World Beer Festival--Raleigh

[Baron von BeeGee]

Let me try to think of what might be an appropriate place to eat downtown. There is also Lower Glenwood which there is a free trolley to (or used to be), but I don't actually know what time it starts running. I'll poke around and report back.

My pregnant wife is dropping me off and picking me up, so I'll be playing dinner by ear...pretty much depends on her schedule.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Bummer...according to the City of Raleigh the free trolley doesn't go to Lower Glenwood anymore (plus it starts at 5:30pm). They may be wrong (I'd say 50/50), but it would be possible to walk it.

There are a number of restaurants right at Moore Square where the festival is. Tir na Nog is an Irish bar that fronts the square, but I haven't been there in years. There are some restaurants in City Market @ Moore Square that may be appropriate. Greenshields used to be there before it burned

Lower Glenwood is a good option for just walking around and there are plenty of restaurants and bars. The Hibernian (Irish pub, pretty good food) is there, as well as the Mellow Mushroom which is a kind of hippy pizza place (really good pizza, not like Dominos or something) with a nice beer selection, including NC brews. There's also a good burger place with beer, depending on how tastes run.

Cameron Village which is in the NC State area (would require a cab or driving, though it's not really very far) has the Village Drafthouse which has a pretty good draft selection and decent food. Plus there are a gazillion shops/boutiques there if that would appeal to some of the participants...

I imagine we can sort it out tomorrow.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

At the risk of being accused of posting diarrhea, I decided to check out the music scene this weekend. There's not much, and the main venue downtown is sold out Saturday night, anyways. But there is the Pour House which is also on Moore Square: http://www.the-pour-house.com/
Doors open at 4 for a free show at 4:30. I've never heard of the group, looks like rockabilly. They also have 30 taps if anybody's up to that after 4 hours of free sampling.

Here's one of the better downtown guides:
http://www.downtownraleigh.com/

 

[sailman]

looking forward to meeting everyone on saturday!

 

[Dude]

Dude, you will not be allowed to bring that inside the festival. From the festival website FAQ:

Q: Can I bring my own food or beverages into the festival?
A: No, no outside food or beverage is allowed

​

I'd hate for you to have to dump your last 2L of Lake Walk.



-walker

Yeah, that's why it would behoove everyone to try to meet up in the hotel parking lot or in line. If everyone meets up afterward, then I'll just keep it in a cooler. If we do meet up in line, then I have no problem putting the carbonator cap in my pocket and dumping the remainder of the LWPA. I want it gone so I can do v.5.
And besides, what better than to get a head start before the fest?

Plus--remember, I have beer for all of you (sailman and blg, you have to share it!)--so we need to swap it at some point. I will definitely have a bottle of LPR, a honey wheat, and a couple honey pale ales. I'm not ready to bottle the IHA yet. It needs some time. Also, if anyone wants one of the last bottles of Snatch Patch, let me know so I can bring one for you. Keep in mind it has some oxidation but it is still a pretty good IPA.

As for you guys--I'm up for sampling anything you can bring. If it is in bottles but not quite ready, bring some and I'll drink it when you give the go-ahead.

Can't wait!

 

[Kaiser]

It doesn't matter to me where we hook up. I do like the idea of meeting at the Rogue tent though if things get messed up.

Dude, you need to meet up with me outside since I have your tickets

Kai

 

[Dude]

Dude, you need to meet up with me outside since I have your tickets

Kai

True that.

How (and when) are you getting there? I can give you a ring on your cell when we get close--if we have time maybe we can meet at the hotel.

Whateva is fine with me!!

 

[Kaiser]

My wife will be so nice to drop me off and pick me up. I plan to be at the hotel at 11:30a. What is the name and the address of the hotel?

Dude, I sent you a PM regarding the tickets.

Kai

 

[Walker]

Yeah, that's why it would behoove everyone to try to meet up in the hotel parking lot or in line. If everyone meets up afterward, then I'll just keep it in a cooler. If we do meet up in line, then I have no problem putting the carbonator cap in my pocket and dumping the remainder of the LWPA. I want it gone so I can do v.5.
And besides, what better than to get a head start before the fest?

I've got a babysitter arriving at 10:45 tomorrow, so we should be able to get out of here by 11am. I only live 9 miles north of the festival, so I should be able to meet up in line. I'll make some calls when I get downtown to figure out who is where.

Plus--remember, I have beer for all of you (sailman and blg, you have to share it!)--so we need to swap it at some point. I will definitely have a bottle of LPR, a honey wheat, and a couple honey pale ales. I'm not ready to bottle the IHA yet. It needs some time. Also, if anyone wants one of the last bottles of Snatch Patch, let me know so I can bring one for you. Keep in mind it has some oxidation but it is still a pretty good IPA.

Bring me some snatch, baby!

I'll try whatever you've got.

As for you guys--I'm up for sampling anything you can bring. If it is in bottles but not quite ready, bring some and I'll drink it when you give the go-ahead.

