Tractor Bets on Old School and Remember Rogue?

I paid a visit to Jubilation the other day to see what was new on the shelves. While there were a few new beers, what stood out was the number of old. Barrel-aged Stouts of years past are abound on the shelf near the register. How times have changed from when we were grabbing every last bottle of KBS or Parabola, if we could even find any. But onto newer beers!

Bucking the trend of the NE IPA can release, Tractor Brewing has released Acreage IPA to the Albuquerque market. It's a curious move for a couple of obvious reasons. 1. It's not hazy. 2. It's not meant to be served with a lime. But hand it to Tractor, they're willing to take chances. I've never found IPAs to be a strong style for them, as I think they've had consistency issues. They have excelled at cider making, having just won five medals at the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition. Every time I try cider I am thankful that I can drink beer. Acreage is probably the best IPA I have had from Tractor, though I'm curious to see if future batches keep the same quality. With four locations across the "metro" area, Tractor is a force in the local scene. I picked up a single can of Acreage at Jubilation (it sells in a 4-pack of 16 oz. cans) for $2.50.

Remember Rogue? That brewery that people who weren't in the know would bring up when you talked about going to Portland? "Oh, did you guys go to ROGUE???" Well, they're still around, though canned craft cocktails is their new big thing. But they're trying their hand at the hazy IPA. Batsquatch hazy IPA, named for something that is like the Chupacabra of the Pacific Northwest. Maybe the person who came up with the beer names "Rhubard Schmubarb" and "Combat Wombat" was busy, or Rogue did market research and found that one word beer names make for better sellers. Beer names are getting more annoying as they become harder to create, aren't they? Hill Farmstead is going to run out of old dead relatives to name beer after at some point. I could never relate to the naming of those beers anyway- "made with honey from our own beehives and hand-pulled arugula, this is the beer I dreamed of sharing with my Great-Aunt Margaret." And here I am feeling like shit because I used to hate having to go see Great-Uncle Jimmy with no legs. But anyway, Rogue hazy: it's comparable to the class of large breweries making hazies like Boston Beer, Sierra Nevada, Deschutes, etc. It's not bad. Very drinkable. An interesting taste that I would have pegged as coming from Summit hops, as it reminded me of the old Green Flash Imperial IPA. But no, Rogue lists the hops as Mosaic, El Dorado, and Belma. Good old Aunt Belma.

The Evolving Beer Scene, From Binny's to Burbank

It's been years since I had the chance to spend a few days in Chicago- since 2013, to be exact. So let's see, is Zombie Dust still flying off the shelves, if it can be found on shelves to begin with? This has been a beer-crazy city for years, with tales of people sleeping out overnight for Bourbon County and chasing the beer trucks to get the hot item of the minute. So what's it like in 2019? Flying beer trucks?

A lot has changed, as evidenced from my first stop after getting off the plane at Midway and taking the train to the River North area of downtown Chicago. That first stop was Binny's, the family-owned chain that rules Chicago liquor stores. The first thing that struck me was seeing an entire half-aisle devoted to Chicago area breweries and how few of them I was familiar with. It's a bit embarrassing for someone who thinks they are so up on all things beer to pull out the phone to look up this 16 oz. can with the wrapped label and the next one that looks the same. Lots of hazy IPAs. It looked like the majority of beers being produced by Chicago breweries, not counting Half Acre. They still crank out a ton of IPAs, but hazy is not their focus. Further down the aisle was midwestern stuff, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri. Lots of Surly, Founders (of course), and look at this: tons of Three Floyds. Like Dreadnaught, Arctic Panzer Wolf, Space Station Middle Finger, Yum Yum, and plenty of Zombie Dust. It was almost sad to see in a weird way, beer that used to be so coveted that people would go to Indiana for and line up at the to-go area of Three Floyds brewpub. There's a lot of beer to be had in Chicago, which is as it was years ago, but the tastes have changed. And that's not to say that just because it's hazy that it will sell. Toppling Goliath Fire Skulls and Money was sitting there for the taking, but with a canned on date of 3/18, people just aren't going to buy it, 4.3 rating on Untappd be damned.

