Beer festivals usually conjure images of singing tourists and beer glasses the size of your head.  While those ones are still out there, more beer festivals today offer so much more to the novice and seasoned beer fan alike.

1 Variety

Just like a foodie doesn’t just enjoy one kind of cuisine or a movie buff doesn’t focus on one genre, beer fans like to explore.  Even though a lot of bars are expanding their draft lists, most aren’t able to cover the full range of styles and tastes.  But that’s where the beer fest comes in!  By providing the opportunity to sample a wide selection of beers, the beginner has the ability to expand their palate in a relatively short amount of time.  And for the seasoned beer veteran, it offers the chance to take in all your favorite styles in one convenient location.

2 Bang for Your Buck

Let’s be honest.  Craft beer isn’t cheap.  Particularly for the novice, trying new things can get expensive very fast as you work to refine your tastes.  Even once you find your style, the sticker price of some beers can be hard to face.  Beer festivals provide a chance to enjoy that very same hobby at a bulk discount rate.  But unlike buffets that often leave something lacking in quality, fests provide the same great brews we all love at a wholesale price.

3 Cutting Edge

Everyone likes secrets (well most people anyway). And even though you might not hear any tabloid headlines at a beer fest, you might just get to try something that’s seeing the light of day for the first time.  Festivals are not just a chance for beer fans to sample a wide variety of styles, but also a chance for brewers to get a huge amount of feedback in a very short amount of time.  Which means that many breweries will bring new, experimental and often super fresh beers looking to gauge reactions.  It’s not a guarantee that you’ll try the next gold medal winner but the potential to sample something before anyone else certainly adds to the excitement of any fest.

4 Support Local

Unlike breweries that reach out by debuting their exciting new can shape during the Big Game, most beer festivals feature a more personal kind of interaction. Which in this case, means LOCAL!  By offering the chance to talk to brewery staff one on one, beer fests provide the opportunity to show your genuine interest and support for the people that work so hard in your own backyard.  Brewers can be some pretty busy folks, so they don’t always get to talk to those that help make their careers possible.  Knowing that their dedication to the craft is appreciated can mean just as much as the money you spend.

5 PARTY TIME!

Wayne and Garth may or may not be there but a ton of others folks that like something you do certainly will. Throw in a little social lubricant (aka BEER) and you’ve got the recipe for a great time.  Whether it’s hanging out with the people that worked so hard to give you something to relax with or a new friend that hates IPAs as much as you do, you are bound to find kindred spirits.  No one likes to drink alone and a beer festival ensures you never are.

If you want to stay up to date on the upcoming beer festivals, check out The Full Pint’s always up to date list!