World Beer Festival Durham 2007, and Durham beer culture generally

World Beer Festival 2007 in Durham is Saturday, 6 October.  That seems a long time away, but it isn't: online tickets have already sold out.  Traditional, paper ticket sales start tomorrow (1 September).  You can get tickets at Sam's Quik Shop, Alivia's, and the Fed, plus other locations outside Durham.  The festival will be at the DAP, as usual. 

You know, it's amazing how much beer culture Durham has for a city of a little over 200,000 people.  I attribute some of it to Durham's being the home of All About Beer magazine, who sponsors the Festival.  Maybe there's more to it than that, but in any case, it's nice.  For instance, a week ago I went to The Beauty of Bitter, a beer tasting at American Tobacco.  It had a list of (mostly) highly hopped, interesting beers.  Everything I tasted was at least 6 or 7 on my informal scale of 1 to 10.  (Unfortunately I lost my tasting notes, or you'd have already seen a blog post about it.)  The tasting was run by Sean Wilson from Pop The Cap, also based here.  Then there are the smaller stories: Sam's Quik Shop (AKA the Blue Light), which has kept up a nice beer selection for as long as I've been in Durham, despite a number of challenges; Fishmonger's, who've had 20 or more beers on tap and that many or more in bottles for as long as I can remember (even when beer wasn't cool, the 'Shmong was the first place I remember seeing Guinness on tap); now we've got a brewery again (let's hope this one stays), and perhaps another in the pipe....

So, go buy your tickets tomorrow, lest you not make it in at all.  Durham: It's Not Just for Breakfast Anymore.  :)

Comments

[Kira]

I have never gotten into beer. Wine remains my main poison.

Which reminds me...have you ever tried any South African Pinotage? My verdict is that it's basically like dropping a little Windex in your nice red wine and then drinking it. BRRRR. I hate that shit. I made Alex try it to see his reaction. I thought he'd throw up. That's some nasty crap. I can't believe that anybody WANTS to grow pinotage.

[peetoteeto]

Joe, great to meet you! Sorry you lost your notes.

I've placed a few pictures on the PTC website: http://popthecap.org.

Kira, I have a theory that just about everyone has a beer they like...it's just a matter of finding the right style. I've had people tell me the same exact thing and then go crazy over an 11% Old Ale paired with an artisan blue cheese. Or a tart, 4% lambic that's more like champagne than beer.

[Maura]

I like the idea of the Beer Festival. Though many of my friends have turned to wine, I'm still a beer drinker. How can you go wrong by celebrating all things beer?
But I'm not a fan of the Beer Festival. I've been to one, which was enough. It was crowded, it was hot, there were very few food stands (important when you're drinking), and there were too damned many frat boys.

[Eric J]

And a moment of silence for Michael Jackson...

[Kira]

...well, it's possible that a beer could be found that I'd like. The only beer I've ever enjoyed was a blueberry beer, so that's why I didn't list it off. That is, sometimes people don't consider blueberry beer "beer!" It was the Seadog Bluepaw Wild Wheat Blueberry Ale (I think I'm remembering the title correctly). I can down one of those happily, but that's about it. I need to find a beer I can like because Red Dragon cheese can only be paired best with beer, and man do I love that cheese.

[Joe]

Kira, I think I've had a pinotage, but I don't remember anything about it. Same thing with South African wines -- think I've had one, but don't really remember. Windex doesn't sound yummy though. :)

Sean: Good to meet you too. But now that we've met, I need to tell you that my identity must remain a strict secret. I'll be sending you a Secret Decoder Ring in the mail. :) Do you have a location for your brewery yet? And can you let us in on anything that's going to be in the WBF Cask Ale tent this year?

For those of you who don't know, Sean is the force behind North Carolina's Pop The Cap, which is the reason I can now go into Sam's Blue Light and pick up a 4-pack of Samichlaus.

Maura: The Beer Festival isn't all wine and cheese, so to speak. :) But it's fun. Last time I went, there were plenty of food stands, including Bullock's, which had good hush puppies. There are usually a certain number of drunks hanging around, unfortunately. Maybe this year's ticket price of $35 will keep them out. I really enjoyed the guided tasting I went to last year, which was free -- no extra charge.

BTW, I figured most of our friends would drink anything, but what do I know. ;)

Eric: I was thinking of doing a Michael Jackson post, but I saw enough others that I didn't feel like I'd have anything to add. But here's a link to Beer Hunter and Jackson's NYT obituary. I think the picture with the obit is great.

