Beerfest 2011

[Dunc]

I can’t help but feel a little short changed.

 

A no show from Emerson's, Yeastie Boys, Sunshine and Renaissance. (I don’t blame them)

No Baltika...

No lovely little sneaky samples of delicious limited edition seasonals.

No beery talks.

Very few offerings of half glasses.

And what the hell was that VIP zone rubbish?

 

Has Beerfest just become swillfest? There were queues for Carlsberg, Corona and Cobra! If you want to get mothered on insipid mainstream beer, why pay $35 to do so?

 

No wonder the Australian Craft breweries won’t come near us.

 

Am I expecting too much? Anyone? Anyone?

 

However, thank you Epic, Wigram, Harrington’s, Croucher, Bennett’s and Tuatara - for being the small beacons of hope in the embarrassing, slippery, urine covered floor that is NZ beer culture.

 

 

[JoKing]

It's not a fair representation of the NZ beer culture: but it is a fair representation of the NZ drinking culture - in particular Aucklands drinking culture.

 

Come to Beervana this year and get have a look at what the NZ beer culture is really like... or Marchfest - I'm sure plenty of people on here went there this weekend... I seriously doubt it was anything like the Auckland pissupfest.

 

And you're right too on the other hand - good on all of those craft breweries who put in a good showing for the craft beer scene. I hope it was worth your whiles.

[Druid]

My first time this year - I've been to a few large licensed events but this was certainly an eye opener as far as mass p*ss ups go.  And not a bad party scene once I lowered my expectations from the lofty heights of civilised beer tasting and brewing talk.

 

I couldn't last the distance though and staggered of at 6.30!  Taxi drivers were having a field day...

[Ian]

We went to Marchfest in Nelson on the 26th and it rocked as usual (third time to date). We have never stayed to witness the casualties at the end of the night (if indeed there are some) but for the rest it was a veritable sea of happy faces - kids and all - good music and, above all else, marvellous beer. Maybe find a cheap ticket to Nelson in good time for next years Marchfest Dunc?

Cheers,

Ian

[Dunc]

I'll be at Marchfest 2012 for sure.

[Ralph]

Marchfest was great! We got there a bit late (6ish) but had a lovely time trying all the brews. There were a few casualties by the very end of the night, but generally a very friendly and pretty well behaved crew!

[Andrew]

I believe Stu was on here Friday saying Yeastie Boys have never agreed to be at this this year, so whoever advertised that they were, may have stretching the truth a bit. May have happened for other breweries too?

Cut and paste below:

Permalink Reply by
Stu McKinlay on
March 25, 2011 at 12:06pm

false advertising... the only way our beer will be there is if someone is picking up some from a Liquorland or New World on the way.  They've not purchased from us, we're not on The Brewer's Guild Stand (if there is one), our distributor isn't there and we certainly aren't.

[Dunc]

[Stu McKinlay]

Yeh, we never got asked and we only do this kind of thing with our distributor (Craig Bowen of BeerNZ).  

 

I really enjoyed the festival in Wellington last year. It wasn't a "Beervana" but that's what I liked.  It was a load of people who were interested but didn't know a hell of a lot. that's cool, I find that a whole lot of fun and far less work than guys likme me (and you) who come along and ask hopping rates or grain bills.  The later is loads of fun but so tiring, and the former just makes my cheeks sore from smiling so much when I realise another person has turned to the good side....

 

Marchfest is definitely the best. I'll be back there next year, with the kids, and I'm determined to swindle my own beer in even though I'm outside the allowed region.

[jt]

swindle my own beer in even though I'm outside the allowed region.

 

You're not tempted to get a local brewery to do a batch or two for you to get in there legitimately Stu ?

[Stu McKinlay]

Nah, I reckon I'll take my homebrewery over on the ferry and brew within the Nelson/Marlborough boundaries...

[Dave W]

Should have gone to Marchfest, it was the total opposite of that experience mate!

 

Oh man I so want Soren to launch his uber pils as part of his range!!!!

Citizen smith from Townsend also stood out to me as a keeper.

 

As for the Ak beerfest, I had about 5-6 tries at getting hold of the organisers myself  to have a site (I bring in craft beer from a small family brewery in Europe) gave up in the end never got a single reply from the buggers???

 

[Hugh Grierson]

I have had the dubious pleasure of every single one of these , and I must say, the latest was a step in the right direction. The last few years the brewers stalls were in the prep area for the horses before racing and stank like shit. The drinking spaces were dingy and the toilets mostly portaloos in the rain. Dirty broken asphalt would trip you up as you shared a sweaty space with Jordan Luck.

This year we had graduated to the actual event space out the front of the race course and it was heaps better, but required a bit of a look around. My friends and I found a bar next to the main room with Statesman, Three Boys Pils (they were there) Emersons Brewers Reserve (loved it) and another wheaty one I can't remember. Plus music, hourly comedy,actual toilets and a window to the drunk evictions. We sat there for six hours and drank just about one of everything.

Lots of people were drinking on the main stand, bit rainy,but not much choice.

You could only be served two beer per person, so that caused beer run issues when you went back to the main beer hall, I just gave random strangers (and big SOBA members)  money and got them to buy two for me.

With out the rain a lot of the minor issues would have been less of a hassle, but its Auckland=Rain.

Favorite beers. Crouchers serendipitous Belgian Pale Ale , Mikes Super strong ale and Tuatara APA.

Favorite question. "Whats a pale ale?"

I have never stayed past five , so it was a much better festival, but still, no Beervana..