But that's not to say people aren't buying Toppling Goliath beers. I sought them out myself, not thinking I would find anything very close to my hotel in the touristy area on the edge of Magnificent Mile. But on a tip to try Timothy O' Toole's Sports Bar (I know, not promising), I checked out their website. And would you look at that??? A plethora of local craft from Pipeworks and Maplewood, plus a few Toppling Goliath, including King Sue, which was a real treat to find. The sports bar atmosphere was in full force and the place was packed (who knew there were so many St. Louis Blues fans in Chicago??), but the tap list made up for it. And the best part: they do flights, a practice more bars with 40+ taps should offer. As good as that experience turned out to be, minus the drunk Boston Bruins fan, one may ponder, "Hey, it's your first time in a city in six years and you can't be bothered to venture out past 0.4 miles from your hotel?" I'd agree that that is a valid question. But it was a long day of travel with our first flight getting canceled and then getting sent to Las Vegas before making it on a plane to Chicago so I was kind of beat, you know? Plus, walking from Binny's to the hotel with a suitcase and $75 worth of beer wore me out even more.

If you're not up the the challenge, Chicago will wear you out quick. It's a drinking city with a sports problem, as our obviously drunk bartender at one unnamed beer bar remarked more than once. There's a reason Chicago was chosen for the first Taco Bell Cantina, where you can drink alcohol alongside your Nachos Bell Grande. Too many renowned beer bars to hit on a short trip, and I didn't even get close to Hopleaf. A lot of new (to me) places on this trip, including cocktail bars like Longman and Eagle, where a 2 oz. pour of an 18 yr. Old Stagg bottled in 1933 will set you back $480. I went with the Stiegel Zwickel instead, thank you. Also checked out Ludlow Liquors (pictured) which was just named one of Esquire's 25 best bars of 2019. And they still let me in. I wasn't in the mood to get wasted on liquor so I walked down the street to Beer Temple.

Beer Temple had just opened when I first visited in 2013 and has since moved to a bigger spot, complete with a full bar next to the beer store. The store is separated into two rooms, one refrigerated and holding the temperature finicky stuff like IPAs and the second at room temperature with lots of Rare Barrel and Casa Agria sours. The bar has the feel that many Chicago bars give off, old-fashioned and homey. If you want to feel like you're drinking in the same place that your great-grandfather drank in, go to Chicago. And go to Queen Mary in Wicker Park.

Next: Part 2- more Chicago and some California love

It's All Over: ABQ Beer Week Sunday, June 2nd

Sad to say another ABQ Beer Week is coming to an end, but you'll be happy to know I did get to stop by Two Fools Saturday night and get a taste of Bourbon County Bramble Rye. Yeah, somehow it's still on tap. The whales aren't what they used to be, are they? And speaking of Goose Island, they'll be at Nob Hill Bar and Grill for the Sofie Sunday Beermosa Brunch at 11 am. Which begs the question: If you're making Beermosas, is it really Beer Week? Hey, whatever gets people in the doors. And Sofie's a good beer name. Why they went with Matilda for a beer name I'll never understand.

Steel Bender is having their own cask fest called Le Cask Lunatique. Guess why. Six! casks and live music from you guessed who. Choose from The Witty Gin,⠀Mulvaney’s Old Fashioned, COMPA-rinh, Blue Bullet’s Wood-Aged Irish Whiskey, Stay Golden Sunrise, and Funky George Porter.⠀Beer starts pouring at 12.

Canteen hosts the Beer and Bike Gear event to benefit Esperanza Bike Shop. Bike shops in general need our support but the work that Esperanza does is especially important. Come join the bike part drive from 2-5.

Oils and Ales: Essential Oils and Beer Pairing at Red Door downtown from 7-9 pm. Note: some may find that these oils are not essential to a quality life, but all should agree that quality beer is essential.

ABQ Beer Week Friday, May 31

Friday? Beer Week? Must mean it's time for me not to be able to go to the Bourbon County event. Yup, Two Fools Tavern will serve regular BCBS and BRAMBLE RYE, damn it. Have fun. Starts at 5.

