BY OWEN MORRIS
The Brew Ha-Ha crowd around 6 p.m.
The American Royal's first Brew-Ha-Ha was this past Saturday. With more than 100 beers to be sample, festival-goers wasted no time. "Back already?" The volunteer at the Sam Adams table asked the man in front of me. I checked my watch; the event had only been open for five minutes. The $22 ticket price might have created a sense of urgency that compelled a small few to consume as many of the unlimited samples as they could handle. The majority of the crowd, however, was more like Andrew Sunderman, Issac Zohner and cousins Jon and Jared Oswald.
Left to right: Jared Oswald, Jon Oswald, Issac Zohner, Andrew Sunderman
The foursome from Nebraska had staked out a table in the middle of Hale arena to compare notes after each sample. "I've done more studying at this event than I do at school," Zohner said. "It's worth it, though, because I can walk into a liquor store and not have to waste the money on an entire six-pack. I can try it and know if I like it." Zohner put stars next to some of his favorites, including Flying Monkey's Wheat, Budweiser's Shock-Top and Samuel Adams' Oktoberfest.
Issac Zohner's cheat sheet.
Waiting in line for samples from the Rogue Brewery, Andrew Greene said he really liked the beers from Granite City and Ameristar Brew Pub. "I'm just trying to expand my repertoire." When I asked Greene what his favorite beer was before the event, he glanced around before whispering. "I really like Natural Light."
His friend Craig Fisher was quick to rescue him. "Boulevard Pale Ale is hard to top ... it's not just about beer, it's about supporting the American Royal and encouraging them to keep doing this event."
Craig Fisher and Andrew Greene.
There was no shortage among the local companies amid the nearly 30 breweries represented. In addition to Boulevard Brewery, other local brewers included 75th Street Brewery and Weston Brewing Company, while wineries included St. James, Peaceful Bend, Somerset Ridge, Baltimore Bend, Inland Sea and Adam Puchta.
R.J. Nab, brewery manager at Granite City, said it was a great to be able to interact with so many other people in the business. "The crowd has been really knowledgeable, too. I'm impressed and I'm having fun!" Nab said that while he'd been recommending the Indian Pale Ale, it was Granite City's Brother Bennie Bock that the crowd couldn't get enough of. "It's got a really smooth finish and it's going quick."
The Granite City brewers work to quickly fill patrons' cups.
I left the event around 7:30 but people were still streaming in. Even the ticket takers were getting in the vibrant mood. "See you next year!" one yelled. Hopefully, he was right.
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