Indiana Microbrewers Festival 2013: The VIP Experience?

I bet a ton of you saw the ticket price for the VIP experience at the Indiana Microbrewers Festival, and said there is no way it's worth it. This was their first year doing it, and although there were some bumps in the road, it was pretty solid and I would do it again in a heartbeat. As VIPs we got ten limited release beers at two different tappings at 3 and 5, appetizers, early admittance and private bathrooms. I dropped off the Little Lady and Prof Beer to get in line at 1:45, an hour before the event was supposed to start, but only fifteen minutes before VIP and early admission started. Of course I forgot my phone so I had to haul ass back to the car and get it, because it isn't easy to blog, drink and check in to Untappd without your phone. When I got back we realized there was not just the early admittance line, but also a very short VIP line. The experience had begun!

As I was whisked through security and given a glass, I couldn't help but think "damn that worked out great!" but for the next hour that's where the experience stopped. The guys at the gate told me that the first VIP tapping would be at 3 o'clock and we should make our way to the VIP tent to partake, but for the first hour we were free to get as much brew as we could hold!

The beers were outstanding. We were having such a good time at the festival we almost didn't make it to the VIP tent at three. There was no signage to indicate that it was the VIP tent, but it had been marked on our map. Unfortunately for us, everyone else wanted to be there on time for the first tapping. The line went about a hundred feet outside the tent. We waited through it only to find out it was actually the line for food, but no one in the back of the line knew that. It's funny, when a line forms everyone just seems to get in the back and wait. Luckily the appetizer-style food was really tasty and that helped me get over the fact that I had waited in line for ten minutes for food not beer. Lucky for us the beer line was short. The first VIP tapping was a great line up, but most of us were hearing rumors about what the second one would be, and that got everyone excited for 5 o'clock. Three Floyds was really the only big dissapiontment. Their limited special bla..bla...bla release for VIPs, was dreadnaught.

When we came back for the 5 o'clock tapping there was no line. We got in quickly and everything looked clean and much better organized. The only problem was the beers weren't ready until about a quarter after. I know you're thinking ohh poor guy, got VIP tickets, but the festival is so much fun it is hard to miss it, especially when you are missing just to stand in line. Five o'clock beers were outstanding! Food was very good as well. The only problem I saw at five was that they were allowing general admission tickets in to use the bathrooms. I actually left the VIP tent area to find a bathroom with a shorter line.

I talked to Rob from Flat 12 for a little while, and he noticed some of the trouble we were having in the VIP tent. He's looking to clean it up for next year, so everyone should be pumped. These are my suggestions to make the VIP experience better:

1. Tap things on time, and quickly (we think we spent over an hour in the VIP tent and half of that was in line)
2. The brewers were hovering around, have them there officially and let them say something about their awesome creations. These were some of the best brews I've had, let them take some credit for it.
3. More bathrooms, and keep the general public out of them. (again general waiting in line)
4. More notoriety for VIPs, people should be jealous of the VIP ticket holders, so they want to do it next year. If no one sees how cool it is, you'll never get more people paying for the experience 
5. keep up the GREAT BREWS!

My favorite beers of the festival were:

1. Pappy Fog (Velvet Fog aged in Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon barrels) by Sun King (vip)

2. Batch 1 by Triton (vip)
3. A four year vertical of Scotch Ale by Shoreline brewer (vip)
4. Cucumber Kolsch, Gin Barrel aged by Flat 12
5. 25th Anniversary Volume I by Lakefront Brewing

Honorable Mentions in no specific order:
BA Double Dog Dare by Fountain Square (vip)
25th Anniversary Volume II by Lakefront Brewing
Funk a Dile by Flat 12 (vip)

Best Selection: Flat 12 you knocked it out of the park! I could have spent an hour in your booth just tasting the awesome creations.

Darkhorse: Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee WI. Huge surprise! I had never heard of these guys, but damn they make some great and unique brews.

It seemed like the VIP experience was just missing one thing, experience. The organizers had never done this before so they were fumbling with it a little bit, and I never really felt like a very important person. That being said, the beer was incredible and made it all worth while. For the hour early admittance and all the amazing beers they handed out I would do it again in a heartbeat! Thanks for putting on such a great show!