Nob Hill Bar and Grill and Ex Novo present Taste the Rainbow, featuring a gamut of Ex Novo beers at 5. The lineup includes IPA, Hazy IPA, Pilsner, Berliner Weisse, Mexican Lager, and Dry-Hopped Sour. I tried their impressive Hazy IPA at Sister Bar- this could be a welcome addition if the rest of their beers are nearly as good.

You won't find this deal north of Mexico often: three beers paired with three tacos at Canteen. Event starts at 6. Where do they make the tacos? In that panini press?

Dialogue gets in on the Beer Week fun with a beer and food pairing with M'Tucci's. Everyone wants to do something with this restaurant, which means they must be doing something right. Then again, Olive Garden goes on a wait on a Friday night.

Missed Marble's Beer and Cheese event last week? Come get a free taste of what you missed at Jubilation at 4. They'll have Marble beer and some free cheese as well. Just don't be surprised if you have to unwrap the plastic before eating. It's free, after all.

A little pre-Pride action at Tractor Wells Park, where Drag Queen Bingo happens at 8. The event benefits the NM Gay Men's Chorus.

Comedy Fight Club at Kilt Check, 8pm. Four of ABQ's funniest (we hope) comedians will perform and you get to crush the dreams of three of them. $10 entrance fee.

Thursday, May 30: ABQ Beer Week

More good stuff as Beer Week winds down:

A barrel-aged Brett Saison? Isn't that style reserved for for Bow and Arrow? Apparently the folks at Ex Novo and Steel Bender didn't get the memo. Saison de Luxe debuts at Steel Bender on Thursday.

Upslope Brewing tasting at Jubilation from 4-6. I can't seem to pull the trigger on their Batch 1000 because it costs like $12 for a 12 oz can. But it's 17.5% ABV. If it was in a bottle I bet I would have bought it. I spent $10 for a 12 oz. bottle of Bourbon County in 2013 in Indiana.

Want to pay for beer instead? Go to Billy's Long Bar for Odell Pint Night. It's stated for 5-7 but I'd be willing to bet they'll still have it on tap after that. Billy's doesn't exactly get the Odell crowd. But I'm glad they carry the selection that they do.

Pints and Paintbrushes at Canteen's Tramway location. $30 gets you in. You could be the next Van Gose!

Great Gatsby Edition of Gin and Jazz at Tractor Wells Park. I love jazz but man do I hate the Roaring 20s. Tommyguns, flapper girls, bathtub gin...NO. But people find things fun, and things have never been my thing. You'll probably love it. And Le Chat Lunatique will be playing and they're really good.

Bell's gets repped at O'Niell's up in the heights. Still cranking out great beers, even if Hopslam doesn't do it for me anymore.

ABQ Beer Week Saturday, 5.25

Rise and shine! Saturday features some early events, but none as painfully early as the Marbleous Modern General Brunch Pairing from 7:30-3. 2 Marble beers with 2 Modern General dishes for $20. Nap time to follow.

Doughnuts? Donuts? Bristol Doughnut spells it the hard way. Just like they could have gotten a Ford Fiesta instead of that big bus. The hard way. They're going to Steel Bender to pair some donuts with Steel Bender beer. 11 am.

More donuts! This time at 12-on, at Kilt Check. Rebel Donut samples paired with a flight for $10.

Ex Novo brings their Portland-inspired beers to Sister Bar starting at 6. Come see what all the hype is about from this transplanted brewery.

Quater Celtic holds a Mini Cask Fest, meaning only their own stuff, beginning at 11. BA MacLomas Stout? I'm in. Also Chai Irish Red, DDH Mor Buck IPA, and dry-hopped Gose. Four samples for only $5!

Here's a first: food trucks at a brewery! Red Door hosts its annual Food Truck Battle at noon. Food truck employees fight to the death and serve up the losers to a hungry crowd. Or something like that. Sorry, I'm watching The Walking Dead for the first time.

One of the more cleverly named events of the year, Ciderday Night Fever at Tractor Nob Hill. All the ciders from local breweries plus a few special Tractor ones. Ciders at noon-until you can't stand them anymore. For me, 12:01. But I know people love them. Listen to DJ Dave 12 spin at 8.

