Philly Craft Beer Fest

Beer Festivals - a tradition as rich and rewarding as drinking itself. There's nothing like packing a ton of people into a confined space and having loads of talented brewers hand out samples of their finest products. It is one version of paradise. And a damn fine version -

But my recent trip to the gargantuan Philly Craft Beer Fest left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth, and not from any particular brew. I was talking with the rep from Troeg's about their delicious Nugget Nectar, and how I was a disappointed it wasn't one of the beers they brought with them. He agreed, but shrugged it off by saying, "This isn't the crowd."

This is the sound that I heard in my head when he said that.  A beer fest not the right crowd for a good beer?  What?  But in a way, he's right. This was pretty late in the night, and looking around I saw that most people had obviously come there to get drunk, not to drink great beer.  Sure, some people got drunk by accident, but most of the people in that giant hall were not interested in trying new, rare, or exceptional beers.  They could have just kept cycling in line at the PBC stall, for all I know.  And that's sad.

That being said, some of the brewers still impressed.  The Bruery's White and Dark Orchards were both exquisite, as was "Fallen Apple," a lager/cider blend that I believe came from Dark Horse Brewing Co, although I can't find it on their website. Voodoo Brewery, whose Wynona's Big Brown Ale was my pick for best beer of last year's PCBF, also represented itself well this year with a variety of tasty beverages. Their Abbey ale, Voodoo Love Child, was fruitier than this guy's shoes.  Voodoo is based out of Erie PA, and you should make a real effort to get to know their beers.

You should also make a real effort to attend the next beer fest in your neighborhood.  Maybe simple people like you and me can help restore a culture of geeky culinary curiosity to the beer festival scene, instead of letting this time-honored tradition sink into little more than a glorified frat party.