If you’re part of the craft beer industry or a passionate participant in the scene, you likely didn’t join solely because of the beverage. For me, I entered the space because of the incredible community, dedication to innovation, and sense of history – in essence, being part of something bigger than myself.
Unsurprisingly, the past few years have been difficult for the industry.
- COVID-19 caused a wave of closures, higher at-home consumption, and fewer brewfests/conferences.
- The market for beer declined over 2019 and 2020 with growth slowly returning in 2021.
- Numerous injustices in the industry came to light. Both the Black is Beautiful and Braive Noise movements have brought additional awareness to racism and sexism which have sadly affected the beer scene.
Given these challenges, being a part of the industry hasn’t felt the same. Thankfully, there is growth taking place in the sphere of inclusivity, but tensions are still high: COVID-19 created health risks for going out, the shrinking market caused some of our favorite breweries to close down, and with stories of discrimination still popping up frequently, it’s been difficult to feel optimistic.
That’s why a recent brewfest was so encouraging for me to attend. It was a welcome reminder of why craft beer is such a wonderful community to be a part of, and it gave me hope for the industry’s future! It was called Suttle Lodge’s Winter Beerfest, and what made it so great was the focus on community, nature, and craft:
Community
To me, the most appealing aspect of going to a brewfest is the chance to meet and interact with people who are just as passionate about beer as I am. Whereas some brewfests put the focus on drinking copious amounts of beer, Suttle Lodge’s Beerfest shifted its gaze to building a positive community around the beverage. They did this by hosting during a cold time of year, by having the event outside, and by building campfires.
Those three choices caused attendees to naturally congregate around fires as they drank their beer. Instead of rushing from one tasting booth to the next, most individuals savored their beer while chatting with others at their campfire. Instead of feeling like an event to get your money’s worth out of, it felt like a camping trip where you were enjoying drinks with friends. It was brilliant.
Nature
Indoor brewfests can be a blast, but without a doubt, my favorites have been hosted in nature. The vibe goes from harsh, florescent, and corporate to warm, calming, and beautiful. The scenery is a reminder of summer camps as a kid (minus the alcohol), which creates a sense of adventure and playfulness.
Weirdly, it also brings beer back to its roots. It’s a reminder of beer’s rich history – brewed and enjoyed for thousands of years, most likely, in ways more reminiscent of the Suttle Lodge Winter Beerfest rather than the GABF.
Craft
There are two sides to the festival coin. On one side, it’s a killer way to get intoxicated (safely) with friends in a fun environment. On the other side, it’s a prime chance to experience new breweries and unique beer styles. Although not mutually exclusive, I’ve found that brewfests tend toward one side or the other – my personal preference being the more craft-focused, slower-paced events.
Suttle Lodge’s Winter Beerfest also leaned toward this style of an event by making three subtle choices:
- Volunteers weren’t overpouring. This may be controversial, but I enjoyed that volunteers were serving actual taster amounts. To be fair, I wasn’t measuring out every pour I received, but I didn’t run into any blatant overpours. As a result, it allowed attendees to taste more unique beers before reaching their limit.
- You couldn’t get full pours. Well, you likely could have bartered your tickets for a full pour or just gone back to the same tap over and over for tasters, but full-pours weren’t advertised as an option. Instead, attendees were encouraged to try the swath of what was offered.
- You could purchase food with fest tokens. My wife probably got annoyed with how much I praised this. Instead of having the typical food court where you could spend extra cash to buy shitty snacks, you could use the tokens included with your event ticket to buy warm, delicious food. It was a responsible way to encourage food consumption and prolong the time people could be trying new beers.
Final thoughts
Will campfires and outdoor beer fests solve the challenges of inclusivity, changing markets, and COVID-19? Of course not; however, what they can do is restore faith in a community built on the enjoyment of life, care for fellow humans, and tasty grain water.
More systemic changes need to occur in order to address discrimination, but events like Suttle Lodge’s Winter Beerfest can allow for the beer community to grow and heal during these difficult times.