I had 47 unique beers throughout the day, but I went back for sixths of Pappy Fog and Batch 1, because when it's that good, it is hard to only have one.

Indiana Microbrewers Festival 2013: #Volunteering

Volunteering.  Some people do it for the emotional high they get after helping people in need.  Others do it for fun.  For me it is a bit of both with a dash of curiosity.  What does it take to get the Microbrewers Festival 2013 up and running?

Prep work: Friday afternoon 10-2pm - Set up tents/tables/chairs

Day of: 10:30am
I showed up early to help get stuff in order before the main contingent of volunteers showed up.  I blame that on over eagerness.  Jason w/ Hoosier Beer Geek (HBG), one of the walkie-talkie wielding El Heffe's of the event, had me taping instructions to the brewers tables.  None of the breweries were there yet so I was making pretty good time.


What caught me off guard was when I turned down the area designated "the Alley" only to meet Blaine Stuckey with Mad Anthony Brewing basically finishing up his stall...  After introductions and a little talking shop he brought up another event that sounds fun and is coming up soon.  "Say OktoBEERfest!"  The Barons and I hope to make it to this festival as well!

11:00am
After the initial pep talk from Rodney w/ HBG (Congrats to your wife again on the new job!) we all got sussed out into groups.  It felt kinda like divvying up for teams out on the playground.  "How many you got?  Do you have to have Suzy AND Sally?  You have 14 we have 12... Close enough!"  I chose Gate 1 with Jake from HBG.





Gate 1
Most of you who have attended the Microbrewers Festival's in the past know that Gate 1 is "THE Gate". I would say 80-90% of Joe-Public went through this gate to get into the festivities.  Daunting, but the team of volunteers we had running Gate 1 were pros.  High fives all around!  It also doesn't hurt that we had Jake from HBG running point. Clocking in at seven feet tall, he looks like he could play starting center for the Blackhawks.  He is a man who loves to say "No" and has every reason to back it up. I'll have his back no matter what because he had mine a few times dealing with obstinate inebriated individuals.

Pro-Tip: THERE'S A GATE 2!

11-3pm
At this point things got hectic.  There was the scramble to get Gate 1 setup, then the pre-scanning, ID'ing, wrist-banding and corralling of event goers.  I was feverishly trying to keep up with handing out glasses and maps.  My experience was the VIP and Early Birds were a nice group, but by the time we started corralling for General Admittance people were a little antsy/inebriated.  I have a feeling that's why we posted volunteers as security for the second corral.  All in all everyone was pleasant.  Just know I still ran like hell to get out of the way when we "let loose the hounds" at 3pm General Admittance.

4-6pm
Volunteer FUN TIME!  One reason to be a volunteer is to get these snazzy loud yellow shirts that scream VOLUNTEER.  The second reason is the privilege of line jumping.  I kinda felt like Spider-Man with a twist... "with great responsibility come great powers"  This was the reward for all the hard work put in for the day.  Granted volunteers had limited time to get brews, hence the line privileges.

It was a little frantic trying to find and taste as many beers as I could when my fun time hit.  The only disappointment was not being able to get back to the Alley.  If I wasn't a volunteer I could have had more time to taste more beers, but I don't think I would have had as many of the rare/limited releases. I'll take volunteering any day with my super suit... I mean shirt!  Just have to find a way to work with/around the limited half-hour tappings that has become all the rage at festivals.

I wound up with 32 tastes in 2 hours, with a pit stop for lunch.  Just shy of a gallon of beer consumed. I even made it back to finish off my volunteering shift at Gate 1, unlike some of my compatriots...

6-8pm
Closing Time!  C-Shift (which was just me) and Jake played bouncer for an hour.  I really appreciate all the volunteers that stayed or came over to help us out!  By 7 we had a wall of volunteers directing everyone out with the friendly "Drive Safe!" and more for their benefit than ours "Chug it like a CHAMP or pour it out."  Last thing we wanted was for them to get arrested and us to get sued.  Many photo ops were had next to the "No Pass Outs" sign and apparently hugs really are free!

Once the last event goers were gone, a quick collapse and stack of chairs and tables were done.  A final side of clean up the trash and recycling was had and we all called it a night.

