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Craft Beer

Toxic Traits: Craft Beer Edition

I am assuming if you are reading this you are a craft beer lover. I also am assuming that many of you have your own quirks or as I referred to them on my Instagram page, “toxic” traits when it comes to drinking craft beer. For example, my “toxic” trait is that I rarely finish all of my beer. 90% of the time I leave just a little in the bottom of my glass. Why do I do this? I have no idea.

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Events

Know Before You Go: Ten Things I Wish I…

I just got back from two days spent in Denver attending the Great American Beer Festival. I had an absolutely awesome time, but there are a few things I wish I would have known in advance to make my visit even better. Read my list below so you won’t make the same rookie mistakes. 

  1. See if you qualify for any sort of pass. I was able to attend the festival with a media pass. There are certain requirements for getting a pass, but they aren’t as stringent as you would think. I ran into several people who met these requirements but didn’t even know a media pass was an option. The pass allows you to attend the festival for free, bypass the lines and could include invites to other events. Pay attention before tickets go on sale next year to see if you qualify. 
  1. Do not bring anything large to the festival. The venue does allow you to bring in small purses, but I suggest you bring in nothing you have to carry. There isn’t storage inside the venue and it gets rather packed in there. I saw so many ladies struggling to try to hold their bags, the drinking glass, and phones. I personally brought in a small wristlet so my hands could be free. 
  1. Do not rely on having a cell signal and/or wifi. I attended the festival on both Thursday and Friday and was saddened to see that the wifi didn’t work and the cell service was beyond spotty. GABF does have its own web-based app, but it didn’t work at all once so many people got inside. Also, make sure your phone battery is charged. Searching for a signal will wear out your battery quickly! 
  1. Have a game plan! You will for sure be overwhelmed once you get inside. It is busy, loud, and overwhelming. Have a list (written somewhere) of your must-try breweries. If you have a goal you won’t feel so overwhelmed. 
  1. Eat a filling meal before you arrive at the festival. Besides it is a good idea to have a full stomach before you consume a ton of alcohol, you will quickly realize that there aren’t many food options at the festival. There were a few vendors there, but the lines were all very long. I made sure to have a filling breakfast and a semi-healthy but filling lunch before I arrived. 
  1. Speaking of lines, make sure you use a bathroom before you arrive and don’t “break the seal” too early on. The lines for the bathrooms (especially the men’s) can be longer than the food lines. Pro-tip, there are a set of bathrooms right outside the exit to the venue. You are able to walk out to use these restrooms and come right back in. This is what I did and never had to wait in line. 
  2. Visit the sponsored booths. Yes, everyone attended for the beer, but I also enjoyed walking around and seeing what other vendors are there. Some vendors were giving out free swag/products. Two of my favorites were The Beer Spa and Pub Pass. 
  1. Attend on Thursday for the least amount of crowds and the most amount of beer. I attended both the Thursday and Friday sessions and Thursday by far was less crowded. Also, the beer being poured is first come first served, so that means many of the popular beers will be gone by Saturday (some even on Friday). If you are able to attend the Thursday session I highly recommend it. 
  1. Try beers that are different or unusual. Remember there are breweries from all over the United States at this festival. Don’t just focus on the beer you can get from your home state. Venture out and try beer from breweries you never heard of. You are only given about 1 oz pours, so if you don’t care for the beer you can find plenty of places to dump it. 
  1. Last but not least, it seems like a no-brainer… PACE YOURSELF. There are so many beers to try, so remember, even if you attend all three days you won’t try them all. If you are traveling from out of state remember our altitude and how that can affect you. Drink water, take breaks, and eat food. Trust me, you don’t want such a bad hangover you can’t enjoy yourself the next day. 

Did you attend the Great American Beer Festival this year? If so, is there anything you think I forgot? What are your tricks and tips? 

Craft Beer

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started…

I’ve been in the “craft beer game” for ten years now, and there are a few things I wish I knew before I started my journey. 

  1. It is more of a marathon than a race. There are SO many breweries to explore and even more beer to try. You will NEVER get to them all. Don’t feel like you have to visit them all or try every beer. You will quickly be burnt out (and broke) if you do. 
  2. Speaking of money, craft  beer isn’t exactly cheap. When you go to a brewery be prepared to spend anywhere from $5-$8 on a beer. Yes, domestic beer is cheaper, however, remember what you’re paying for when you buy craft. You are supporting local and you are probably getting fresher (and tastier) beer. 
  3. Most craft beer drinkers are not “Beer Snobs” like you have probably heard. When I first got into beer I was nervous that maybe I wouldn’t be accepted into the community because I was still learning. The majority of craft beer drinkers are helpful and welcoming. Don’t let what others say scare you away. 
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Me

Beer Instagrammer: You Asked and I Answered 

I posted on my Instagram story asking for people to send in questions as to what it is like being a Beer Instagrammer or as others call it, an “influencer.” Below are the questions with my answers. 

Question: Do you vary your types based on the season or just drink what you like when you want?

Answer: This really depends. If I am just drinking a beer to enjoy the beer (meaning I don’t plan on posting about it) I will drink whatever I feel like at the moment. However, I do try to plan certain beers for certain occasions for posts on my Instagram. For example, for major holidays I try to find a beer that I feel “fits” with that holiday. I will then save that beer for the day of the holiday and drink it and post about it that day. 

Question: Is your husband jealous of your fame?

Answer: Seeing that I don’t really have any “fame,” I don’t think so. In fact, he actually likes all the perks I get from having a beer Instagram account. He has never complained when a beer box shows up at our house, or when I ask him to help me do a photoshoot at a local bar/brewery. 

Question: Why do people want to see your feet?

Answer: People are WEIRD! I have no idea why people have asked me (countless times) to see pictures of my feet. My answer is always the same, NO. 

Question: How long does it take to put together an IG post about a brewery visit?

Answer: It all depends. Usually my process for just a post (the first time I visit a brewery) is this: I take some pictures of the outside brewery, while looking at the menu I take a few pictures of the bar area, when I am waiting for my beer I take a few pictures of the inside, and when my beer arrives I take many pictures of it. I don’t always use every picture, but I like to have a variety. Also, I usually upload my photos to an editing app (I personally use Lightroom) and take some time editing. If it is a brewery I’ve been to many times I don’t usually do all of that, but I still edit all my photos and figure out what hashtags to use. So all in all it really depends. A post could take as short as 5 minutes to post all the way up to 20 minutes. 

Question: Do you judge breweries based on their own social media presence?

Answer: I sure do! I do not understand when breweries or bars chose not to use social media to help market their business. Instagram is FREE and it’s an app used by 1 billion people. It would only take someone a few minutes a day or even a week to post what beer you have and any other specials you might have. I personally check social media before I head to a bar or a brewery, and I like when I see they are active and have been letting their customers know what’s new. 

Thanks to everyone who sent in questions! Please feel free to message me if you have any more questions. 

Cheers!

Breweries

Colorado Springs’ Most Popular Beers

Recently I reached out to some local Colorado Springs Brewery asking the brewers to share what their most popular beer is that they sell. I can’t say I am surprised that the majority of the breweries said their most popular beer style is an IPA. 

Update: I received two more responses so I’ve updates this post to share them.

Lost Friend Brewing

Most popular beer name and style your brewery brews:

Homeward Bound, Hazy NEIPA

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