| Beer festivals seem simple enough. Show up, drink beer, have fun. But if you want to get the most out of a festival, it pays to plan ahead. Here are some suggestions.
1. Create a list – Some beer festivals offer more than 700 different beers. You won’t be able to try them all, so visit the festival’s website, download the list of available beers and create a list of the ones you want to try most. Stick to beers of your favourite style or classic beers you don’t get to try at home. Creating a list and sticking to it will also help to prevent overindulgence.
2. Have a plan – Once you’ve chosen the beers you want to try, put them in order. Many people start with the lighter bodied beers and finish with the fuller bodied beers. But body is a fleeting thing. Hops, on the other hand, linger. Having hoppy beers early will ruin the taste of less hoppy beers later. So start malty and finish hoppy.
3. Pace yourself – The key to enjoying the entire festival, and not just the first half, is to pace yourself. Because you have bitter taste receptors at the back of your mouth and the top of your throat, you should swallow the beer. Don’t spit as wine tasters do (where’s the fun in that anyway?). Know the size of the samples and don’t drink more than the equivalent of one pint per hour. Depending on the sample size and the length of the festival, you can try 30 to 40 beers without the threat of a hangover.
4. Bring water – You can’t buy beer; you can only rent it. Beer is a diuretic and keeping hydrated is important. Water is also useful in cleansing your palate. Many festivals will provide water, but not all will and you don’t want to be without it. If water is provided, try to drink as much of it as you do beer. If water isn’t provided, bring as much as you feel comfortable with and spread it out over the length of the day.
Beer festivals are the best way to learn about the incredible diversity of beer while simultaneously comparing the subtle intricacies of similar styles. Mark these festivals in your calendar.
Calgary Real Ale Festival – This year’s Real Ale Festival will be held on Saturday, May 1 at Brew Brothers Brewery and Taproom (607 - 11th Ave. S.W.). What this festival lacks in choice, it makes up for in quality. To qualify for the festival, the beers must be real ales and many are brewed specifically for the festival. This is your best chance to judge the artistry of Alberta brewers.
Great Canadian Beer Festival – Held in Victoria, B.C. each year, the GCBF (www.gcbf.com) has recently moved to an outdoor format at the beginning of September and offers more than 150 different beers. All are microbrewed and Canadian and Pacific Northwest American beers are emphasized.
Great British Beer Festival – Everything is expensive in London, England… except beer. Held each August at the Olympia, the GBBF (www.camra.org.uk) features more than 700 cask-conditioned real ales and a foreign beer bar offering several hundred more classic beers in bottles.
Oregon Brewers Festival – In Tom McCall Waterfront Park each year in Portland, Oregon, the OBF (www.oregonbrewfest.com) is held on the last full weekend of July. Exclusively American microbreweries are offered with an emphasis on those from the Pacific Northwest. Americans are not known for their subtlety and the Pacific Northwest in particular is known for "extreme" beers – those with high levels of alcohol (up to 24 per cent) and/or high levels of hops. Full-flavoured beers mixed with no admission charge, outdoor air and beautiful scenery is a recipe for a great time. |
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