All in all a good event!

Finish up: Couple of hours Sunday tearing down tents and returning them with the table and chairs to storage.

Top 5 Brews:
**Pappy Fog - Sun King Brewing - Indianapolis, IN
*Batch 666: Sympathy for the Devil - Sun King Brewing - Indianapolis, IN
**Batch 1 - Triton Brewing - Indianapolis, IN
Spider King - Brugge Brasserie - Indianapolis, IN
Ghost Pepper Imperial Stout - ZwanzigZ - Columbus, IN

* Limited Tapping; ** VIP ONLY-ish Thanks Big Guy!

Favorite Breweries:
Flat 12 - Year after year they bring the most inventive, fun, and very unique festival only beers.  Their "Mad Fermentoligist" mentality mixed with us, their test subjects, will always have me stopping by and supporting their brews!  Last year was Tennis, this year was bowling... I wonder what kind of showmanship they have up their sleeve for next year or the next festival!?  They also get bonus points for having all their brews available at kick off!

Sun King - I may give them hell for having extremely limited quantities of special/festival beers, but it may be the demand & excitement for their brews that is outpacing their supply that is the root cause of the scarcity.  I listed two of their beers on my Top 5.

It seems unfair to others, but the quality of the product blows me away.  Even though they are on the limited half-hour tapping list, I still love what they do.  Good job and keep it up guys 'n gals!    

Indiana Microbrewers Festival 2013: This One's for the Girls

I know what you're thinking, girls go to beer festivals? Yes, yes we do. We even have just as much fun as the boys. Having said that, there are some things that I think we should keep in mind, just to make the overall festival experience easier so we can focus on what's really important- good friends and good beer. Here are five things to keep in mind when planning to attend a beer festival that are mostly for the girls.

1. Wear comfortable, cute shoes. A lot of these events are going to have an outdoor component, which means uneven ground, possibly even gravel or stones. Take advantage of all the fun and stylish flat shoes out there for summer, the options are great. As cute as you are in those 3-inch wedges, it's not worth twisting an ankle. Although, I have seen heels and wedges result in hanging on to a date for stability, for almost the entire event. Not the worst result, as long as you like your date as much as I do. Which is a lot.

2. Carry a purse that keeps your hands free, can get wet, and can hold swag. You're going to be holding a tasting glass the whole time. It's difficult to juggle that glass and a purse without spilling something. Make sure whatever purse you have (or wristlet, or back pack) will stay in place, comfortably, without you having to readjust every five minutes. Also keep in mind that beer spills might happen. You might bump into someone, or they might bump into you, and a little bit of beer will fall out of someone's glass. Your bag should be easy to clean, just in case. Assuming you're interested in all the stickers and coasters, or maybe even a t-shirt, you're going to need a place to put things. Or maybe someone that you're with is interested in collecting those things, and at some point in the event his cargo shorts are going to run out of available pocket space. It's happened.

3. Try different things. It's all about the experience right? Most of the brewers will come with something new for the festival. It might be a brand new brew, or it might be a twist on a favorite. Either way, there's going to be something fun and different. The same goes for breweries you don't know. Check out what they're offering and try something in a style you know you like. You might find a new favorite, or at least another brewery to look for at events.

4. Bring your girlfriends, or make new ones. You can leave the boys at home, or at least let them take their own car. It's a different and unique way to spend a girls' day out. Even if your friends aren't totally interested in the beer side of things, there are groups out there that you can look for at these events. One that I look for is Girls Pint Out. (I'll do a more detailed post about this group soon, after I go to one of their upcoming events.) The point is to have fun and enjoy yourself, and to have people you can do that with.

5. Enjoy the fact that there's a line for the men's room, but not for the ladies. This never happens. Ever. Except for this type of event. It's OK to giggle at the guys squirming because they're stuck in a line, after all we know how they feel.

So all in, it's pretty easy to be a girl at a beer festival or other tasting event. You can even ignore all those tips and still have fun. I'll look for you at the next one!

Indiana Microbrewers Festival 2013: General Admission

Being one of the Plebes, I was only able to obtain a General Admission ticket, and I definitely felt it... at first.

