Bunch of Beer

Beer Feast (Fest) Feast – Whatever – bunch of damn beer – and not all of it was good. Some of it was great! This weekend I was invited to go to a beer festival with a few friends. I am not a beer connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination. I like beer in most forms – mostly pales and a few heavier loggers – but for the most part I stay in the German realm when it comes to beer – I mean that country basically invented the one beverage that makes you go from a 2 to a 10 to a 2 all in one night – so why not be loyal to one country. So we get to the festival and have to wait in line for half an hour – which in and of itself was not a bad thing, but it is Phoenix, AZ in March – during a hotter than normal spring – and low and behold it is sunny – so it gets hot. Needless to say by the time the gates open and the beer starts flowing – I am ready for a damn drink. We head to the New Belgium truck because if you are going to get started it may as well be with something you are familiar with and take our 4 ounces glasses (I’m not kidding on the size) to get a “sample” of Fat Tire. I have to say that I am not a huge fan of Fat Tire – but given the fact that I was parched, it was hot and the line was short – I was happy to down a 4 oz pour of the liquor. At the gate – the same place where we got the whopping 4 oz beer “taster” mug – we also got tickets. I guess each ticket was good at the booth for one 4 oz. pour of the beer you would like to sample – needless to say there were many who would just stand right at the counter of their choice and down how ever many pours the sucker behind the counter was willing to dish out. I was partial to a Colorado vendor that came down and had a spicy green apple ale – which I’m usually not a fan of the fruit beers – but when the guy behind the counter says “Stand here and I’ll hook you up” – and then proceeds to get you smashingly drunk and flirts at the same time – how can you resist the spicy apple ale – YOU CAN NOT!

All in all it was fun – not something I would do again on a hot day – because heat plus beer plus overweight men equals – UGH!

I do have to say Hale to Mark – the Colorado brew guy – with a great smile and a heavy hand on the tap!