The 25th Great Tucson Beer Festival has come and gone, but my mixed feelings about the event still linger. I experienced everything southern Arizona’s “great” festival had to offer — the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’ll get the good out of the way first. It’ll be the shortest of the three, I assure you.
You Mean Everything’s Free?!
This was my first time at Tucson’s biggest beer festival, but my favorite part wasn’t the beer. No, the best part was that once I was inside, my ticket played the part of a good date and paid for pretty much everything. It was amazing … vendors were practically throwing hotdogs and chips at people as they walked in, and it only got better from there. Local restaurants were dishing out gourmet samples that, coupled with all the beer, added up to full meals quickly.
Hell, even bottled water was free! I think the people running this thing slept through the first day of Event Planning 101 — the class that explains how to trap people inside a stadium (or other fenced-in area) and then gouge, gouge, gouge for basic necessities. But hey, I’m not complaining. It was awesome.
Oh Yeah, There Was Beer Too
The beer, surprisingly, was a distant second. A lot of vendors did show up (not as many as I would’ve liked, but that rant’s for next time), and a few of them even brought exciting beers. Stone showcased its Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout (an imperial stout brewed with Belgian yeast), Odell brought its Isolation Ale winter seasonal, and Lagunitas served its Bavarian-Styled Doppel Weizen, a delicious combination of banana and spice that I need to try again with a fresh palate.
Hmm, Let’s See, What Else …
Well, there was … no, not that. Maybe, um …
Seriously, Hold on, I’ll Think of Something
Oh, I know! The 25th Annual Great Tucson Beer Festival … gave Ryan and me a chance to brew a batch of stout. I know, not much of a compliment for the festival itself, but our plan is to age the stout with whiskey barrel oak chips, so if all goes well, it’ll be glorious enough that it’s worth mentioning.
But really, that’s all I got. Even Ryan, who tends to take a more laid back, turn-the-brain-off-and-enjoy approach to this stuff, seemed extremely underwhelmed by the festival. In my next article, I’ll explain why.
