Beer Festival

viking2011

Would anyone be interested in a beer festival in Waterford

we are thinking of an outdoor event in August, some music, family friendly, inviting micro brewers from all over Ireland to attend, hopefully free admission.

thoughts?

Professey Chin

Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes
YES!!!!

longshanks

viking2011 wrote: »

Would anyone be interested in a beer festival in Waterford

we are thinking of an outdoor event in August, some music, family friendly, inviting micro brewers from all over Ireland to attend, hopefully free admission.

thoughts?

My thoughts? I think I love you.

daftdave

fantastic idea , please make it early august so i can attend when i am back in ireland for a few weeks

ziedth

Sounds like a great idea to me. I'd say there would be a real Market for it too.

viking2011

daftdave wrote: »

fantastic idea , please make it early august so i can attend when i am back in ireland for a few weeks

thinking Sunday 21st August

rayc

Good God yes. And you only need to see how popular the Oktoberfest night in Downes is to know there would be widespread interest in this.

daftdave

viking2011 wrote: »

thinking Sunday 21st August

:(

Fajitas!

Absolutely. I'm quite 'into' my microbrews.

I'm sure Declan in World Wide Wines would be interested and have some contacts. The guys in Hollands in Bray are another good contact. You've got our 2 local breweries, Metalman & Dungarvan Brew Co. and more quite nearby (Carlow Brew Co. in Carlow and the Franciscan Well in Cork, along with more in Galway & Dublin). It'd be great to get some of the UK based microbrewers over too (Brewdog please!!!)

The great thing about organising something like this is getting some the great foodies and restaurants that also have a good interest in beer are well up for this kind of thing. guys down for it - Harry's in Inisowen (who have Dungarvan Blonde on cask), L.Mulligans Grocer in Stoneybatter (Who have Metalman on tap), Bull & Castle (Who also have Metalman on tap), the Porterhouse Brew Co, Against The Grain (Who have another restaurant in Galway afaik), etc all was to be seen promoting Irish food, beer, and their restaurants. I'm sure they'd like the idea.

It'd also be great to see some microbrew workshops. Take a look at the Inishowen Food Festival from a month or two ago for some ideas.

Anyways, if you're going ahead with it, hope there's some folk there that's of some use to you. Would be great to see happening in Waterford. Just try get not get the hotels too excited about it...

jonnyfingers

I'd love to open a proper beer pub in town similar to ones they have in Belgium, where the beer menu is longer than the food menu and each beer comes in its own fancy glass. I'd have both quality draught and a large selection of quality bottled beers. Budweiser need not apply!

Unfortunately I fear it would be very difficult to get off the ground, especially when it comes to price competition but I think there could be a market for it.

And that last part goes to answer your question, I think there would be a lot of interest in a beer festival, preferably in outdoor tents with some food and music on offer!

spdmrphy

Without a doubt, yes! I'm based in Dublin, but would gladly travel for a beer festival. Just try and combine it with local pork-based enterprises... quality beer and quality hotdogs good weekends make.

Loobz

Yeah sounds very good. I can bring a few bottles of my homemade cider.

Fajitas!

spdmrphy wrote: »

quality beer and quality hotdogs good weekends make.

Pork scratchings, and lots of them.

spdmrphy

Get in touch with the Scullion lads up north (Hilden Brewery / Molly's Yard) and also the lads at Whitewater - I'm sure they might have an interest in participating. Tasty beers too...

calvin_zola

ah brilliant!! couple of bottles of dogfish and blue moon yum

Professey Chin

viking2011 wrote: »

thinking Sunday 21st August

I come back from Pukkelpop into this.....jaysus ill be dead :pac:

blaa85

This is a brilliant idea. Would probably draw a bigger crowd than the Tall Ships!

dayshah

I think its a good idea. Try make it a national event, with all the microbreweries in the country.

I doubt Diageo will be happy

I wonder who would sponsor it? Some local pubs maybe.

How about a battle of the beers, where microbreweries fight it out, by giving me lots of beer to see which I like most.

Maybe the first year it should be coupled with another event (like food festival).

MitchKoobski

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD JESUS TAKE-THE-WHEEL-IM-GONNA-LOSE-IT CHRIST YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS

viking2011

that a mover so - im already working with a few breweries and Revolutions list of bottle beers too - think we will keep this one strictly Irish for draught microbreweries.
here is Revolutions Bottle stock -
please advise of any additions and ill see what i can do
and cheers for the positive and rapid response!


