
 
I assume you're talking about the Music City Brewer's Festival. I'll just assume it's because all the beers listed come from the same one or two distributors. You are getting like every brewery in North Alabama so at least there's that. Plus Doesn't the Nashville Beer Fest have all the local guys? And then the 12 South Winter Warmer, isn't that more an independently run deal?

We have four(?) Fests here annually. Depending on the distributors sponsoring them, one might be the BMC fest, the other might be everything we already can buy locally fest. Then there's the one independently (ie. not by a distributor) festival that reaches out to breweries that don't currently have a distributor here.

Each one has it's pros and cons. Kinda like beer ;)
 
The Music City Brewer's Festival is a joke. It is a frat boy drunk fest and not a craft brewers festival. I applaud the local craft brewers for not giving it any support.

If you want a quality festival that is supported by local brewers try http://tnstatefair.org/tasteoftn/ The taste of Tennessee is being put on with great support from and participation from pretty much all the Tennessee breweries and the Tennessee Craft Brewers Guild.

Besides that we have the East Nashville Beer Festival, Nashville Brew at the Zoo, and the Winter Warmer. All of those festivals are far superior to the Music City Brewers Festival. I paid to get in one year and worked it one other year and will not bother wasting my time or money on it again.
 
You are correct Tug. And while we do have others the Music City Brewfest seems to bring in more people from all over versus just local people. At least that has been my observation.

Jason, to say one brewfest is a joke and then reference another as a quality one that NO one has experienced yet, that my friend is the joke LOL. This is the inaugural year for Taste Of TN brewfest. Regardless IMHO most festivals are the same. Some people come to try brews they never have. Others come to get drunk off of whatever offerings are there. For the people that like to try new things, I saw the lack of support from the TN brewers as piss poor judgement. Especially when the Music City seems to, as I said, get more non-local people.
 
I know who is running it and I know the Tennessee breweries that will be attending/supporting it. You are correct though, it has not taken place yet. I have no doubts it will be successful and I know the Music City Brewer's Festival is a failure on most points. The Music City festival is run by a radio and communications conglomerate with the support of a local pizza restaurant. There are no distributors listed as sponsors for that festival. In comparison 4 of the major distributors in the area are sponsors of the East Nashville Festival and most other festivals put on by the promoter behind them. Why would breweries go out of their way to give away beer at a poorly executed festival that is not necessarily their target audience?

The last time I was at the Music City Festival there were no actual brewers and very few brewery or distribution personnel representing their brands. The people pouring had little to no idea what they were even pouring. I stand behind my previous comments. If the festival is not worth my time and money as a craft brew fan and consumer I certainly do not consider it worth a breweries time and money.

My experience is different than yours. I attend at least 4 festivals a year and while there are always a few folks that have a few to many ounces the Music City Brewers Fest is the only one that seemed to have throngs of 20 somethings bouncing off railings and stumbling into people. A fair number of times I witnessed people who were only drinking one type of beer because that particular booth/table was pouring full pints so they could drink more. There were many comments made about tiny tasting pours and the typical comment of "I need a real beer, I can't get drunk on this 2 oz crap". Volunteer staff without good guidance and oversight will pour more than is permitted and will in many cases bend to the pressure of the festival goers. After all it is not their beer and not their festival, why would they put up with the hassle or face conflict with a drunk patron.
 
Hey Jason, do you go to the early or late run of the Music City one? I have heard the late one is exactly as you said, a bunch of people that are there for one thing, to get drunk. Chicks dancing all over the place (I do like the thought of that though ;) ), people making out, throwing up, yadda yadda yadda. The day show seems more about people who enjoy beer. I have only been to the day sessions so I have nothing to compare to but I met a good amount of people that had serious knowledge of beer and enjoyed talking about it. I will also agree that it is a drawback that the brewers are not there. I did meat a few, but only from the up and coming/newer breweries if you will. All of those guys were quite pleasant and energetic about their brews. I am not, by any means, saying you are wrong that the Music City Brewfest needs some work when it comes to making it about the beer, instead of the buzz, I just think it may have been a bad choice on the local breweries to skip out on this one. I talked to a few people while I was there and it was brought up that none of the "bigger" brewers were there. I think you would agree that the Music City draws on a big crowd. Now, is that the crowd you want, I would guess in your eyes no. butin mine, its a mixture which I believe will always be the case when you are having a festival that involves alot of alcohol. But regardless they missed out to show off their beers, and I am sure they will be at the Nashville Beer fest, I know they are scheduled to be at Chattanooga's brewfest and those in my opinion, feel the same as the Music City IMHO.
 
I have been to both the day and the evening session. The day session did have less of the drunk frat boy crowd but it still had some. The biggest problem with the day session is the oppressive heat. The year I made the day session I had to drink more water than beer, it was miserable.
 
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