International Beer Fest Survival Guide

Going to a beer festival can take a lot of preparation so we have made a list of things for you to remember before heading out this weekend to the International Beer Festival at the I-X Center in Cleveland.

Make a must-drink list – With over 200 breweries on hand and over 800 beers, you obviously won’t have the time nor the ablity to drink all of them so come prepared with a list of ones you are dying to try. Last year, I missed some great ones simply because it was just too overwhelming to find what I wanted.

Bring a small notebook and pen – You will probably drink some awesome beers and want to track them down again sometime in the future. Jot down the beers that you really loved so you can search for them around town.

Pack some Turmeric  – Yeah, I never heard of it either until my wife mentioned it one day before a night of drinking. Take a tablet or two before boozing it up and you are good to go the morning after.

Go on a full stomach – Don’t go on an empty stomach or you will be drunk by the first few swigs. A lot of these beers are higher in alcohol volume than you are used to and you will be surprised at how fast you get buzzed. Last year, we completely forgot and had to eat some horrendous fast food just blocks from the I-X Center just so we could get our drink on and not get wasted right away.

Be talkative – Many of those pouring the beer at these festivals are from the breweries themselves so don’t hesitate to pick their brains. Don’t be afraid to talk a little and find out more about the brewery and how they make this beer or that one. Most love talking about their creations and it can make for some very interesting conversations.

Be adventurous – Try some drinks that may be slightly out of your comfort zone. You may think you don’t like a certain style of beer because you tasted one once before and didn’t like it. That doesn’t mean you hate all of them. Don’t shy away from something simply because the description seems a bit strange. It may be the best beer you have all night.

Pace yourself – Don’t drink a lot really fast. These things go on for hours, so take your time with each sample. Even if you are not a beer connoisseur, enjoy the beer. Take a sniff of the aroma. Drink it slow. Enjoy it. For one night, be a beer snob.