Summer will be over before you know it and on the Texas Gulf Coast, the end of summer is marked by the annual BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival. Sponsored by Food & Vine Time Productions and now in its seventh year, the Brewmasters Craft Beer Festival has quickly become a Labor Day weekend tradition in Galveston, attracting people from all over the state and the nation to this memorable celebration of beer and community.
BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival is renowned for its many beer- related events that go far beyond merely tasting and evaluating new suds. The event is educational in scope as well and Food & Vine Time Productions Executive Director Clifton McDerby says the event’s multi- faceted nature is precisely the reason the festival is so popular with the craft beer loving public.
“Our vision has always been to produce the best quality craft beer festival in the state by providing beer lovers with the widest selection of craft beers available at any Texas festival, along with brew education as well as introducing new brews that are available for the first time at BrewMasters,” remarked McDerby. “BrewMasters offers up more than just great craft beer, it is also a place to learn about the inspiring craft beer industry and the people who make it a force to be reckoned with,” McDerby added.
BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival runs for three days and includes beer tastings, liquor tastings, food, local excursions on Galveston Island, and more. The 2016 edition begins Friday, September 2 at 7 p.m. with a brand new event, Nach-Yo Ordinary Tequila Tasting, an occasion sure to thrill the tequila aficionados among us. Following this one hour tequila tasting will be the traditional BrewMasters Friday Night Pub Crawl at 8 p.m., a roundabout trip aboard a party bus, hitting some of Galveston’s best taverns.
Saturday, September 3 is when most of the fun takes place, starting with the Texas Brewery Tasting Tour. This gathering of Texas breweries keeps growing and expanding each year, much like the industry it represents. Guests have the opportunity to sample featured beer selections from each participating brewery plus a “Taste it First” selection not available to anyone else. The Texas Brewery Tasting Tour runs from 11:30 – 12:45 p.m. and it’s the perfect way to connect with Texas brewing personnel and sample products not available in every part of the state.
Saturday afternoon, BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival introduces its most anticipated even of all, the BrewHaHa Grand Tasting. This midday beer festival will feature more than 400 beer selections from Texas, the United States, and the world. Like with the Texas Brewery Tasting, guests will have multiple “Taste it First” selections, which offer exclusive access to sample brand new beers not available elsewhere. Those who want to get a running head start can opt for a VIP pass, which grants early access to the BrewHaHa Grand Tasting plus entry to the BrewHaHa VIP Premium Lounge. Inside the lounge, VIP Guests will enjoy live music, several food options, and premium beer sampling. The VIP access begins at 2 p.m. and the Grand Tasting at 3 p.m.
Once the BrewHaHa Grand Tasting draws to a close, guests will want to stick around for the Beach, Brews, and Bands at Moody Garden’s Palm Beach with a live concert at Palm Beach. This begins at 6 p.m. and closes out the day’s events. On Sunday, the fun continues with another new event, Brew-B-Que, scheduled from 12 noon to 5 p.m. & featuring smokin’ hot smokehouse specialties by local Pitmaster extraordinaire Patrick Feges. The afternoon of barbecue will be enhanced with live music and, of course, plenty of brews. Beach, Brews, and Bands then returns for another evening of excitement on Sunday as the BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival draws to a close.
Brewmasters Craft Beer Festival is held at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Convention Center and it has received much acclaim during its six years in existence. USA Today named Brewmasters a “Best Destination Event” and Thrillist selected Brewmasters as the “Best International Event.” Tickets range in price from $25-$85. For more info on the festivities and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.brewmastersbeerfest.com/
Summer, 2016 will soon come to an end and I can’t think of a better way to close out the season than a great beer festival. We at Great Beer Now have attented BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival multiple times and rank it among our favorite beer festivals in the United States. Tickets are going fast, so follow the above link, purchase your tickets, book your flight and lodging, and make your way to Galveston Island this Labor Day weekend for beer, food, music, and fun.
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