The weekend has passed and with so many beer activities there seemed to be something for everyone. Sadly I missed Big Beer Friday at Stewart's Brewing in Bear DE. It was the celebration before their 13th Anniversary bash on Saturday. Being a huge fan of bourbon aged beers I was really looking forward to the bourbon stout and barleywine. Hey sometimes life hands ya lemons instead of bourbon stout and ya deal with it. If you went please let me know about the festivities.
On Saturday night I did go to the Brew at the Zoo beer tasting fundraiser for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation held at the Philadelphia Zoo. In past years the event was held at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown. My guess is the move to Philadelphia allowed more people to enjoy the event and hopefully more money raised for the UMDF. However it was soon obvious that the organizers were not prepared for the amount of beer drinkers flowing through the gates. The one thing that can destroy a good time at any tasting event is the inability to taste. This was a problem from the start. After getting wrist b
ands we were told that
they were out of the complimentary tasting mugs. Instead we were given clear plastic Solo cups. OK, not a huge issue, just no cute souvenir mug to commemorate the day. Once inside just getting a beer became a problem. People waited 10 to 20 minutes plus to receive a 2oz pour. Soon tables were overwhelmed with grumbling festival goers. Long lines never put people in a good mood. Also slowing down the process of getting a beer was the fact that most of the servers had to take the time to open and pour from bottles. Sure it's only a few seconds but, combined with a lack of servers, time adds up. The large crowds then caused the next issue. By 8pm several tables were dry. NO BEER!!! No beer at a beer tasting? Say it ain't so, but it happened. I stood in two lines for more than 15 minutes each to then hear the words, "Sorry we're out of beer". Rrrrrrrr...there is no bigger way to upset people at a beer event than to announce that the beverage they came to enjoy is kicked. Of course this only served to make the lines longer at the tables that were still serving beer. Now before I sound like the king of negativity I will say that the venue was great. Walking around the zoo and checking out the wildlife was fun. Having food and non alcoholic drinks included is something I wish more festivals did. Not having to worry about too few bathrooms was a blessing. The fact that so many people came out on a beautiful night and raised money for a charity was fantastic. However the event execution was lacking. Maybe it was all due to the new venue? Even so if this event is going to successfully continue at the Philadelphia Zoo the structure has to change. Limiting ticket sales doesn't seem like a good idea since the money raised goes to charity. However, coordinators may need to follow the lead of other beer festivals and conduct more than one session. More servers, more beer and more tables are needed. Ideally more breweries or distributors should take part. I am sure that the organizers will look into it and make the needed adjustments. I look forward to seeing if things turn around next year. I love the idea of spending an evening with friends, drinking a few beers and watching the animals. I just don't want to slash and claw my way through a mob to do it.
On Saturday night I did go to the Brew at the Zoo beer tasting fundraiser for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation held at the Philadelphia Zoo. In past years the event was held at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown. My guess is the move to Philadelphia allowed more people to enjoy the event and hopefully more money raised for the UMDF. However it was soon obvious that the organizers were not prepared for the amount of beer drinkers flowing through the gates. The one thing that can destroy a good time at any tasting event is the inability to taste. This was a problem from the start. After getting wrist b
ands we were told that
they were out of the complimentary tasting mugs. Instead we were given clear plastic Solo cups. OK, not a huge issue, just no cute souvenir mug to commemorate the day. Once inside just getting a beer became a problem. People waited 10 to 20 minutes plus to receive a 2oz pour. Soon tables were overwhelmed with grumbling festival goers. Long lines never put people in a good mood. Also slowing down the process of getting a beer was the fact that most of the servers had to take the time to open and pour from bottles. Sure it's only a few seconds but, combined with a lack of servers, time adds up. The large crowds then caused the next issue. By 8pm several tables were dry. NO BEER!!! No beer at a beer tasting? Say it ain't so, but it happened. I stood in two lines for more than 15 minutes each to then hear the words, "Sorry we're out of beer". Rrrrrrrr...there is no bigger way to upset people at a beer event than to announce that the beverage they came to enjoy is kicked. Of course this only served to make the lines longer at the tables that were still serving beer. Now before I sound like the king of negativity I will say that the venue was great. Walking around the zoo and checking out the wildlife was fun. Having food and non alcoholic drinks included is something I wish more festivals did. Not having to worry about too few bathrooms was a blessing. The fact that so many people came out on a beautiful night and raised money for a charity was fantastic. However the event execution was lacking. Maybe it was all due to the new venue? Even so if this event is going to successfully continue at the Philadelphia Zoo the structure has to change. Limiting ticket sales doesn't seem like a good idea since the money raised goes to charity. However, coordinators may need to follow the lead of other beer festivals and conduct more than one session. More servers, more beer and more tables are needed. Ideally more breweries or distributors should take part. I am sure that the organizers will look into it and make the needed adjustments. I look forward to seeing if things turn around next year. I love the idea of spending an evening with friends, drinking a few beers and watching the animals. I just don't want to slash and claw my way through a mob to do it. 
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