OnTap Magazine

It takes a special kind of person to put on a beer fest. The logistics are complex (seriously, coordinating a bunch of brewers is like herding cats at thebest of times), and it costs a lot ofmoney up front.Oneway to really support the organiser is to help ease their cash flow burden and attendant sleepless nights by getting your ticket in advance rather than at the door. It’s usually cheaper that way too. True beer fest veterans know the value of arriving at the venue as early as possible. The first couple of hours of any beer fest are usually relatively quiet, which means shorter queues, and more opportunity to spend time at the beer stands. If you’re looking for the chance to chat to the brewers and get to spend some time at each stand, then you’re best off getting there early. Towards the end of the day you may find that the beer stands and the food vendors are running low on stock and you might not get what you wanted if you’re too fashionably late. Possibly the most important point in this list, especially for newbies. Nothing evokes the spirit of celebrating beer more than leather shorts, long socks, a funny hat and suspenders. Or a dirndl! While these iconic German ensembles aren't mandatory, they are definitely recommended. (The author may or may not be entirely serious here). Other classic options include matching shirts for you and your friends, novelty beer shirts/hats and of course brewery merch (which is often available at the fest). Nothing says “I’m a beerfest newbie” more than someone wearing their everyday clothes. While it’s technically true that nobody ends up getting thirsty at a beer festival, that doesn’t mean you shouldn't keep hydrated. Try to have a glass of water between each couple of beers: it’ll help keep you fresh and able to enjoy more pints throughout the day. Your liver will really thank you for it the next day. Keep in mind that it is often strangely difficult to actually get hold of water at a beer fest, so plan ahead and pack a bottle of your own. Festivals are a great place for food and beer pairings - where else will you find so many different beers and so many different food providers in one place? Want a taco and a porter? Do it! A hefeweizen with an ice cream? Why not? You can really get crazy with it. For most of us, the beers themselves are the most exciting thing at a beer fest. I’ve certainly made the mistake of wanting to dedicate all my stomach space for all the brews, so I know first-hand that getting a meal in your stomach will definitely help you to keep things tidy. Also, you’re supporting small businesses by buying from food vendors at the fest. Many brewers tend to bring once-off brews, collabs and specialty beers to festivals. It’s a great opportunity to show off their creativity and expertise and you'll find that brewers are really excited to share these creations with the public. When you attend a fest you’ll have the rare opportunity to try out beers from all over the country that aren’t necessarily easy to get hold of at other times. It’s quite often the brewer themselves who’s pouring your beer for you, so it’s a great opportunity to broaden your beer horizons and get the inside scoop on what you’re tasting. A major highlight of any fest, as mentioned above, is the fact that you get to try out so many interesting beers. Most festivals allow - or even encourage - punters to ask for tasting samples before committing to a pint. You’ll find that the person pouring your beer is usually more than happy to give you a taster, especially if you’re showing interest in what’s being served. What’s not cool though, is only having tasting samples. Yes, it’s quite possible to end up consuming a lot of free beer by starting at one end of the festival and working your way through, having a taster from every tap; but just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. Breweries participate in festivals in order to generate income, and if you’re only going for free samples, you’re denying income to breweries that are likely small, independent and working like hell to be profitable. Some festival organisers elect to sell tokens that are then redeemed at each stand for beers. The last thing you want to do is spend valuable drinking time standing in line for tokens, so try to minimise this by bulk buying them from the token stand just once. Just be sure not to get too carried away, for at some point we have all woken up the day after a fest to find a pint’s worth of now unusable tokens lurking in some unchecked pocket. At festivals where you can pay cash, it helps vendors a lot if you have smaller denomination bills. If you can pay with the exact amount for your beer, even better - it speeds up queues and preserves the seller’s limited reserves of change. You’re going to a beer festival. You’re almost certainly going to have more than one beer. Don’t drive! BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE GET THERE EARLY DRESS THE PART BEER IS NOT THE ONLY BEVERAGE MAKE SPACE FOR LUNCH TIME TO EXPERIMENT TRY, BUT ONLY IF YOU PLAN TO BUY COME UP WITH A PAYMENT PLAN DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT BRINGING YOUR CAR 44 | Summer 2022 | ontapmag.co.za