The 3rd annual Beericana craft beer and music festival is happening on Saturday, September 10th, 2016.
I’m counting down the days!
Here are my top five reasons to attend Beericana on Saturday, September 10th, 2016:
- Low-risk ways to taste new beer
- Crazy-good spaciousness
- Food trucks and music
- Free water and games
- VIP experience
Let’s break them down.
1. Low-risk ways to taste new beer.
One of my favorite things about beer festivals is tasting beer I wouldn’t have otherwise tasted.
For example, the first time I had a sample of a new North Carolina brewery’s work was at Beericana two years ago. They had opened recently, which meant they hadn’t started canning or distributing. The only way to taste their beer was to drive to the brewery (three hours away) and taste it there.
As much as I would love to travel the state, drink beer, and report back, it’s not financially viable yet. (Contact me right now if you’re interested in that kind of thing, though. Seriously.) And some breweries have no intention of distributing until the laws change. (Check out CraftFreedom.org for more info.) So tasting at the beer fest is a really great way to see what you like or dislike a style.
Tasting, tasting, tasting is key to appreciating craft beer. It’s really easy to do that at Beericana, especially during VIP hours.
This is really helpful for craft beer newbies or those who swear they only like a certain style of beer. Before we made Brewconomy, I stuck to certain kind of styles. I didn’t like hoppy beers, stouts, or sours. Now, of course, I love all styles and am eager to try new ones.
The key is tasting, tasting, and tasting. Try a new beer once, twice, or three times. You’ll be surprised what you end up enjoying.
Once you get really into beer, you’ll find that you want to try them all. Then you find that your wallet hurts a little because you’re investing in so many delicious beers. Then you may have to restrain yourself at the bottle shop. Or ask your boss for a raise. Either way, it’s tough to taste them all without putting a hurting on your bank account – unless you go to a beer fest like Beericana.
Derek and Dan sample beers at Beericana in 2015.
In my humble opinion, one of the most affordable and enjoyable ways to taste a lot of beer is at a beer fest, especially during the VIP hours where it’s not crowded and you can talk to the brewery reps.
2. Crazy-good spaciousness.
Big crowds aren’t my thing anymore.
I used to walk confidently through the most crowded space, and love every minute of being there. But now I want a lot of elbow room. Maybe that’s being in your 30’s versus your 20’s? Who knows.
There’s a big crowd but it doesn’t feel too crowded at Beericana.
When you drive up to Beericana, parking is a breeze.
Once your inside the beer fest as a VIP ticket holder, there’s room to navigate easily.
And there are rarely long lines at food trucks or brewery tents.
What I love about Beericana is that it’s held in a giant wide open space. There’s so much room to breathe, move, or simply be still and enjoy your time with friends.
It’s a lovely change of pace.
There was a great section for hanging out and listening to music.
3. Food trucks and music.
There are a ton of food trucks and great live music at Beericana.
What’s great about this is enjoying music while finally getting to try the food you’ve been chasing around forever.
Seriously, I mean it. The one with lobster consistently evaded me for so long because of work, downtown Raleigh food truck regulations, etc. And I finally got to taste it at Beericana last year. It was glorious.
Deliciousness from Cousins Maine Lobster food truck.
Meanwhile, music plays in the most enjoyable way at Beericana. You can break from the beer and food to sit and chill in the field, while music plays.
4. Free water and games.
OK, this one may seem silly if you’re new to beer festivals or the North Carolina climate. But they’re really wonderful parts of Beericana, and it makes you feel like the organizers have thought of everything to help you have the most enjoyable and memorable experience possible.
Free games and water are available at Beericana.
Free water is important.
If you’ve ever spent time outside in North Carolina in the summer or early fall, you know it’s really hot and humid. Mix in the consumption of alcohol (even in small, safe amounts), and you can face pretty serious dehydration. Heat exhaustion and dehydration are very real here. Drink all the free water you need at Beericana so you’ll stay safe.
Take breaks. Play games. Enjoy yourself.
5. VIP experience.
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, let me state it clearly: I’m a big fan of the VIP experience at Beericana.
Get your VIP tickets while you still can. They’re worth it.
The elbow room, shorter lines, chances to actually talk to brewery reps, avoid crowds, and relax are a big part of what makes me so happy to have VIP tickets.
But, that’s only the start.
There are VIP bathrooms.
If you’ve ever been to a beer festival, you know how important the bathroom access gets as the hours pass. No matter whether you’re drinking a lot of water or sampling a lot of beer, you’ll need a bathroom.
With VIP tickets, you’ll typically waste less time in line for the bathroom than you will with a regular ticket. Most VIP bathrooms are cleaner, too.
This means you have more time to enjoy hanging with friends, sampling beer, eating food, or listening to music. You know, the stuff you’d rather be doing at Beericana.
BONUS
A portion of the proceeds goes to the N.C. Craft Brewers Guild. This makes me incredibly happy because they’ve been such a big part of growing the craft beer culture here in North Carolina, and that’s something I never take for granted. We’re really lucky to have such a vibrant place for brewing.
You should check out all of the great things the guild has going on at ncbeer.org. (By the way, you don’t have to be a brewer to join the guild.)
ARE YOU GOING TO BEERICANA?
Will you be at Beericana on Saturday, September 10th? Use the comments to tell me what you’re most excited about this year. I’d love to say hi in person at the festival!
