I survived Great Taste of the Midwest

Yesterday was our second favorite beer event of the year (Savor is awesome in a totally different way.) Beer Geek joined me in Wisconsin for the weekend and my parents kept the kids. We stay at a hotel right near the event (if you follow me on twitter, you know I already booked our hotel for next year LOL. You also know I had a great time yesterday.)

This was the 25th year of this event and you can tell they’ve got it down to a science. There’s a huge crowd waiting to get in when the gates open, but they get you in quickly and efficiently. This year we were smart and brought chairs to set up under a tree. So, we got in, parked our chairs, grabbed a beer, and got food all within about 15 minutes of gates opening.  In fact, I never stood in a line more than 3 deep to refill my beer.

This is a marathon not a sprint (five hours of unlimited tasting), so we took our time and enjoyed ourselves. We met up with a few VA people we knew were going and then met up with Steena from Finding My Happy Pace and her husband. The weather was perfect until the last hour and then it poured. We kept drinking anyways. ;o)

Random crowd pic – it was gorgeous out!

Brewer from New Holland (maker of one of my favorite beers).  I think he’s dressed as the cowardly lion.

Yes, my shirt says “First Wife”.  On the back it says “Polygamy Pale Ale: A marriage of barley and hops and hops.”  I got a lot of comments on the shirt. LOL

Now I need to go take a nap.  Sure wish beer didn’t give me insomnia.  (And Jamoosh, be very jealous.  They had an entire tent of Real Ales and I tried a ridiculous number of them.)