I just stuck a couple of mixed six packs in the fridge. 2 bottles of every batch of homebrew I have in the house. One six pack is for Dude (and I even found a bottle of my wretched Fat Tire for you, since you asked for it... you have been warned.) The other six pack is for blg and sailman. I can try to make a third six-pack, but I know for sure that I am out of 12oz bottles of my porter and one version of my IPA.


The only beer in my signature that I am not bringing is the one currently sitting in the primary.

-walker

 

[Walker]

we're going to have to start a thread to critique each other's brews after the festival and brew-swap.

-walker

 

[Dude]

we're going to have to start a thread to critique each other's brews after the festival and brew-swap.

-walker

Definitely. And I'm serious, I don't want any smokescreens either. I want you guys to tell me what is wrong with them. That's me though.

 

[SwAMi75]

Man, I wish I could make it!!!!! Post pics!

 

[Walker]

Definitely. And I'm serious, I don't want any smokescreens either. I want you guys to tell me what is wrong with them. That's me though.

I'm have the same opinion. If it tastes bad, I want to know.

-walker

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I don't have much bottled at the moment, but I'll bring what I've got. That means a premature Weizenbock and possibly the over-oaked stout.

Dude, I've got a couple cd's for you.

 

[sailman]

i think there was a good time had by all.. it was good to meet everyone.. i enjoyed hanging out afterwards and getting to know everyone.. hopefully we can all get together again..

thanks for the beer swaps..ill owe the group some beer when mine is ready..

just noticed the field behind me is corn this year.. anyone need some flaked maize come fall?

 

[Dude]

Yeah, what an awesome time! Good group of people and I know we (Les and I) had so much fun.

I died fro the evening at like 6:30 PM! I woke up once to get some water and Ibu and then went back to bed.

I still had a great time even if we didn't make it out afterwards. I guess that mid shift kicked my ass!

It was still great to meet you guys though.

Oh yeah, most of the beer was great too!!!!! Except for Kai being a DMS magnet!

When we get home later I'll post my mini-review. I have to gt my favoritesdown in this thread. I had some awesome brews-mostly from local NC breweries--amazing.

 

[Kaiser]

Guys, gal,

I had a very good time at the festival. Besides some good breweries there, I tasted a few really crappy micro brew beers that day

I like the idea of the beer swap critique. Right now I'm not feeling about drinking any beer, but that should change by the afternoon

Kai​

 

[BeerLuvnGrl]

i had a great time too! it was alot of fun.. though i tasted some pretty nasty beer.. i sure tasted some good stuff too..needless to say a raspberry wheat is in my NEAR future..

i got to broaden my tastes on some beers i had never tried and found that stouts are pretty good.. i know now that my caffenine addiction can too be cured with beer! LOL

it was great to meet up with some local peeps and needless to say i pretty much crashed early too.. after workin late and drinkin all day i was tired!

and just so the group knows.. i also woke up to a nice sore butt.. lol.. now everyone knows just how CLUMSY i am!

cant wait to break into some of the brew we got and cant wait to be able to share some of ours when its ready!

btw.. who ever has pics.. i wanna see!

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Man, I'm still paying and I've got a soccer game at some point today. When they shuffled us out of the festival at 4 I felt like it was too soon. However, after hitting the Pour House in route to the Mexican in route to the Flying Saucer I think I pretty much had my fill.

Sorry I missed the beer swapping...I think it's still in the back of my wife's car. PM me your address, Dude, and I'll get you the discs if not the beer, as well.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Damn I'm so jealous! I told SWMBO about all you guys meeting up for the festival, and her response was "You can go next year. Now come back to bed with me and the bikini model we picked up at the mall."

Well, she said one of those things...

 

[Walker]

Let me just say a fewthings:

(1) I had a freeking blast. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and at least 75% of the beer they tried.

(2) you are all lightweights. I had to scoot home at 6pm to do the parent thing, but was raring to go again at about 8:30pm. I sent a few text messages trying to see if anyone was up for some late-night beers, but everyone had crashed! Granted, Dude was running on next to ZERO sleep, and Billy seemed to be on a 4 mile sprint pace rather than a 26 mile marathon pace, and Kai had Parent duties to attend to. I lost track of Beerlvngrl and sailman...

(3) NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS
I had a slight sore throat that started last night at about 10pm. When I woke up this morning, it hurt so bad I couldn't swallow anything. I just got back from the Dr a few minutes ago and have found out that I have Strep Throat. Now, there was a lot of sample sharing and passing around of glasses yesterday, so... I apologize, but I might have infected some or all of you. Please keep close attention to your throats. At the first sign of pain, get yer butt to a Dr. I'm really really sorry.

Needless to say, but I won't be sampling any beer for a few days, so my review of Dude's beers is going to take a few days to assemble.

