world expo of beer 2012 who's going?

May 18-19th. Frankenmuth MI, the annual world expo of beer. Hosted right behind the Bavarian inn. Breweries from all over Michigan as well as some larger breweries in the country. Over 150 beer as well as "alternative" beverages...IE malt liquor and adult energy drinks. This will be my 4th year and it is a hell of a time. They do homebrew demonstrations too. Most of the hotels in frankenmith and birch run are giving free shuttle rides to and from the event. Tickets are like 15.00 and come with a nice plastic mug and 8 drink tickets....more can be bought inside.

So, who's going?

Tough crowd

I'll definitely be going to the homebrew competition awards ceremony on March 4th to see how I did. If I get the $1,000 gift certificate grand prize, it will be the happiest day of my life - hello, free conical! I wish I could also go on the 3rd to see John Palmer speak, but I am stuck working. Still not sure if I'll be able to get to the expo, but I'm sure gonna try. I am origionally from the Flint area, but I live across the state in Kalamazoo now so I don't get back that way as often as I'd like. Did you enter anything in the comp?

Do they have any brewers guild beerfests out that way? Its kind of weird isn't it? Half the breweries involved in michigans 5 biggest beerfests all come from the west coast yet all of them are held on the east.

The only brewer's guild festival on the west side is up in Grand Rapids every winter. Not sure why all the beer events seem to take place on the east side of the state, considering all the biggest and best breweries are on the west. I know there are a few good breweries in the Detroit area, but nothing that compares to Bell's, Arcadia, Founders, New Holland, Brewery Vivant, or Dark Horse. Honestly, the only east side brewery that I consider to be anything special is Jolly Pumpkin. The rest of the Detroit area breweries I could take or leave.

raptorvan said:

Do they have any brewers guild beerfests out that way? Its kind of weird isn't it? Half the breweries involved in michigans 5 biggest beerfests all come from the west coast yet all of them are held on the east.

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I believe but am not positive that there are four Brewers guild events in a calendar year. Marquette, Detroit, Ypsilanti, and Grand Rapids. There are a few other large brew fests scattered around such as Frankenmuth, Crystal Mtn. on Memorial Sat, then the two put on by Porterhouse Productions in Feb and Aug in Traverse City.
And now there are tap take-overs, beer tastings, bus tours, brewery parties, anniversary parties, expansion parties etc. Any reason to consume great Michigan beer there will be a party. And I love it.

wolverinebrewer said:

And now there are tap take-overs, beer tastings.........

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I have been dissapointed in a lot of the "tap takeover" type events I have been to recently. If you're going to call it an "event", how about some different beers?( new beers, experimental beers, etc. )The last couple "tap takeovers" I have been to consist of beers that I can already buy in almost any decent beer store or bar. What's so special about that? Last month, we had "Kalamazoo Beer Week" here, with lots of events, tastings, etc. And I was pretty dissapointed in every one that I went to. Just a few low-level brewery employees passing out samples of beers I have had a hundred times before - whoopee. Nothing new or exciting whatsoever. Brewery Vivant in GR knows how to throw a beer event. They frequently have events where they feature new and interesting beers, barrel aged varieties, food pairings, etc. Just calling something an event doesn't make it so - giving people something new and exciting makes it so.

On that note, i know Ashley's in westland has tap takeovers quite a bit. I know their annual cask ale festival is in my sometime. And of course they do founders day, new Holland day, dark horse day....ive been trying to get myself on.dark horses thirsty trout porter because I THINK i had it once and it was amazing...i cannot be too sure because nobody at the bar could tell.me EXACTLY what they gave me...i only asked because i knew it wasn't what i ordered...but i somehow got it several times.

Ok. Its been a while. Whos goin? Last year we decided it would be a better idea to just stay in the area rather than drive tipsy or have a DD. We got to the hotel in birch run and found out that free shuttles run to amd from all the area hotels all day and night...it was awesome. I left my phone on one and by the time i realized it, it was 5 hours later and i was good and toasted. When we boarded the shuttle back to our hotel we had the same driver and apparantly when he did his once over he found my phone. I gave him a 20.00 gratuity....least i can do for saving my 200.00 phone with my whole life inside.

Anyways, its a great time with great people...and the freakishly large number of smokin hot redheads was a huge plus. I met one from my hometown there and we dated for a couple years.

They have homebrew demos and vendors that are selling or getting their name out there. I talked to a few hop growers that were there. We went the last day and we talked to them all for a long time...walked onto the bus with about 2lbs of hops each. They werent for sale they were for show but the guy didnt want to take them back and had no use for man handled hops...they were leaf hops not pellets...but we did get a few ounce of pellets from one vendor. Lot of good beers came from them.

If you want to go i suggest you buy in asap before the hotels are booked....if they havent been already.

I got an email today that said that ticket sales were going to end on the 8th so get em while they're hot