Kira (again): Seadog Ale? Arrr! ;)

man do I love that cheese

And how does that differ from many thousands of other types of cheese, O Cheese Luvin' Woman? :)

[9/9]

I went to one Beer Festival and enjoyed it, though I agree that it was too crowded. The real problem seemed to be that there was no open space between the booths. What I would have preferred was to spread the booths out a bit so that you could get a beer, step back away from the booth, enjoy it slowly, talk about with your friends, then find another booth. At the festival I was at, there was no where to stand and have your beer that wasn't jam packed and loud.

I want a beer festival to be about trying and enjoying beer, not slamming down as much as possible.

[Joe]

9/9: Agreed. I'm hoping the $35 ticket price will help keep the drunken fratboys out: they can take their $35, go to (say) Tyler's, and get a lot drunker for the money. A few years ago, some drunken asshole spat on a friend of mine who was working the WBF. Ugh.

Noise was definitely a problem last time I went; more specifically: The music tent was right up next to the beer tents, along with where some of the guided tastings were being done. It was really heard to hear. I know they can't just put whatever they want wherever they want (partially because of the occasional problem they've had with the field being torn up), but getting the music as far away as possible from the other stuff seems like it would help a lot.

[Barry]

Michael Jackson died? Well, fuck. And i spent the weekend drinking wine in the Yadkin Valley. I'll have to head over to Sam's and pick up something appropriate for the sendoff.

Joe - i worked the AAB guided tasting tent the past two years, and it was a lot of fun. I'll be out of town this year right up until the 6th, so i won't be able to work, and probably won't even be able to attend. Maura - my experience of the WBF is that the frat boys are at the evening session. The afternoon session is less devoted to people getting drunk, although it can be warm. First weekend in October can go either way around here.

If you're up for making a weekend out of it, i talked to some folks who will be at the Asheville Brewgrass Festival in a couple of weeks. That looks like a stellar event, although not quite as large as WBF.

Kira - beers come in at least as many varieties and styles as wine. There's one out there for you.

BTW - had a chance to try TBC's new offering last week at Satisfaction. Two thumbs up.

[Joe]

Barry: Thanks for the additional information. I kept thinking I'd try to get together with you and have a taste of the Triangle Brewing Company offering that's floating around, but I haven't.

You know, maybe we should start the Durham Beer Company. Maybe even get Keith Klemp to come along and tell us what we're doing wrong. Of course, it's not like I've got any money or anything to do this with. :)

[Maura]

The Beer Festival isn't all wine and cheese, so to speak. :) But it's fun. Last time I went, there were plenty of food stands, including Bullock's, which had good hush puppies. There are usually a certain number of drunks hanging around, unfortunately. Maybe this year's ticket price of $35 will keep them out. I really enjoyed the guided tasting I went to last year, which was free -- no extra charge.
I'd be pretty aggravated if it were all wine and cheese.
mmmm....hush puppies.
BTW, I figured most of our friends would drink anything, but what do I know. ;)
Truer words were never spoken.

Barry, I always forget that there's an afternoon session. That would make a difference. Thanks.

[barry]

Joe - i like making and drinking beer too much to try to earn a living at it.

I picked up a bottle of Hoogstraten Poorter at Sam's to toast Michael Jackson with. Bought it as much for the bottle as anything. My review would be decidedly ore positive than many of the others. My pour had a rich head and adequate carbonation. I'm guessing that in some places the beer had been mishandled. A bit pricey and out of my league for regular drinking, though.

[Joe]

I might pick up one of these.

[peetoteeto]

Joe, you can try out that Ommegeddon at Tyler's as well. It's pretty young and harsh...it could use a year or two in the cellar, which the label actually recommends. But I sure do love that wild yeast. Not sure I can wait that long.

[Kira]

What??? Are you insinuating that I would WHORE MYSELF OUT for CHEEEESE, Joe?

(damn man knows me too well...)

[Joe]

Folks, I turned Kira into my personal cheese ho -- like a crack ho -- by giving her a couple of pounds of the finest Parmigiano-Reggiano. First one was free, but now I've got her hooked. Soon she'll be recruiting for me, because she knows what side her grilled cheese sandwich is cheesed on, you know? Being a food dealer has its advantages. ;)