ABQ Beer Week Friday, 5.24

Friday always seems to be a good day for Beer Week events, probably because I work in the evening and can't make any of them. Let's see what I'll be missing out in this year...

Canteen is a brewery that seems to fall under the radar for people except for the regulars who have been going since the 5 seat bar location was open. Get over to the larger bar and try the Social Capital Key Lime Pie Gose release.

High and Dry Brewing and the Taos Mountain Energy Bar people got together to create... a bunch of people wearing Patagonia. That, and the Taos Bar Hazy Pale Ale that was made with real bits of the Taos Mountain Almond Agave Bar as well as classic Cascade hops. If you buy a pint, you get an energy bar as well. It's the new age vodka and Red Bull.

Didn't get enough free samples on Thursday? Another Albertson's beer and cheese event with Sierra Blanca takes place at the 4950 Montgomery location from 3-5. That's the one in the colorful area near San Mateo. The Albertson's on 7101 Wyoming will host Bosque for beer and cheese, also from 3-5. Wait, there's more. Albertson's is putting the A in ABQ Beer Week this year, because they'll also have events with Santa Fe, Tractor, and Alaskan, at 2801 Eubank, 2910 Juan Tabo, and 12201 Academy, respectively.

It's heartburn for days at the Wild and Sour tasting featuring Steel Bender, Rowley, and Bow and Arrow beers at Jubilation. And it's free. Event runs from 4-6.

Canteen continues their dessert-themed day with a Sweet Samplings dessert and beer pairing. $14 gets you beer and dessert offerings. It's like a deconstructed pastry stout. Get stuffed from 6-10.

Beer and belly dancing? Sounds like what ends up happening at every beer fest, but usually by guys in sandals. This time, however, it will be a class taught by people who wear the jingly stuff. Kilt Check hosts this $10 class taught by Charlotte Montoya and includes a pint of your choice. 6-7 pm.

Awww, c'mon, I'm going to miss to 21 and Over event at Nob Hill Bar and Grill? All breweries representing at this event are...mature. They've all been in the beer biz 21+ And they'll be bringing some heavy-hitters: Stone (Wine Barrel Winter Harvest), Boulevard (Bourbon Barrel Quad), Sierra Nevada (BA Bigfoot), Firestone Walker (Maple Parabola), Odell (180 Shilling), Bell's (Mango Habanero Oberon), Four Peaks (Imperial Pale Lager) and New Belgium (Le Terroir). Damn it, I want some Maple Parabola!

Rio Bravo Brewing invites you to their Biergarten (would you like Google to translate this page?) for a movie night. At 8 pm, the will be showing The Waterboy, starring Adam Sandler and featuring Colonel Sanders. Rio Bravo has a surprisingly good new hazy IPA. They're making some high quality beer.

Tractor Wells Park welcomes another brewery to their house with three guest beers on tap from Truth Or Consequences Brewing. T or C will also have limited release bombers for sale on premise. Event begins at 5. Wells Park also hosts Magic Night on Friday with magician Dave Grimm. Oh look, belly dancing there too, though I don't think you're supposed to get up and show your stuff. Leave that to the Desert Darlings. You just sit back and watch them and the magician perform. "And for my grand finale, I'm going to make this customer's beer disappear..." Chugs beer, takes off down the street. Thank you. I'll show myself out.

ABQ Beer Week 2019 BEGINS

I say it year in and year out, which may be why I stopped listening to myself years ago. But this year may be the best lineup for ABQ Beer Week events since at least last year, and possibly ever. If this year's Beer Week doesn't have something to make you happy, you may not like beer.

The week kicks off with a number of chances to drink beer for free. Samples, of course, but who's stopping you from having more than one, at more than one location? Albertson's Market hosts a Sierra Blanca beer and cheese event at the 6200 Coors location from 3-5. The 2910 Juan Tabo location hosts a similar event but with Isotopes beer, also from 3-5. Stone Face Liquor (where I found two lone bottles of Cantillion few years ago) will host a Firestone Walker tasting from 4-6. Jubilation welcomes Bell's Brewery for a tasting from 4-6. That's a day's worth of drinking you can get in at no charge.

