Joshua Fortin
For the first time, I will be attending Extreme Beer Fest. This epic beer festival will be held on February 2-3 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. The 3 sessions will be Friday from 6-9:30, Saturday from 12-3:30, and then 6-9:30 on Saturday night. Am I excited? Sure. Anyone who has seen the lineup knows it’s going to be insane. What I’m most excited about is the opportunity to go as a host of a show on 990 WBOB.com, the NEWBD Tap Takeover. While my partner Ben (the real brains of the operation) will not be attending due to a work conference in Texas, I have recruited someone to accompany me on this epic journey. Todd is a friend of the NEWBD show, and an avid beer connoisseur. He even co-hosted the show with me one week when Ben was MIA, and he had tons to contribute. I asked him what he was most excited about at EBF, and he contributed the following:
“Honestly, for me, after seeing the list it’s less about the breweries and more about the styles. I see a ton of wild ales that I’m excited about…and cream ales! The breweries I’m most excited for are J. Wakefield, 2Cabecas from Brazil, Upland, Transmitter, 4 Quarters, Carton, and Against the Grain because it’s also a smokehouse. What to look out for: most of the beers I haven’t had, but one brewery that always brings it and to me is very underrated is 4 Quarters (Winooski, VT). I’ve always been very impressed with them. Also, I’ll definitely be in the mood for some milk stouts – looking forward to trying an array of the different styles available.”
I couldn’t agree more with him about the crazy amount of different styles being offered by this lineup. I was also surprised to learn that this is the 15th anniversary of EBF, and it’s their biggest one ever with over 90 breweries and almost 400 different beers. During the 3 sessions, there will be 4 different food vendors at the venue (my go to looks like it will be Roxy’s Grilled Cheese), and Sam Adams will be bringing the obligatory Utopias…but even the craft beer OG is stepping it up this year, bringing a 2009 vintage to the show! All in all, this should be a crazy time…and Todd has agreed that going to all 3 sessions is a must for an event like this. If I plan on trying all of the beers I have bookmarked, I will definitely need 3 sessions to do it. Some breweries I’m totally pumped for are Aslin Beer Company, Barreled Souls Brewing Company (in particular their Stay Puft Stout, and Raspberry Beret), Vanished Valley, and Bottle Logic…but seriously, there are probably so many hidden gems on this list that I’m excited to try them all. Above all else, what I love most about beer festivals like this one is the camaraderie among fellow beer geeks. If I’ve learned anything in my beer travels, I’ve learned this: listen to what people are buzzing about and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you see something that looks good or hear someone talking about something that was good, ask them what it was. Strike up a conversation. You may find an awesome beer that wasn’t on your radar initially. You may find a beer trading partner for the future. Who knows. People at these types of events tend to be very friendly because they’re in a great mood. Who wouldn’t be when they’re surrounded by countless beer vendors waiting to give them endless samples of their delicious hops? It’s not possible. More About Extreme Beer Fest 2018 from Beer Advocate Besides hosting this website and publishing an industry-leading magazine, BeerAdvocate (BA) has organized and hosted hundreds of social gatherings, tastings, pairings, beer dinners, educational events, fundraisers and founded two beer weeks since its inception in 1996. We've also hosted over 60 ticketed beer festivals since 2003, ranging from intimate 500 person VIP sessions to two-day, three-session fests that pull over 15,000 attendees from around the globe. Inspired by our motto "Respect Beer®," and unlike far too many other beer fests, we pay for the beer and waive booth fees to further support and respect brewers and their work. To date we've spent well-over $2 million on beer poured at our fests. Furthermore, brewer attendance is required to ensure the highest level of representation and education for our attendees. For tickets and more info click here More Suds
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