EDIT: dude, I am not certain what beers I have in what bottles. The SNP and HPA are labeled on the caps, but what's in the flippie, and what's in the stone IPA bottle with the "HOOCH BREWS" cap on it?

Beerlvngrl and sailman, did you guys manage to hook up with Dude after I left? I gave him a mixed 6-pack for you but I don't know if Dude just made off with a half-case of my homebrew or whether he split it with you.

Again, I had a GREAT time and wished the day could have lasted a lot longer. Maybe we can all do the WBF in Durham in the fall, and we'll get tickets for BOTH sessions this time.

-walker

 

[Dude]

EDIT: dude, I am not certain what beers I have in what bottles. The SNP and HPA are labeled on the caps, but what's in the flippie, and what's in the stone IPA bottle with the "HOOCH BREWS" cap on it?

The grolsch type bottle has LPR in it. Coffee Toffee MIlk Stout. As I mentioned before, that might be a little oxideized, as it is getting old, but it was okay in its time.

The Stone bottles are both Honey Pale Ale. I'd recommend aging them for a few weeks, that is a pretty green beer. I have it on tap right now and it is getting better.

Beerlvngrl and sailman, did you guys manage to hook up with Dude after I left? I gave him a mixed 6-pack for you but I don't know if Dude just made off with a half-case of my homebrew or whether he split it with you.

I definitely delivered it.

Again, I had a GREAT time and wished the day could have lasted a lot longer. Maybe we can all do the WBF in Durham in the fall, and we'll get tickets for BOTH sessions this time.

-walker

I am definitely game for the Durham fest. And both sessions too. Leslie and I were just talkign about that on the ride home today.

We had an absolute blast!

Walker, sorry about your sickness. Neither of us are displaying any signs. *crosses fingers*

 

[Walker]

The grolsch type bottle has LPR in it. Coffee Toffee MIlk Stout. As I mentioned before, that might be a little oxideized, as it is getting old, but it was okay in its time.

The Stone bottles are both Honey Pale Ale. I'd recommend aging them for a few weeks, that is a pretty green beer. I have it on tap right now and it is getting better.

I was wrong about my initial description of what kinds of bottles I had. i actually have:

1 flippie = LPR
1 plain bottle with cap labeled = SPA
1 plain bottle with cap labeled = HPA
1 stone bottle with cap labeled = HPA
1 sam adams bottle with Hooch Brews cap = honey wheat???

 

[Dude]

1 sam adams bottle with Hooch Brews cap = honey wheat???

Yep...honey wheat.

While I'm thinking about it--guys, give those honey wheats another week to make sure it is carbonated all the way.

 

[sailman]

well neither of us are sick..we will keep our fingers crossed and make sure we think positive thoughts! hopefully all the alcohol killed anything

and.. did yall see what beerluvngrl and I bought off ebay today? going friday to get it .. sounds like a sh!t load of stuff.. needless to say we will be keggin now!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4458325673&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

for those that bought tickets for the kegerator.. guess who won it? ......







not me.. lol

 

[Walker]

sweet deal, sailman!


I wanted to tell anyone who was NOT at the festival, yet is following this thread, that the biggest "WTF Were They Thinking?" award goes to New Belgian Brewery. That company does NOT distribute east of the mississippi, but that came to uour Beer Festival.

Guess what the did NOT bring with them?

Yup... No Fat Tire. WTFWTT?!

-walker

 

[Dude]

I wanted to tell anyone who was NOT at the festival, yet is following this thread, that the biggest "WTF Were They Thinking?" award goes to New Belgian Brewery. That company does NOT distribute east of the mississippi, but that came to uour Beer Festival.

Guess what the did NOT bring with them?

Yup... No Fat Tire. WTFWTT?!

-walker

Yeah, that blows me away. You don't bring your signature beer to a place that is begging for distribution of it on the east coast?

I'm sending New Belgium a dingbat stick for that gaff.

 

[Kaiser]

I wanted to tell anyone who was NOT at the festival, yet is following this thread, that the biggest "WTF Were They Thinking?" award goes to New Belgian Brewery. That company does NOT distribute east of the mississippi, but that came to uour Beer Festival.

As much as I heard about them, I was VERY disapoited when I had one of their Ales, I'm not sure about the name, and it was tasteless and out of balance. It tasted empty with the a hint of roased grains. Pretty much like a little bit of stout mixed with Bud.

Kai

 

[sailman]

we gotta agree the new belgium was NASTY!!!

but well we spoke way too soon.. guess who really DID win the kegerator??












oh yea.. WE DID!!!!! life is good!!!
got the call from Mark around 7 tonight!!!

 

[Walker]

we gotta agree the new belgium was NASTY!!!

but well we spoke way too soon.. guess who really DID win the kegerator?? \

oh yea.. WE DID!!!!! life is good!!!
got the call from Mark around 7 tonight!!!

Lucky dog!


Then again, how many times did you enter the raffle?