Straight from the ABQ Beer Week Website, since I can't state the facts any better: "Bubba’s 33 will be hosting an ABQ Beer Week kickoff event with Alaskan Brewing from 4-7pm on Thursday May 23rd! Giveaways include swag from Alaskan Brewing Co, and a VIP Blues & Brews package with 2 VIP tickets, a one night stay at Residence Inn, dinner at Bubba’s and a roundtrip ride from zTrip to the festival!" Bubba's is quickly becoming a place where the craft beer lovers flock, so this should be a good event. And the Alaskan beer cooler looks sweet.

Tractor and Rowley Farmhouse Ales team up for a Sour Hour at the Tractor Wells Park location beginning at 5. Come sample some of Rowley's award-winning sours. Tractor sours will be available as well. Musical performance by Alex McMahon. Alex is quite the beer connoisseur so hopefully he will be ok to perform after trying all those beers.

Beer, Cheese, and More, one of Beer Week's original events, returns to Marble Heights at 5. $25 gets you five carefully selected cheeses paired with 5 Marble beers. As the name promises, the $25 also gets you More.

Pay money to run! $5, or only $1 per K, gets you into the Laid-Back Lager Jogger 5K run put on by Canteen and Heart and Sole Sports. I'll pay you $10 to run in my place. Meet at Canteen to register at 5 and start running at 6. Finish in time for last call.

A Drinking Songs Themed Karaoke?? It's all capitalized, so it must be a real event. Red Door hosts this unique event from 7-11. Will they have "Beer" by Murphy's Law or "More Beer" by Fear available to sing? I bet not. But you should listen to those songs. And break stuff.

Learn how beer is made with the head brewer at Casa Vieja Brewery. For $20 you can hear how it is brewing on one of the nano-ist of Albuquerque's nano breweries, located in a very Corrales-like setting.

Hopsoulution to the Haze Craze?

First, is it still a craze if it has been around for years? I say no, but some people still look down on the "Hazebro" types as gimmick chasers. I get that anyone who can be labeled as some sort of bro is most likely annoying, but that shouldn't affect your opinion on the beer itself. Old school IPA brewers talk about their distaste for the style and mock it in much the same way as the non-IPA brewers used to say say, "Well anyone can brew an IPA, you can hide flaws with all the hops..." You know what you can't hide? A shitty-tasting IPA. And I've talked to more than one (two) brewers who found the hazy style to be more challenging than expected to nail down. So if it's a gimmick, gimme more.

THAT BEING SAID, this post is to say that there's still hope for you who long for more of the clear IPAs, and from a trusted veteran and innovator in the IPA world: Bell's has re-introduced (year-round in six states that aren't near us) Hopsoulution DIPA to the Albuquerque market. It's not hazy. In fact, it's amber in color, which worried me at first. I had flashbacks to so many easy-to-brew darker IPAs that tasted like malty messes. Thankfully, Hopsoulution benefits from a lower than normal (for Bell's) DIPA ABV of 8%. This, along with a deft use of hops, makes this a welcome addition to crowded shelves. It's got traditional pine mixed with some of the tropical notes of today's IPAs. Really a pleasant drinker for those who aren't adverse to drinking a beer you can see through. And if you are, there's always Bell's Official Hazy.

GABF Awards Recap

The 2018 GABF Awards ceremony seems to have been streamlined compared to past years. Not a bad thing, as you can only say the same thing year after year. Trust me.
This year, 2,404 breweries entered beer in the competition. An insane amount, but with a total of over 6,300 breweries in the US as of 2017, there's still room for more entries. Judges only had to try 8,496 beers, so why not bring on more?

The Juicy or Hazy IPA category burst onto the scene with 391 entries. Last year's highest number of entries was the IPA category, with 408. This year, 311 entered in the regular IPA category. Nothing wrong with being old school, but time for people to recognize hazy IPA is a real thing. Should have been its own category two years ago. I think it should go further and hazy and juicy should have their own individual awards. They are distinctly different beers.

And onto the winners!

Six medals awarded in the first two categories and three went to Oregon breweries. Would the trend continue?

