DRAFT Magazine's 30 Rules for Beer Festivals

Festiquette: [fest-i-ket] (n) the rules indicating the proper and polite way to behave at beer festivals.

1. Eat breakfast. You remember all that stuff you learned in high school about how alcohol affects you more on an empty stomach? Still applies.
2. Employ the 10-second rule when talking to the people pouring. A quick question about the beer or brewery is fine; diving into a yarn about your epiphany beer is not.
3. Say thank you to volunteers. Handing out beer to drunkards when you can’t enjoy any yourself ain’t easy.
4. Don’t ask for a bigger pour.
5. Do ask for smaller pours. If tasting the maximum number of beers is what you’re after, a few ounces of each brew should do it.
6. Don’t try to game the system. In most states, the fine for volunteers or breweries that fail to collect a ticket or stamp for every pour is harsh—“thousands of dollars” harsh.
7. Regarding special tappings: Get your pour and MOVE ON. Don’t try to sneak a second pour.
8. Do your time in the line. Sending a buddy off for more beers while you wait is fine, but holding a spot for someone who hasn’t waited at all (or worse, an entire group on non-waiters) is poor form.
9. Be a good line man: Don’t annoy everyone around you by bragging about all the specialty one-off beers you’ve tasted in your life.
10. Do be adventurous. Head to booths with short or no lines and try some beers you’ve never heard of; you just might find a new favorite.
11. Don’t pour out a beer or talk about how much you dislike it while in earshot of the brewer.
12. Have your decision made before you reach the front of the line. Now is the time for pouring and drinking, not waffling.
13. Don’t block traffic setting up the perfect Instagram shot.
14. Don’t pre-game the beer fest. Starting with a buzz is only going to get you plastered. On that note…
15. Don’t get plastered.
16. Do consider a pretzel necklace if you’re unsure of the festival’s food options. Drink a beer, munch a pretzel, drink some water, repeat.
17. Don’t pee on random surfaces. Even if there’s a line for the bathrooms.
18. Don’t drink beer just by ABV.
19. Don’t get in a fight. If beer festivals make you angry, you’re doing them wrong.
20. Don’t break up. Things may look better in the sober light of morning, and besides, no one wants to see this while they’re trying to have fun.
21. Don’t cry. No one wants to see this either.
22. Wear sunscreen and sensible shoes. Pack extra sunscreen in your bag, and leave the flimsy flip-flops or spiked heels at home.
23. Show your beer pride, not hate. If you’ve got a favorite beer slogan or brewery shirt, now’s the time to wear it.
24. Bring water if you can, or fill an empty bottle when you’re there.
25. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get the pour you want; take whatever is being offered and be grateful. It’s lame to roll your eyes or sigh like there’s not any good beer to be had.
26. Don’t forge tickets. You’ll get found out, plus you’re stealing a spot from someone who paid.
27. Don’t try to scam your way into VIP. (Also, don’t lie and say you own DRAFT Magazine to get into VIP. This has been tried, and it does not work.)
28. Leave the kids at home. Leave your dog at home, too, unless it’s a service animal. Debate us all you want on this, but unless it’s explicitly family-friendly, a festival will be full of colorful language and sloshing beer. Toddlers and terriers get underfoot too easily.
29. Don’t obsessively rate beers online during the fest. Be in the moment, and at the least, save your notes for later and try to find the beer another time.
30. Do take a cab, call a ride home or take public transit. With the proliferation of ride-sharing apps today, there’s no excuse for driving under the influence.

Which festival behavior can’t brewers stand?

“I don’t mind, ‘I wish you’d brought…’ or ‘Why didn’t you bring…?’ but ‘You should have brought…’ is annoying,” says Augie Carton of New Jersey’s Carton Brewing.
“The big thing I see come up from belligerent people during the last quarter of a festival is, ‘I want your sign!’ or ‘Give me that tap handle!’” Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione says. No brewer enjoys having to defend his equipment from klepto beer geeks.