Our tickets were scanned, our IDs checked, and staff reminded us to be responsible.  We were oddly shuffled through the lines into one pressing mob, which seemed apropos to my plebeian metaphor.


The sweaty rabble had a wonderful buzz of humanity.  The press got the blood going and built up the excitement which peaked when the staff released us into the breach, bottled sunlight awaiting us.

It was then that the romantic shades stopped and the joyous grind of beer after beer began.

This is why I said I felt cheapened by my general admission ticket.  There was a palpable electricity waiting to come in and it was quickly diffused when we walked swiftly into the baseball field to see the tents already full.  It felt like I had missed out, which only spurned us on more.

It was a din of delight and friends.  A low roar of conversations filled the park and only added to the madness of slogging back beer after beer.  Line after line.  Critiques and smiles abounded.

In addition to slinging back beers, I was able to do a keg toss, check out food trucks for something other than poison to put in my belly, enjoy bluegrass bands through out the day and reconnect with old friends.  It was everything a beer fest should be. 

I was really impressed with the way the organizers were able to get so many breweries from around the country and how so many of those breweries brought their A-game.  Here is a list of my impressions of this years fest:

Biggest Standout: Sun King.  Hate all you want, but they slayed. Two of their beers are in my Top 5 and I watched them tap Pink Taco and have it completely consumed in 5 minutes.  AN ENTIRE KEG OF BEER GONE IN 5 MINUTES.

Biggest Suprise: The event itself.  Lines were fast and efficient. People were nice and friendly.  Usually when alcohol is involved, some people tend to show themselves, but not a shitty asshole was in attendance that day.  But as far as breweries go, Iechyd Da was the biggest surprise.  I came for the Breakfast Cookies, and stayed for... well... everything else.

Best New Find: People's Brewing Nitro IPA.  Their IPA is good.  On nitro it's magical.  Never had a Nitro IPA and the mouthfeel and full flavor really turn a solid IPA into a true treat.  Even if I was fuzzed out at this point.

Darkhorse: Lakeside Brewery.  I knew nothing about them before coming in, and then I kept tasting their brews and they kept impressing me.  Their cherry chocolate malty heaven Volume I was in my top 3.

Best Selection: Against the Grain.  One of the few booths where I wanted them all.  Bonus points for an extra pour at 5:00pm.  Flat 12 gets runner up for having ten to six hundred and thirty two pony kegs of different beers.  

Sexiest Server: Eric Fox, Flat 12 Brewery.  Also have to mention New Day Meadery for always being the warmest, most welcoming people. Mrs. Doubtfire couldn't sell brews better.  

Weirdest Brews:  Weirdest doesn't mean bad, and ZwanzigZ was amazing.  Beer that tasted like chocolate.  Beer that tasted like blueberries. Mix em together and what do you get?  A hokey pokey of happiness.  Also their Ghost Chili Stout cracked my top ten, and my tastebuds

Top Five: 

1. Sun King- Pappy Fog (Barrel Aged Belgian Quad.  This is not beer, it's unicorn blood.)

2. Lakeside Brewery- 25th Anniversary Volume I (Imperial Stout.  I wish I could have this cellared to enjoy on a cold day and biblically weep tears of joy)

3. Planetary Brewing Company- Apeshit (AIPA Sweet, great malts, just hoppy enough, and right amount of booze.  Insanely balanced beer.  I want sixty more.)

4. Sun King- Pink Taco (Sour Ale.  I hate putting two beers by the same brewery on my list but it's such an impressive sour.)

5. Iechyd Da- Cantankerous Irish Red (Irish Red Ale.  Pretty sure it's the best I've ever had.  Full flavor, but is so smooth its like it's made out of amber silk sheets.)

Honerable Mentions:

Tin Man Brewery- Circuit Bohemian Pilsner

Half Moon Restaurant and Brewery- The KokoMonster

Three Pints Brew Pub- Yoshi's Nectar

52 beers.  One and a half gallons consumed.  17% of the beers offered.  4 hours.

Summer now has a new holiday.

*Thanks to Amanda Green for the photographic documentation and Eric Fox for letting me post a picture of him in a bowling pin costume while I drunkenly giggled in the background.