Not at that pace, but Oregon was well represented at the awards ceremony with 22 medals. Not quite the 72 medals collected by California breweries, but close to the 30 won by Colorado breweries. Of Texas' 18 medals, 6 were for lagers. Interesting. Having AVGB in their state doesn't hurt. Washington did well with 17 medals, while North Carolina and Ohio were well represented with 13 and 14, respectively.

We here in New Mexico? We did pretty well! We have been spoiled in the past with larger medal counts, but with the number of entries not growing so much as multiplying at an alarming rate, we should be happy with any morsel of metal we can get. 6 medals is pretty darned good, plus a bronze in the collaboration category for Palmer/Quarter Celtic's Mocha Hipster Bomb. It matches the number hit in 2017 and 2016. That's three 6's in a row, for those who keep track of that sort of thing. And it's 3 more medals than New Jersey, who has 7 million more people living there. 5 more medals than Firestone Walker, who only took 1 medal this year. That number was matched by Starr Brothers, who took a Bronze in the Other Strong Beer category for their Lampshade Porter.

Rowley Farmhouse Ales won a Silver in the Berliner-Style Weisse category for Germophile. The Rowley medal count of 1 matched Russian River's.

La Cumbre's Malpais Stout took a Silver in the Robust Porter category. Malpais also took a Silver in La Cumbre's GABF debut in 2011.

Sierra Blanca's Cherry Wheat met the guidelines for the Fruit Wheat category as it contained both fruit (cherry), and wheat (wheat). It earned them a Bronze, the second year in a row they have medaled in that category! At that rate, Rich Weber is going to have to start wearing Jeff Bagby pants.

Bosque (pronounced Bosk in tourist-speak) took Bronze for Pistol Pete's 1888 Ale in the Golden/Blonde Ale category. Their beer is made in Berna-Lill-O, in Chris Swersey-speak.

Turtle Mountain rounded out the NM winners with Gold for Wooden Teeth in the International-Style Pilsner category. That's 2 Gold medals since 2011 for NM in this category.

Other notes:

Medals were awarded in the Juicy or Hazy IPA category to three breweries I've never heard of.

For those of you who live in NM and want to try the Gold medal winner in the Hazy DIPA category, you can make the drive to AZ, where Black Market New England DIPA is available in cans.

It's 2014 all over again, as the Imperial Stout category awarded no medal to a Brewery named Iron Hill or 2SP. Iron Hill had medaled in that category from 2010-13, 2015, and then in 2016 their former Head Brewer medaled with 2SP Brewing and again in 2017 (with Iron Hill medaling in the same category).

Best beer name: how about Cannonball Creek's Netflix and Pils, which won Gold in the German-Style Pilsner category. Colorado wins Gold in this category at GABF and Gold at World Beer Cup as well (Rockyard Primadonna). Look out, Texas!

Worst beer name: Bananenhängematte, FiftyFifty Brewing. For obvious reasons.

Navigating the Thursday Session: GABF 2018

The best gets better, as long as it's just the beer we're talking about. The Great American Beer Festival is by far the largest beer festival in the world by number of breweries represented (800+) and beers served (4000+). Each year, the Brewers Association plays around with the floor plan, ensuring there is no way to find the brewery you are seeking the first time around: "Ok, you're looking for Section 7? Well, you're just outside of 21, so you're only 5 sections away!" Wait, really? Because I don't see how-"Yeah, because it goes 21, 19, 17, 15, and then 11 and 7 run perpendicular to that!" Ok, now is perpendicular the one that runs the same way as-"Got it? Simple, right?? Enjoy the fest!" This blog didn't come with a cartography degree. But, with help, I was able to find my way both in and out of the building.

