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. 

2. 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. 

3. 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! 

4. 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. 

5. 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. 

6. 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. 
7. 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. 

8. 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. 

9. 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. 

10. 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? 

For our last share, I decided to change things up a bit. We still asked everyone to bring some beers and food to share with the group, but I also organized a White Elephant Beer Exchange. 

For the White Elephant, I asked everyone to bring EITHER a “joke beer” (noncraft) or a “good” beer (craft). I also asked everyone to wrap their beer, so when we did our exchange, no one would know what they are selecting. 

My husband and I decided that one of us would give the good beer, and one of us would give a joke beer. I went searching in our beer closest and found a bottle of Wild Ones from Red Cypress (RIP) to gift. My husband went searching at our local gas station and found a 25oz Natty Daddy for $2! Let me tell you if you are looking for cheap (albeit gross) beer to get buzzed on this beer is for you. 8% beer for only $2! 

Once all our friends arrived, I had everyone draw a random number. The number is the order that select their gift. I think everyone has their own rules, but my rules are simple: when it is your turn to choose a beer, you can either pick a wrapped beer under the tree OR steal someone else’s beer. If your beer gets stolen, then you get to pick another wrapped beer. In this case, it pays to be the last one to pick because you get to see almost all the beers and can steal whatever you want. 

Of course, everyone wants to end up with a good beer, but in all honesty, it is more fun watching people open the joke beers. Most of my friends brought some good beers (looking at you Seth with all those Bombs!) but watching the faces of the people opening the Natty Daddy, Smirnoff, and The Zima (thanks, Andy!) is definitely entertaining. 

After the White Elephant Exchange was over, we continued with our bottle share, and I got to try so many different beers. That is what I love about shares. It seems like we are drinking a lot, but in all actuality, we have such small pours, you don’t feel like death the next day. 

Do you have any holiday beer/drinking traditions? If so, let me know! 

I hope everyone has a Happy Holiday!

Dan and I welcomed our baby boy on February 14th. Being sober for all those months was definitely challenging, but oh so worth it when our son Parker arrived. I gave myself a few days to recover, but quickly enjoyed my first post pregnancy beer. I wanted to take it easy, enjoy something light, and make sure it was a beer I knew I would enjoy. I went with Riot Juice from Hidden Springs and it was even tastier than what I remember.

Life has been different since having Parker enter our lives. We avoid large can releases, we’ve passed on bottle shares, and we spend our free time drinking beer from our couch instead of at beer events. However, beer is and will always be a big part of my life.

I am still out exploring breweries and craft beer bars in and around Central Florida, and I invite you (again) to follow me on my journey!

To have a successful share at your house I suggest you have everything ready to go before you guest show up.

We found and cleaned all of our tasting glasses and had them set up on the counter for our guest. If you don’t have enough glasses make sure you asks your guests to bring their own. Or buy small plastic glasses.

It’s a good idea to have “pace beers” for your guests. This is usually just an easy drinking beer people can sip on throughout the night in between opening the share beers. We went with Bell’s Oberon and New Belgium Fat Tire.

Also make sure you have somewhere to keep all the beer cold during the share. More than likely your fridge will be full and not able to hold everything everyone brings. We filled our cooler up with ice and placed the beers in there. Most of our friends brought their beer in their own cooler, so that’s an option as well if cold space is limited.

Remember to provide food throughout the night. You don’t want anyone leaving your share with an empty stomach filled with just beer. We also told our guests that we had an extra bedroom available if anyone needed to crash and not drive home.

Finally, make sure you set up an area for your “beer graveyard” the bottles and cans will start to add up quickly. Have a spot where you can easily store them. At the end of your share you will want to get a “kill shot”. This is a picture of all your empty bottles. This comes in handy if you want to refer back to your favorite beer, or if you forget to check beers in on Untappd.

At our share we just had people open their bottle after they noticed the previous one was empty. This system doesn’t always work because you’ll have an IPA followed by an Imperial Stout then maybe to a Saison. If your taste buds can’t handle all the change, make sure you have a system on how you want to open them.

Shares are a great time to connect with friends, try new beer, and in our case, clear out our beer fridge to make room for new beer!

What are some of your favorite at home share tips? Anything that I forgot to mention?

The monthly share I usually attend is held at a local bar that is welcoming and accommodating of our share group. If you plan on hosting or attending a share at a bar or brewery here are some tips to make sure it goes smoothly:

1. Get permission from the bar or brewery BEFORE people start walking in with bottles. Most places have been OK with us having a share in their business, but it is alway respectful to ask first.
2. Keep your group a manageable size. If your share is in a smaller bar or brewery you don’t want to fill the room up with just your friends and all your bottles.
3. Even though everyone is bringing in beer, make sure everyone is also still supporting the bar or brewery by buying beer and tipping their bartenders well. Remember this is a business after all and they still need to make money.
4. Reuse your glasses or bring your own. Don’t expect the bartenders to constantly get you fresh glasses or clean yours out in between each beer. I utilize a water fountain at the bar to rinse my glass out. Some places may be able to give you pitcher full of water for the table.
5. Put a pour aside for your bartender or server. There might be strict rules about them drinking on the job, but it is also polite to offer them a taste if they can.
6. Most importantly, clean up when you are done! I can’t stress this enough. This business is letting you use their space for your hobby. They shouldn’t have to clean up after your group. Ask them where they would like you to dispose of your bottles and cans.
7. Plan ahead and make sure you have a way to get home. Have a DD or use Uber or Lyft. Even though you are drinking small pours, those pours add up quickly!

Do you participate in any bottle shares in breweries or bars? Or are you someone who prefers to do your drinking in the comfort of your own home? Check out my next post that talks about a bottle share Dan and I hosted in our home just recently.