World Beers World Beers World Beers
Metalman Pale Ale 4.3% Waterford
Helvick Gold 4.90% Dungarvan
Black Rock 4.30% Dungarvan
Duvel 8.5% Belgium
Baltica 5 5.3% Russia
Bishops Finger 5.4% England
Sam Adams 4.9% USA
Staropramen 5.0% Czech
O'Haras Pale Ale 5.2% Carlow
Curim 4.3% Carlow
Leffe Blonde 6.6% Belgium
Lech Premium 5.2% Poland
Erdinger 5.0% Germany
Erdinger Non Alco 0.0% Germany
Budvar 5.0% Czech
Desperado 5.9% Mexico
Tiger 4.8% Asia
Spitfire 4.50% Britain
Holy Grail 4.70% England
Hobgoblin 5.20% England

old gregg

Why would anyone want to go to a festival to drink beer? I can't see this being a runner.

Yea, I'm up for this.

ziedth

What kind of prices do these micro things be?

viking2011

ziedth wrote: »

What kind of prices do these micro things be?

last one in Bishops Well had beer from €4.20 - €5.00

Joey leBlanc

Great idea. Wish you the best of luck in putting it together. There is a large market for such an event & I truly believe that a specialised "beer" bar would work, even in Waterford!! Not everyone is guided by the major brands.

ziedth

viking2011 wrote: »

last one in Bishops Well had beer from €4.20 - €5.00

That for a pint bottle or 330ml?

I'm a big fan of Budvar when feeling fairly flush so I'd say I would def enjoy trying them.

MetalmanBeers

ziedth wrote: »

That for a pint bottle or 330ml?

I'm a big fan of Budvar when feeling fairly flush so I'd say I would def enjoy trying them.

It depended on what the brewery was selling, so included both draught pints and 330ml bottles.

We think this is a great idea as well, delighted to participate and hope we can get it off the ground!

mayordenis

I think it would work well, not only is there a market with just the Waterford heads but there is a pretty large contingent of people who try go to all the beer festivals in the country, there's definately a good amount of people who make it to all the ones in Dublin, Cork, Galway and the north so that's definately going to add to numbers. And with people coming from afar you never know you might just be able to sort something out with the council or something along those lines as it might just be good for some other business about town.

Seperate to that I think the date is good while it might be good to try and go for Spraoi it might also be pointless as business would be very good around Spraoi anyway so not really any point crossing the 2.

Beoir has a great list of all the micro breweries in the country all making excellent beer really

http://www.beoir.org/index.php?option=com_sobi2&catid=7&Itemid=79

viking2011 wrote: »

that a mover so - im already working with a few breweries and Revolutions list of bottle beers too - think we will keep this one strictly Irish for draught microbreweries.
here is Revolutions Bottle stock -
please advise of any additions and ill see what i can do

I think a good idea would be to look at the Brewdog range, 77 Lager, 5AM Saint, Punk IPA, Zeitgiest, Trashy Blonde - because obviously you would only have to deal with 1 wholesaler to get access to the range and they offer alot of great beer in styles that you're not stocking at the moment along with keeping the price in and around 4.50-5 a bottle I would think.

LK_Dave

Sounds deadly. A couple of suggestions

• A swap section so home brewers could bring and swap their brews. I don't mind giving non brewers a sample.
• Maybe invite some of the homebrew shops to setup stalls
• A lecture/presentation on home brewing covering starter to advanced.

I know it is a beer festival and not a home brew expo but there is a huge interest in the subject these days and would increase your customer base.

jmkell

jonnyfingers wrote: »

I'd love to open a proper beer pub in town similar to ones they have in Belgium, where the beer menu is longer than the food menu and each beer comes in its own fancy glass. I'd have both quality draught and a large selection of quality bottled beers. Budweiser need not apply!

Unfortunately I fear it would be very difficult to get off the ground, especially when it comes to price competition but I think there could be a market for it.

And that last part goes to answer your question, I think there would be a lot of interest in a beer festival, preferably in outdoor tents with some food and music on offer!

your dream is similar to the bull & castles reality....the beer menu is longer that the food menu and they rotate the cask there too....one of my favourite pubs in ireland!!

Trick of the Tail

Superb idea, long overdue!

I'll be there!

Andy

daveyeh

viking2011 wrote: »

Would anyone be interested in a beer festival in Waterford

we are thinking of an outdoor event in August, some music, family friendly, inviting micro brewers from all over Ireland to attend, hopefully free admission.

thoughts?

Do it!