And now, thoughts on the evening as they come to me:
Some sponsor was giving away bags of potato chips, and that was really popular. As was Buffalo Wild Wings, who was apparently giving two free wings to people who came to their giant setup.
Food choices overall seemed to be above par compared to previous years. I had some pretty good red beans and rice. I'm not the type of person who goes to these things looking for a meal, but I think it is important to have food in you (as well as lots of water) and a hot dog is not food unless you are at a baseball game.
Started the night at Weldwerks before (as I predicted) the line got totally stupid. I think this: Weldwerks became known for Juicy Bits and other hazy IPAs. But their BA Imperial Stouts like Medianoche are what they are doing best right now. QDH Juicy Bits was fine, but the stout variations were outstanding.
How was there no line for Duck Duck Gooze? Has the deomgraphic changed that much in a couple of years that festgoers don't know about that beer? Russian River still had probably the longest line that I saw so I don't see how the same people aren't hip to Lost Abbey rarities.
Speaking of Russian River, Beatification was tasting great.
Good on Brew Kettle for having fact sheets in front of the beers. Bad on them for having them face the people pouring the beers. Their El Lupelo Libre is still a top DIPA.
You know what else was a top DIPA? Alpine Bad Boy! I actually said, "Whoa! This smells like an Alpine beer!" I had forgotten the distinct smell of Alpine's beers when they were "on" and not "Green Flash trash".
Great Notion, my top brewery at the fest last year, has caught on with all the fest kids. Their line was loong.
And welcome back New Glarus, who skipped last year. Welcome back outrageous line.
Avery used to have the most elaborate booth (before Melvin started bringing that actual bus and a DJ), complete with full barrels of beer that they would fill pitchers directly from. This year, they were in a plain old booth in the middle of a row with other booths. Kind of sad to see. Adam Avery was still there, faithfully pouring and talking to everyone.
The king of GABF, Sam Calagione, was also manning his booth, smiling for pictures with everyone. I'm convinced that if Sam told the crowd to go find Charlie Papazian and bring him back for hanging that there would be the biggest mad rush since people found out about the free cheese booth.
Was happy to see Firestone Walker pouring Parabanilla right at the start; no "Pouring at 7 pm!" hassle.
But what is a hassle is Bottle Logic only pouring certain beers on certain nights. Yeah, I got to try all the Lost Colony I wanted. But Fundamental Observation only being poured on Friday night? Didn't the Thursday people pay the same price for a ticket? I asked the BA's Craft Beer Director Julia Herz about this practice two years ago and she wasn't against it then, doesn't seem to be now. But I sure am. I don't care about personally not getting to try that beer; I've got all the bottles I want. But it sucks for the people who are excited to try what is a whale for many, and they see it listed on the beers Bottle Logic is bringing, and they get to the booth and FUCK YOU! NOT TONIGHT!
J Wakefield's Haterade made me realize I could like a beer that smells exactly like fruit punch.
And the "We ran out of all our beer by 7:30 so we went to the strip club" award goes to: Funky Buddha. Again.
Columbus Brewing brought Bodhi DIPA this year, always worth stopping by for, but their Pallet Island BA Imperial Stout with coconut was possibly the best beer at the fest for me.
Maybe second best of the night was the storied Wooden Hell from Floosmoor Station. Also was the only Barleywine I sampled that night.

A note to the Brewers Association: Make dump buckets and water pitchers available at EVERY single booth. Don't put us in the position of going to a booth just to rinse out our glasses and have the poor brewery rep who is just waiting to talk to you about their beer say, "Oh, you just want to use my water? Well, the deal is you have to try my beer as well!!" I dealt with this twice and heard it told to others many times. Each time, the brewery rep was very friendly about it, but just don't put us in that situation. Don't make us force a sample down and pretend to like it since we have to stand there and rinse out our cup again before getting the beer we wanted in the first place.
Another issue: volunteers. I know the people pouring (who aren't there on behalf of the brewery) are volunteering in exchange for admission to the festival, but some of these people are real dopes. I've given up on trying to get any info on beer they're pouring, because most don't care to educate themselves, but I shouldn't have to interrupt a conversation that has been going on between two volunteers for over 30 seconds so I can get a damn sample. I'm standing right in front of you, guys. You're there to do one thing. Talk to your buddy as you pour samples.

Keeping it upbeat and positive, as I'm known to do: the corral system they've utilized to handle the lines coming in seems to work well for everyone. I interviewed a number of people waiting and they were all in good spirits, probably because they were about to enter a beer fest rather than an abattoir. Anything beats the 2008 "Line starts 3 blocks that way, folks!"
Meet the Brewer booths were prevalent and make up for the don't give a damn pourers. I saw a lot of brewery people taking the time to answer many a homebrewer's questions, which can take some patience.
The Heavy Medal section, featuring past medal winners, is also a great feature, especially for those of us too lazy to seek out winners during the Saturday session. We just have to wait a year to try them.

