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2. Beers with the longest queues which indicate a ‘hype’ beer or limited- edition release. Breweries advertise when a beer is being tapped and the queue starts building hours in advance. While this strategy ensures you’ll taste the hype beers, you’ll spend a lot of time queueing and less time sampling and if you wish to pursue this option it’s best navigated with a buddy who can stand in the queue while you sample something nearby and vice versa. 3. Medal-winning beers. The Heavy Medal booth is where gold medal winners from past Great American Beer Festivals and World Beer Cups are poured and it’s worth seeking out. Then, as soon as the winners are announced be ready to seek out the winning beers (and be quick, they go fast!). 4. Beers with witty, creative or entertaining names. Such names can include: ‘Chai Ai Captain,’ gold medal winner in the herb and spice category, the dark lager ‘Flek Me??? No Fleck You!!’ or rye beer, ‘Steamy Wonder’. The list is endless but requires dedication and pre-planning! 5. Experimental beers. For example, Belching Beavery Brewery’s Tropical Terps, brewed with “terpenes”, aromatic compounds naturally found in citrus fruits, pine trees, hops, and cannabis (although the terpenes used in this beer were not derived from cannabis!). It’s always fascinating to discover how American craft brewers are pushing the boundaries of creativity and experimentation. Alternatively: Don’t have a plan and simply go with the flow! After three days of judging the Great American Beer Festival competition and three days at the Festival, it was an honour and a privilege to sample some of the best American craft beers on offer. Should you find them in your market, be sure to try them! Lotte Peplow is the American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe for the Brewers Association and is based in London, UK. She is a Certified Cicerone ® , BDI accredited Beer Sommelier, beer writer, author, beer communicator, international beer judge, homebrewer and beer lover. The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for- profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 5,600-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup ® , Great American Beer Festival ® , Craft Brewers Conference ® & BrewExpo America ® , Homebrew ConTM, National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week ® . The BA publishes The New Brewer ® magazine, and Brewers Publications ® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com ® and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association ® and the free Brew Guru ® mobile app. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Issued on behalf of the Brewers Association, 1327 Spruce Street, Boulder, Colorado, 80302 USA. www. brewersassociation.org For further press information: Lotte Peplow: lotte@brewersassociation.org +44 (0)7973 698 414 The Brewers Association publishes a wealth of resources to understand and enjoy craft beer, downloadable free of charge from www.brewersassociation.org ABOUTTHE AUTHOR ABOUT THE BREWERS ASSOCIATION 18 | Summer 2023 | ontapmag.co.za