Bishop Cider Company in Announces Their Cider in Cans

I must admit that I am not much of a cider drinker, but Mrs. Vivant is a big fan, so you was quite stoked when this announcement arrived in our inbox. Announcing: Bishop Cider Cans!  Crackberry and Nectar six packs are hitting shelves this week and are available at our locations immediately. Our other fav, High & Dry, and our summer seasonal Sour Cherry will go out next week. So get your can to the cidery OR ask for us at your favorite retailer! Our distributor, Ben E. Keith, can deliver them lickety-split. Big News, Texas: We're expanding distribution to Austin, San Antonio, and Houston beginning August 15.

Tours Want to see the new canning line and hear more about how we make your favorite ciders? Drop by on a Saturday for a free Cidery tour at 12:30pm. Live music starts at1pm and we have 8-12 ciders on tap.

Belgian Beer Week 2016 at the Flying Saucer in Addison

Would you believe me if I told you that we celebrate Belgian Independence Day (July 21) longer than we celebrate the U.S. Independance Day?  The 4th of July is a one day .... at the most three day ... blowout, while Belgian Independence is celebrated with a week long drunk fest. Come and celebrate with us.

The Palm Restaurant and Founders Brewing Beer Dinner

The Palm and Founders Brewing have collaborated to design a craft beer and food menu geared to tantalize your taste buds! Chef Terry Cook designed the food menu.

Pre-course - meet & greet with a glass of CURMUDGEON

First Course - All Day IPA paired with Carrot IPA Bisque - nueske bacon ompote, shaved carrot salad

Second Course - surprise beer paired with Beer Braised Hollander Mussels with fingerling potatoes, lemongrass and fresno

Third Course - Sumatra Mountain Brown paired with Espresso Rubbed Filet with Lavazza Espresso, goat cheese potatoe puree and truffle butter

Fourth Course - Dirty Bastard paired with a Henry's peanut butter ice cream, caramel dust and chocolate covered pretzel - served as a Beer Float

Beer Details:

CURMUDGEON - 9.8% abv / 50 ibus
Think classic seafaring ports, local pubs and weathered old fishermen. This old ale is brewed with molasses and an insane focus on the malt bill, then oak-aged. The result is a strong, rich, malty delight that’s deceptively smooth and drinkable.

ALL DAY IPA - 4.7% abv / 42 ibus
The #1 selling session ale in America finishes with citrus/grapefruit. The beer you’ve been waiting for. Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp. An all-day IPA naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains and hops. Balanced for optimal aromatics and a clean finish. The perfect reward for an honest day’s work and the ultimate companion to celebrate life’s simple pleasures.

SUMATRA MOUNTAIN BROWN - 9% abv / 40 ibus
Think "cold brewed sumatra coffee" when you try this. This bold brown ale gets its body from a team of malts, including caramel malt for sweetness, flaked barley for dense foam, a bit of chocolate malt & more. Rich Sumatra coffee is added in.

DIRTY BASTARD - 8.5% abv / 50 ibus
The #1 selling scotch-style ale in America brings a 7 grain malt bill to tantalize your tongue. So good it’s almost wrong. Dark ruby in color and brewed with seven varieties of imported malts. Complex in finish, with hints of smoke and peat, paired with a malty richness and a right hook of hop power to give it the bad attitude that a beer named Dirty Bastard has to live up to. Ain’t for the wee lads.

SURPRISE BEER - well, can't tell ya that, now, can I?

RESERVATIONS: Must have a reservation as ingredients are purchased specifically for this event. Please contact Lela Zuckerman at LZuckerman@ThePalm.com or by phone at 214.698.0470 to secure your spot at this limited event. Beer dinner cost: $65 per person (does not include tax/gratuity)

Prairie Brewing Purchased by ..... Krebs Brewing Company?

