chazwicke
05-25-2003, 02:25 PM
I am curious to see which beer festivals everyone enjoys most. While I have attended many I enjoyed the Miami International Festival early this year the best. It was In South Beach right on the beach and the weather was 80 degrees. A very nice change
from the cold DC weather. But what drew me to make the trek was the promise of 64 cask ales from the UK. This was the largest gathering of these cask ales ever put together in the USA. They were handled properly and were kept in a temperature controlled tent. I was not dissappointed. I spent the better part of two days in this tent. In addition to the fine real ales was the Belgian tent. The Oud Beersel beers were outstanding. They had a Gueze and a Kreik that I loved. (I have since heard that this brewery has ceased brewing. I hope it is not true!). There were many beers there that I had not sampled before. This is part of why I enjoyed it. Most of the local fests in my area seem to always feature the same breweries and many of the same beers over and over again. While I dearly love some of those fine brews, I enjoy trying new ones from different breweries. Of course I realize that a local fest is just that, a place to highlight the local breweries. I also realize that it is often hard for brewers to transport and handle thier beer more than regionally. So it is a pleasure to travel to other areas to get the variety that I seek. I have a few coming up this summer but I am most looking forward to the Great British Beer Festival in London in August. Did any of you attend the Miami Fest? What did you think? Anyone else going to the GBBF? What are some of the better festivals that you have attended and would recommend? Are they crowded? Is it difficult to get a sample? Long lines? Anyone been to the cask ale gathering in Chicago? Any recommendations or warnings?
from the cold DC weather. But what drew me to make the trek was the promise of 64 cask ales from the UK. This was the largest gathering of these cask ales ever put together in the USA. They were handled properly and were kept in a temperature controlled tent. I was not dissappointed. I spent the better part of two days in this tent. In addition to the fine real ales was the Belgian tent. The Oud Beersel beers were outstanding. They had a Gueze and a Kreik that I loved. (I have since heard that this brewery has ceased brewing. I hope it is not true!). There were many beers there that I had not sampled before. This is part of why I enjoyed it. Most of the local fests in my area seem to always feature the same breweries and many of the same beers over and over again. While I dearly love some of those fine brews, I enjoy trying new ones from different breweries. Of course I realize that a local fest is just that, a place to highlight the local breweries. I also realize that it is often hard for brewers to transport and handle thier beer more than regionally. So it is a pleasure to travel to other areas to get the variety that I seek. I have a few coming up this summer but I am most looking forward to the Great British Beer Festival in London in August. Did any of you attend the Miami Fest? What did you think? Anyone else going to the GBBF? What are some of the better festivals that you have attended and would recommend? Are they crowded? Is it difficult to get a sample? Long lines? Anyone been to the cask ale gathering in Chicago? Any recommendations or warnings?