GABF 2018-Ten Years of Covering the Best Beer Fest in the World

I thought last year would be the year of the hazy IPA, but after looking over the list of beers being poured at GABF today, I was way off. Seems like everyone has some beer with a pun playing off milkshake or hazy. And that would be just fine if I hadn't hit the yearly classic Melvin East Meets West IPA event at Falling Rock Tap House. 21 IPA/DIPAs to choose from. $40. 6 10 oz. pours. So if you break it down, that's $40 for what amounts to less than a six-pack. Of course I paid for it- what else am I gonna do with my time and money? Besides, we have it down to a science: a group of four of us had tickets and just kept going up through the very, very manageable line (sure we're talking about Falling Rock here??) until we had a table filled with 21 of the best IPAs one could ask for. Well, if you leave out #2 (Beachwood DDH Melrose, which was a malt bomb) and #11 (Melvin Bogan, a Nelson and Galaxy DIPA that sounded good but was a mess. It is a coincidence that both of these beers fall into the clear IPA category and both were singled out as subpar? Probably not. I'd have to say that two other traditional IPAs on the list, Alchemist Focal Banger and Three Floyds Lazer Snake, were among my least favorites. Crazy. There was a time when I would have felt privileged just to even try an Alchemist or Three Floyds IPA, you know? Before you call me a"Hazebro", as is the social media trend to lump in the idiots along with people who recognize a great beer, listen: another traditional West Coast style IPA, Cannonball Creek Project Alpha 25, was excellent. I kept going back to that one. Happy now?
Let's see...Kane was the one brewery who sent a Brut IPA. Not good. Funky yeast and spritzy. Finally got to try a Moonraker beer, Electric Lettuce. Great. The other top beers: Revision Reno as Fuck, Great Notion Ripe (which was my standout beer of GABF last year) Fieldwork Blur in Stereo (28 IBUs, HOW IS THIS AN IPA!! Relax, buddy), and Springdale Good and You. This Massachusetts brewery is new to me. Good stuff.

So here we are, with the Thursday session of GABF looming. And me, never wanting to touch a hazy IPA again, though hopefully that feeling is gone by 5:30. I have a lot of sampling to do in the name of journalism. A lot has changed since I first covered the fest in 2009- notably my tolerance. And the fact that there are now 800 breweries and 4,000 beers, compared to just over 200 breweries and 2,000 beers in 2009. There is also 100,000 more square feet of festival space than in 09. My job now is to figure out which brewery will have the honor of hosting my first sample of the fest. In 2009, I went with Ballast Point Dorado. Now you can buy that beer in the supermarket. The smart choice is to start with a palate-opening Pilsner, so Pfreim Pilsner, Sandlot Barman Pils, Troegs Sunshine Pils, or Rockyard Primadonna (World Beer Cup gold medal winner this year) would fit the bill. But I usually end up hitting the places where the lines will be longest later in the evening, which are usually the places with the rare/barrel/aged/ high ABV beers. So that probably means something along the lines of Modern Times Devil's Teeth BA Imperial Stout with NOLA coffee. Or Kane's A Night to End All Dawns. Or Lost Abby Duck Duck Gooze. Or anything J Wakefield. But probably Weldwerks, which I predict will have the longest lines, thanks to a list including Quadruple dry-hopped Juicy Bits, Medianoche, Coconut Medianoche, Mexican Medianoche...so yeah, that line will be out of hand. A sleeper will be Flossmoor Station, who is bringing back Wooden Hell, one of the original whale beers from 2008 that people were trading $$$$ or their children for. And there's Bottle Logic, who is pouring Fundamental Observation, Darkstar November, Number Crunch...
It's going to be a long night. To all who are going: stay hydrated. Bring snacks. Though the GABF rules state no outside food is allowed, they mean they don't want you bringing in a pizza or foot-long sandwiches. Pretzel necklaces will always be welcome.