The vast majority of the people who drink and enjoy Prairie Brewing beers don't know that Prairie doesn't brew it own beers. Krebs Brewing Company, the brewers of Choc Beers, located in the teenie little town of Krebs, Oklahoma, has been brewing Prairie beers under contract from the inception of Prairie back in 2012.  Since then, Prairie beers have exploded in popularity, partly due to the Shelton Brothers, their distributor, but mostly because they produce some extreme beers. But we were stunned when Prairie announced their sale to Krebs Brewing.  This is the press release from Krebs Brewing owner, Zack Prichard:

I had been waiting on Prairie for years. My family’s brewing heritage spans four generations and runs almost as long as Oklahoma has been a state. It is a proud, well known and enduring tradition. Even with all that by 2012 it seemed like our path had went askew. Something was missing.
One summer morning Michael Lalli, our longtime brewmaster, and I began a conversation that is still unfolding. He told me Chase Healey had approached him at the Wild Brew Festival discussing the idea of contract brewing. Knowing the work Chase had done launching other Oklahoma breweries I was very interested. Chase and I quickly agreed to meet for breakfast at Classen Grill in Oklahoma City.
At that breakfast I was introduced to Prairie. I had anticipated the conversation would center on Chase’s current beers. It soon became apparent he was planning something different. He outlined the beers, the packaging, and the distribution. The concept was innovative, authentic, and exciting. I loved what I was hearing. After years in the industry though, I was skeptical. I thought we might be able to sell a few batches per month at most. Nevertheless, I agreed to the deal. A few weeks later the first batch was in the tank.
I remember realizing early on Prairie was special. I remember bottling the first batch of Prairie Ale when Chase came to visit. I remember Chase doing a Tiger Woods style fist pump after tasting the beer. I remember those first orders we shipped to the Shelton Brothers. I remember the rapid succession of ideas. I remember the long hours that BJ and Micah put in. I remember opening my email in awe to find new labels from Colin. I remember the 24 hour brewday Michael endured for Okie. I remember my parents helping cork and cage bottles. I remember meeting Wes Morrison at Iron Star. I remember Chase and Colin’s mom wax dipping the first batch of Bomb! I remember loving these beers from the very beginning.
Building upon the early success we continued to innovate. We expanded the number of barrel aged beers, experimented with fruit aging and wood fermentation, grew Bomb! into a nationally recognized brand, expanded the Krebs brewery, brought new people onto the team, watched Chase open a facility in west Tulsa, shared beer on every continent expect Africa (let us know if you are an African beer distributor), opened a location in the Brady Arts District, and more than anything continued to make some of the best beer in the world day after day. I could have hardly been more satisfied.
It is obvious that Prairie was the culmination of years of work and ideas and planning for Chase. It is equally obvious that these beers could not have existed without the generations of work in Krebs. It is something very special. We all take great pride in Prairie.
Early on I had been interested in actually owning a part of Prairie. Since I already felt like the beers were a partnership it only made sense. Last year that opportunity presented itself. Chase agreed to allow Krebs Brewing Company to acquire the Prairie brands. It is a humbling move that shows Chase continues to trust us to innovate, make great beer, and share Prairie across the globe. I do not take that trust lightly.
Moving forward our focus remains the same. We will continue sharing our vision for beer while having a great time. We do not plan to slow down though. Something that has always defined Prairie has been a willingness to push the limits by embracing change. That will not change. The next months and years will be filled with new beers, new locations, and other things we have not even considered yet. It is hard to say exactly where we will end up, but I know for sure that it will be a great ride.
Zach Prichard

We here at Dallas Beer Snobs were quite surprised by this news as that Mike Lalli, the brewmaster for Krebs Brewing, is a longtime friend of one of the Snobs, Will Workforbeer.  There are so many questions that arise from the purchase that cannot be answered at this time and will make themselves known in the future as we watch this unfold.  Choc beers, the other brand from Krebs Brewing, are known to play is safe with their brews with no releases that would shock the palate of the average Okie beer drinker. Will their conservative approach of brewing affect any new releases from Prairie?  *Shrug*.  Will Shelton Brothers continue to push Prairie as one of their premier U.S. brands with the creative mind of Chase Healy going on to his next project? *Shrug*. Will Will Workforbeer ever take a real vacation? *Shrug*.  Only time will tell.  - Cheers, Bon Vivant