Ever organised a beer festival?

[Hugh Grierson]

My mate Jim and are are running a small beer festie in Napier during the competition with the funny ball for a container. Its on Saturday the 24th of September. Anyway we have some pretty flash breweries coming or sending beers along so It should be good. We have got lots sorted, but not sure how much beer to order, we don't want to have a muntfest with spewing fools, so are using 200 or 280 ml glasses (not sure yet)...

We will have a fair wad of Canadian rugby players/fans there, and Hawke's Bay people are thirsty so we don't want to run dry. We are running for five hours.

Anyway the two questions really are.

How much beer per person, some advice is 2L/human.

And, how much of what beer, we have some NZ ales, pils, real ale and some darkies and some good lagers available..

The beers are coming from

Epic

Croucher

Townsend

West Coast

Roosters

H.B.I.B

Mikes.

Any handy hints? I know this is guess work, just trying to make it less guess..

What would you order.

 

[Greig McGill]

Hi Hugh,

Send Rob Owen an email ([e-mail] or now his shiny new [e-mail]). He's had heaps of experience with the Matariki(TM) festivals.

[Chris]

Why 5 hours? Only asking because I'm from the UK where festivals often run from late morning to midnight and for several consecutive days. I know the festival scene is not nearly as big over here (so good on you for putting one on) but I was quite suprised at the short time frame of Beervana for example. It actually put the girlfriend and I off going as it's quite a long trip just for a few hours, we would have been much more inclined if it had been an all-day event.

I guess one reason might be that it gives people less time to get hammered, but having said that the longer time frame might actually encourage them to pace themselves - if people only have a short time to drink they tend to knock them back quite quickly. Or is it that the numbers wouldn't be sufficent to run over a whole weekend?

Have you thought about putting a bus on from Palmy and/or Dannevirke? Just thinking about getting more people there and back safely.

Anyway best of luck with the festival, we're only in Woodville so will put it on the calendar!

[Hugh Grierson]

We went for five hours because of the muntness encountered at brew brews bbqs, to help get our licence and to give people time time to get to a pub to watch the game with the funny ball.. I wish you couyld give kiwi's (and myself) a days drinking and not have problems but thats not the case. We are trying to sort buses out, lots of guessing about what will be used and what wont.

 

[Chris]

I thought that would be the reason. Hope you don't have any problems of that nature.

[Steph]

Hi Hugh.  At Beervana, we did 100 and 200ml tastings.  100ml were by far the most popular with people there to seriously taste the beer.  Given your range wont be as wide, a 200ml glass is probably appropriate.  

 

My advice is to keep the glass and serving size and price really simple for your own ease and others.

 

In a 5 hour session, I would suggest that you wouldn't want to go much further than 2l per person.  I think the average was more around the 1l mark for Beervana - Ryan might be able to comment on that.  How much you'll need will then be based on the number of possible entrants you are looking at having and where you think people will come from.  

 

You can guarantee that Epic and Croucher pale ales will be popular.  It is likely that you'll need less real ale.

 

Good luck and have fun...Don't under-estimate the amount of work!

[Hugh Grierson]

Thanks  for the hints Steph, feeling the work now, but website is live! http://www.beerappreciationday.co.nz

I am making an effort to get the Canadians involved, partly because I don't want them to think we only have south Auckland Lagers and fizzy beer water flavoured with caramel in New Zealand . We are going with a bit more than one L a person (its Hawke's Bay) , a fairly comprehensive selection of Townsend on hand pumps...(with a back up plan to send the left overs to a good home).

 

[Hugh Grierson]

Its been a mission, but we have nailed down the beer tasting selection and ordered our kegs...

Epic: Stout, Mash Up, Armageddon, Pale Ale

West Coast: Neudorf Ale, Green Fern, International Pale Ale.

Croucher: Pils,  Pale Ale, Te Kohatu Experience (maybe)

Mikes: Strawberry Blonde, Pils, Imperial Porter, IPA

Townsend: Sutton Hoo, Old House ESB, Guppies Hammer.

Also a few from the Moa, some Naturale, and selections from Roosters and H.B.I.B.

[Martin Bridges]

Sounds awesome! Hope it goes well.

[Reviled]

"Epic: Stout, Mash Up, Armageddon, Pale Ale"

 

Can of worms there Hugh ;o) lol

[JoKing]

Indeed...

[Hugh Grierson]

Well at least if I am causing controversy, its accidental, not gaybaiting or prohibitionist poking for free media.

I meant 'the Collaborative brew Mash Up' naturally.

[Hugh Grierson]

I have nearly stopped shitting bricks because tickets have sold, the beer to person ratio is still 15 L each. And !

The beer geek promocode P2B442

has not been vanquished. ???????