Vermont Brewers Festival July 17 & 18, 2009
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OP
OP
No one? Will I be the only one there? How lonely... 
OP
OP
Started off with a tour of Magic Hat. Liked their Hefe, IPA and #9 (better than it was 10 years ago). The wife liked the new Rice Lager and Single Seat PA.
Went to the Vermont Brew Pub. Found out it's owned by Greg Noonan! The cask Smoked Stout was superb! Their Hefe has some sour mash wheat in it. Very good. Had several other partial sour mashed beers also. Nice place...
Went to the Vermont Brew Pub. Found out it's owned by Greg Noonan! The cask Smoked Stout was superb! Their Hefe has some sour mash wheat in it. Very good. Had several other partial sour mashed beers also. Nice place...
Ben25
Well-Known Member
I had to work last night, didn't get done til 9, and I have to work today, but I should be there tonight..
Ben25
Well-Known Member
Well, the earliest I could get there was 6 which is when the last session started, and the line was about half a mile long, so I decided to go to the Three Needs instead...
OP
OP
Loved Allagash Tripel, Smuttynose Baltic Porter, Dogfish Head India Brown and Lawson's Chinook IPA and Farmhouse Rye Saison
Wanted to go, but too busy this year. The smoked stout was an inspiration for my American Smoked Stout; I'd LOVE, LOVE, LOVE LOVE LOVE to try that beer on cask.
I have been thinking about going up for this with the added bonus that my wife went to St Mike's so she knows the area really well... but I've heard it is insanely way over crowded to the point that it is almost not fun to go to.
Is that really the case? With half mile long lines and most of the bere being gone by the last session it sounds like it is unfortunately.
Is that really the case? With half mile long lines and most of the bere being gone by the last session it sounds like it is unfortunately.
Hotspur
Well-Known Member
Well Cape, you missed it this year, it was this past weekend.
That said, I went to the Saturday afternoon session, and it was a blast. The line for buying tickets and the line for having tickets to get in were about 100 yards long, but moved reasonably quickly, and there was plenty of space inside the area. There were definitely more breweries this year than before, so it people distributed out pretty well. I avoided the places with the longest lines easily - why do I need a sample of Sam Adams, Magic Hat, Long Trail or Harpoon? I can buy those, and have had 90% of their offerings. Going with the small breweries gets you faster service. A couple of places like Hopfenstark didn't have any lines when I was at their booth.
The real trick is to get a sample and find a new line BEFORE you start drinking your sample! There's no need to mill about in the center drinking and stand in line with an empty glass! I easily used all of my tickets, and three of my friend's because he's not used to ~40oz in one afternoon. It's about pacing, food and water.
I forget who had it, but SOMEONE had a Black Spiced Wit, that reminded me of Biermuncher's Wit with some roasted barley. Oh man that was good.
That said, I went to the Saturday afternoon session, and it was a blast. The line for buying tickets and the line for having tickets to get in were about 100 yards long, but moved reasonably quickly, and there was plenty of space inside the area. There were definitely more breweries this year than before, so it people distributed out pretty well. I avoided the places with the longest lines easily - why do I need a sample of Sam Adams, Magic Hat, Long Trail or Harpoon? I can buy those, and have had 90% of their offerings. Going with the small breweries gets you faster service. A couple of places like Hopfenstark didn't have any lines when I was at their booth.
The real trick is to get a sample and find a new line BEFORE you start drinking your sample! There's no need to mill about in the center drinking and stand in line with an empty glass! I easily used all of my tickets, and three of my friend's because he's not used to ~40oz in one afternoon. It's about pacing, food and water.
I forget who had it, but SOMEONE had a Black Spiced Wit, that reminded me of Biermuncher's Wit with some roasted barley. Oh man that was good.
Yeah I know I missed it... a couple guys from my HBC go every year. I was just saying in general I've thought about going up.
I've been to beer fests so I agree with the strategies.. I had just heard that the event has a bit of a reputation for being absolutely packed. One of the guys in my HBC knows several of the brewers up there really well and gets a lot of behind-the-table opportunities to sit and talk with the brewers. He's been going up there since the thing started. He was saying last year was terrible because they sold about twice as many tickets as the place could realistically hold.
I was just curious of that was the case again this year or if it was managed better... and if it was, maybe I'll head up next year.
I've been to beer fests so I agree with the strategies.. I had just heard that the event has a bit of a reputation for being absolutely packed. One of the guys in my HBC knows several of the brewers up there really well and gets a lot of behind-the-table opportunities to sit and talk with the brewers. He's been going up there since the thing started. He was saying last year was terrible because they sold about twice as many tickets as the place could realistically hold.
I was just curious of that was the case again this year or if it was managed better... and if it was, maybe I'll head up next year.
Hotspur
Well-Known Member
I feel like this year was better in terms of number of people, there were more breweries, food and vendors. Though, the promise of rain may have kept a few people away but it still seemed full without feeling like sardines. Part of that may be going to the afternoon session, but I think I like that better because a) it was warmer, and b) you can walk up to Church St and get a normal dinner, not just late night fare.
They also did a DD promotion this year, which I don't remember from prior years.
They also did a DD promotion this year, which I don't remember from prior years.
Cool, thanks... maybe I'll check it out next year.
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