Decatur Beer Festival Map and Brewers List Now Online
Decatur Metro | October 13, 2010 | 11:13 am
If you were lucky enough to get tickets to the Decatur Beer Festival in the 6 hours and 42 minutes they were available for purchase, you’ve probably been wondering which beer tables you will be able approach with your sticky tasting glass in hand and a boozy smirk on your face. “MORE BEER PLEASE!”
Anyway, it looks like the Beer Map and List are finally up on the Fest’s website in PDF form. Lots of great choices on there this year. From Founders to Smuttynose to Weyerbacher to all the even tastier beers I’m too ignorant to know about, this Beer Fest team sure knows how put together the best beer selection of all the Atlanta beer festivals!
This Saturday will mark my first opportunity to enjoy the Decatur Beer Festival, and I’m looking for tips on how to make the most of the experience.
Can anyone who has been in years past comment on what to expect in terms of beer availability? Are tables likely to run out? Should I head in with a strategy, or is it a more relaxed affair with no worry regarding whether my favorite breweries will still be distributing samples?
There’s plenty of beer. Some of the more potent things, like Belgian brews, may run out, but the vendors have been there before and know the drill. Of course, the sampling glass you get is small by design so you can sample. And, part of the fun is trying things you don’t know.
Go with a plan. Most breweries are likely to run out by the last hour or so. If you want something specific then head to those breweries in the first few hours. The lines for Sweetwater, Terrapin and the major Belgium breweries (think Chimay) will be long.
Siv, you are in for a treat. Note that the beer glass is quite small, but after 20-30 refills, you will in fact be *hammered*. Even if you are a seasoned taster, a true connossieur, taking notes relative to where on the tongue you capture the bitterness of each sip, it is easy to get absurdly blitzed if you are not careful. In my experience, the first hour or two go by in a relatively sane manner, but the last couple hours get weird – glasses shattering, Buckhead Junior Leaguers making out with Kirkwood body-art enthusiasts, cats and dogs living together – mass hysteria.
I need to be sure to remember my camera.
That pretty much sums it up–minus the mention of King Size.
I’m working the festival as a Gate Captain. So, please don’t give me a hard time. Don’t bring any babies or pets, don’t bring your own glasses, and if you plan to get sloshed, figure out how to get home without driving or walking drunk.
We will start scanning tickets at about 11:30 a.m., and the gates open at noon.
Lots of people wear necklaces of pretzels to nosh on during the fest.
It’s going to be a lot of fun. Wear sunscreen.
No “walking drunk?” The festival will be full of walking drunks.
According to the book Superfreakanomics, walking drunk is more lethal than driving drunk. However I don’t think they took into consideration that a lot of “walkers” that get killed are folks who get inebriated and go to sleep in the road.
Good recommendation on the pretzels, as beer gets lonely without something to eat.
Also remember to not wear your fanciest clothes & shoes. I worked the gate last year and was amazed at some of the folks coming in who got all dressed up (especially given the cold weather in 2009). It isn’t a rowdy crowd, but the inadvertent beer spill or two is bound to happen, so dress appropriately.
Follow-up question prompted by the pretzels: what are the other food options there? Are surrounding restaurants open? Standard food vendors like other Decatur festivals?
All the usual places around the square will be open. No food vendors actually inside the festival, but you can pass in and out (poor choice of words) with your wristband.
What are the food vendors listed on the map, up around the Brick Store?
There actually will be food inside the event-a few local eateries and the Decatur Bulldog Booster Club will be selling snacks as well!
Now that I think of it, you’re right. I do remember getting a brat from the Booster Club in years past, thanks to Ann Berg’s coercion.
Yes please do come to the Booster Club booth and buy a brat and a burger! All proceeds benefit our student atheltes at DHS and RMS. We will be located right across from the Brick Store Pub. GO BULLDOGS!!
Given your location, is there any chance you guys can get some of BSP’s incredible mustard for your brats? Guarantee you will sell out if you have that addictive condiment available at a beer festival.
The mustard they had was pretty good – check them out.