It’s here! It’s here! The 2015 Windsor Craft Beer Festival is just days away! Here are a few tips to help get the most out of the Windsor Craft Beer Festival.
Buy your ticket in advance.
Save yourself the headache and the dollars and buy your ticket in advance online if only for one reason: it’s cheaper. That means you can put your saved money to use sampling beers.
Once you get to the event, we’ll scan your ticket, give you a WCBF tasting cup, 5 tokens and you’re off.
Bring Cash
You know the saying. Cash is king. While we will have an ATM machine on site, it may have lineups. Why be waiting when you could be enjoying yourself? Be prepared and bring enough cash to purchase the amount of tastings you think you can responsibly have and maybe some extra in case you want to buy something else. The tokens at the Windsor Craft Beer Festival will be accepted for both beer and food.
Dress Warm
It’s October. It’s going to be cold and the beer won’t warm you up as much you as think. While we will have heaters on site we recommend you pick up a few of those nifty hand warmer thingys or wear a fashionable Windsor Craft Beer Festival Toque (hint: they’ll be on sale during the event). I’ve gone to outdoor craft beer festivals in the middle of February. Did I wear a light jacket? Hell no. I layered up. Layers are your best friend
Try Something New
We’ve worked really hard to select brewers and beers that you won’t find at other festivals in the region. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something you might not normally try. The great thing about craft beer is the amazing and sometimes wacky flavour combinations that brewers come up with. At Windsor Craft Beer Festival you have the ability to purchase 4oz, 8oz or 12oz samples. So you could spend the night just sampling away or find that one favourite beer and stick with it.
Be Social
We mean this in the literal and digital sense. Talk to the brewers, ask them questions (just don’t cause a lineup behind you). Follow the conversation on FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram using #WCBF2015
Eat!
We’ve worked closely with our vendors (Road Chef, Robbie’s Gourmet Sausage Co. and Motor Burger) to create some tasty treats that will compliment the beer nicely. Robbie’s has even gone a step further and introduced some new sausages and ones made with beer. Mmmm mmmm!!! Sausages!
(Human) Adults Only, Please
No kids, no pets. no yetis. Please don’t arrive to the festival with any of these if you want smooth, easy access into the grounds. Ok, maybe we’ll let you bring the yeti in, but, only if he agrees to sing karaoke on stage.
Balance is Key
Remember to balance your taste buds. Don’t start a tasting session with a beer with an IBU (international bitterness units) of 90 and expect to be able to taste anything but hops from then on. Start lower and work your way up. Your taste buds will thank you.
Water is what sustains life. Especially at a beer festival. You want to be able to pace yourself and make sure you stay hydrated so you can properly enjoy the special brews available. There’s no shame in drinking water.
Be the Tortoise, Not The Hare
Slow and steady wins the race. This festival isn’t about drinking as much and as quickly as you can. Please remember, this is a beer tasting event, not a beer guzzling event. We encourage you to try many different beers to see all that craft beer has to offer!
Be Safe and Responsible
The most important rule of them all is to drink responsibly. Our festival grounds (Willistead Park) is set within a neighbourhood so parking will be at a premium. We encourage you to walk, bike, take public transit, a cab or have a friend/family member drop you off. At the end of the day we want all our patrons to safely return home to the people who love them…or to their cats.
