Beer is beer is beer as always and I’ve never liked it for its bitter taste. However, as my knowledge increased, so is my appreciation for the beverage. Initially, I was contemplating whether I was going to volunteer just to put my foot on the door but wasn’t so sure whether I would show up or not, after all beer is a beverage and part of the food industry.
The organizers have strict rules in these events for volunteers. You must have a government issued i.d. which will show proof of legal drinking age plus a valid credit card which they will credit a fee once they find out that you’ve been ‘drinking on the job’, thus charge you a fee of $65 which is the entrance amount for the festival. After all, volunteers don’t get paid for the job but can enjoy the festival after their shift.
I was assigned booth no. 10 with a brewery called the 21st Ammendment. The exhibitor said, “If they ask you what the name stands for, just say that it was because of the ‘prohibition’ issued known as the 18th Ammendment prohibiting the sale and use of liquor, and that the 21st ammendment repealed that prohibition.”......Okay, so I said, that’s some American history there..
Our booth had a table with a cooler that contained a tank inside which was covered in ice. There were four holes each connected to tubes. Two of the tubes were connected to the the two kegs that had the beers, while the other two were the tap handles where the beer comes out. We had two black buckets which served as a waste receptacle while two clear ones we used to fill up with beer and pour to the guest’s shot glasses.
The exhibitor gave us a short explanation about the brews. One was called , ‘Back in Black’ which was a dark colored beer, while the one assigned to me (regular yellowish) was called, “Brew Free OR DIE”. Such a crazy name for a beer. Anyway, the exhibitor rambled away, that ‘one was 6.7 percent that started with malt and ended with hops while the other was 7 percent and they are both IPA. ”.....Deep inside me I had no idea what she was talking about, yet just like a robot, I did convey to the beer drinkers the information. The only info I really understood was that the brewery was based in San Francisco.
As the festival was going on, I tried to size up the people who graced these events. Of course there where already those that had beer bellies, some where bartenders wanting information about having good beer in their restaurants, and the aficionados who just want to have fun . Time flew so fast that you kind of know when it was over because some of the people were starting to slur, or that they looked sunburnt even when they were indoors the whole time. Others were cheery and calling me ‘love, sweetheart or dear’. I can only count with one hand how many guys thanked me by my name and one was an editor of a beer magazine who thought our beer was great.
These festivals often leave me in awe at how such a small beginning can turn into something big. There are over 5,000 breweries across the U.S. and most started as backyard hobbies. I did try some of the beers but just enough to circle my mouth , the rest I threw away. I did get some distinctions with some that were earthy, fruity, gingery, citrusy , peppery kind. Oh and I did get some knowledge that there are so called session beers. Anything that has a 5% alcohol content or lower is called a session beer because a beer drinker can have multiple beers within a given period of time before they can feel the alcohol in it.......
As for me, I think I’ll stick to my wine
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