Irish Craft Beer Festival - March 15-19

BaZmO* · 20-02-2012 12:03pm #1

March 15-19, 2012 at St. George's Dock at the IFSC

The Return of The Beer Festival.
The organisers of the Irish Craft Beer Festival are pleased to announce its return for Saint Patricks Day. For 5 days from the 15th to the 19th of March the Festival will be taking up residence at Saint George's Dock at the IFSC. A celebration of Irish craft brewing, live music, and fabulous Irish artisan food stalls. Family entertainment during the day includes, creative workshops for children, face-painting, street performers, and much more! The website is currently being updated so check back soon for more news.

Great that this is back, and in a better location too, easier to access.

BeerNut · 20-02-2012 12:08pm

Yeah, should be good. Apparently I'm doing some sort of talky-tasty thing at it but don't let that put you off.

The RDS one will be back too, btw. 7-9 September this year.

Big Nasty · 20-02-2012 5:06pm

Who's running the one in March? I know Carlow Brewing did the RDS one last year and Deveney's do the Lughnansa one in The Pod (which will need a new venue this year).

BeerNut · 20-02-2012 5:28pm

Carlow again.

Big Nasty · 20-02-2012 5:40pm

BeerNut wrote: »

Carlow again.

They're doing both?:eek:

BeerNut · 20-02-2012 5:49pm

It is possible to run more than one beer festival a year

Bruce, who does a lot of the organisation, is a full-time professional event manager.

Big Nasty · 20-02-2012 5:57pm

BeerNut wrote: »

It is possible to run more than one beer festival a year

Bruce, who does a lot of the organisation, is a full-time professional event manager.

Yeah, I spoke to him at the last gig.

It's fairly ambitious to do two this year as opposed to concentrating on growing one. Fair play to them!

Ronan cork · 22-02-2012 2:17am

Possibly a stupid question but is this the same festival as the one that was in cork last year or is it another one? The cork one was on at Easter too...

BeerNut · 22-02-2012 10:19am

Ronan cork wrote: »

The cork one was on at Easter too...

That's the Franciscan Well's own Easter festival, which I'm fairly sure will be happening this year too.

This one is from the same organisers who do the September one in the RDS.

Although it'll no doubt be mostly the same brewers at all of them.

Ronan cork · 22-02-2012 3:19pm

Yeah I thought as much. Strange to have 2 festivals promoting the same thing so close to each other though...good sign of growth I suppose. Would love to go up to it but paddys weekend in Dublin wouldn't be cheap!!

BeerNut · 22-02-2012 3:24pm

Ronan cork wrote: »

Strange to have 2 festivals promoting the same thing so close to each other though

I think it's a nicely-spaced corridor of events around the cities:

Dublin: 15-19 March
Cork: 8-9 April
Galway: 5-6 May

Seaneh · 23-02-2012 3:26am

BeerNut wrote: »

I think it's a nicely-spaced corridor of events around the cities:

Dublin: 15-19 March
Cork: 8-9 April
Galway: 5-6 May

Who's doing the Galway one?

Talking to Tar a few weeks ago and he said he didn't think he'd be doing it.

BeerNut · 23-02-2012 10:42am

Seaneh wrote: »

Who's doing the Galway one?

I was assuming the usual Brewers on the Bay. Just checked with Tracey there and she says no final decision yet, but there should be in the next week. It would be a shame to lose it.

Seaneh · 23-02-2012 7:38pm

BeerNut wrote: »

Seaneh wrote: »

Who's doing the Galway one?

I was assuming the usual Brewers on the Bay. Just checked with Tracey there and she says no final decision yet, but there should be in the next week. It would be a shame to lose it.

Hopefully either he goes for it again or the owners themselves decide to take it on. It brings a lot of people through the doors of the Oslo that weekend. Boosts their sales of food and beer, Gets them publicity and they get a cut of sales/a fee from the breweries.

Was fun last year and I'd hate to not have it this year.

Lapsed Catholic · 23-02-2012 7:55pm

How do these festivals work?

At the FW festival entry was free and you bought your drink. Did the FW buy the beers from the various breweries and sell it themselves, keeping the well earned profit?

The RDS charges an entrance fee, I presume to cover the hall rental. Do the individual breweries then sell their own beer and keep the profit?

irish_goat · 23-02-2012 8:10pm

Lapsed Catholic wrote: »

How do these festivals work?

At the FW festival entry was free and you bought your drink. Did the FW buy the beers from the various breweries and sell it themselves, keeping the well earned profit?

The RDS charges an entrance fee, I presume to cover the hall rental. Do the individual breweries then sell their own beer and keep the profit?

At the RDS festival in September each brewery was paid according to the amount of beer they sold. Since it's the same organisers I'd assume it will be the same format i.e. you pay an entry fee, get a branded pint glass, a beer token and then pay for anymore drinks you have.

Big Nasty · 23-02-2012 8:19pm

irish_goat wrote: »

At the RDS festival in September each brewery was paid according to the amount of beer they sold. Since it's the same organisers I'd assume it will be the same format i.e. you pay an entry fee, get a branded pint glass, a beer token and then pay for anymore drinks you have.

For anyone viewing that's sceptical about trying new beers most stands will give you a sample before you buy and you don't have to buy a full pint each time either, you can but 1/3; 1/2 or full.

Seaneh · 23-02-2012 8:47pm

Lapsed Catholic wrote: »

How do these festivals work?

At the FW festival entry was free and you bought your drink. Did the FW buy the beers from the various breweries and sell it themselves, keeping the well earned profit?

The RDS charges an entrance fee, I presume to cover the hall rental. Do the individual breweries then sell their own beer and keep the profit?

FW would either rent the space to the brewers for a fee or get a percentage of sales. Maybe €1 from each beer sold.

BeerNut · 23-02-2012 9:26pm

It depends on which FW festival you mean. At the cask/winter one, the 'Well buys all the beer up front and then sells it. At Easter it takes a cut of the beer sold by the individual brewers at their stalls.

Seaneh · 23-02-2012 9:29pm

BeerNut wrote: »

It depends on which FW festival you mean. At the cask/winter one, the 'Well buys all the beer up front and then sells it. At Easter it takes a cut of the beer sold by the individual brewers at their stalls.

Yeah, would have been the same for Brewers on The Bay.

toffeeshel · 24-02-2012 1:18am

Don't ya just love it when everything fits together nicely

.Cork vs.Dublin Páirc Uí Chaoimh 2.30 Sun April 8th

BeerNut wrote: »

That's the Franciscan Well's own Easter festival, which I'm fairly sure will be happening this year too.

..

Ruben Remus · 08-03-2012 6:51pm

Does anyone know what the admission charge for this will be? I had a look at the organisers' website but couldn't find any details on the admission price.

KJ · 08-03-2012 9:01pm

I can't wait for this. Hopefully White Gypsy will have something new. They were the standout for me at the RDS.

BeerNut · 08-03-2012 9:31pm

Ruben Remus wrote: »

Does anyone know what the admission charge for this will be? I had a look at the organisers' website but couldn't find any details on the admission price.

The press release said

Admission is €10 and includes a souvenir beer glass. Free admission from 12pm – 7pm Thursday 15th and Friday 16th; admission applies from 12pm Saturday and Sunday.

Hondo75 · 09-03-2012 2:45pm

Beer Nut,

Is there a timetable for beoir talks. Thanks

BeerNut · 09-03-2012 3:23pm

Ehm, no. Sorry. They're on the Friday and Sunday only, and if my experience of this sort of thing is anything to go by they'll be in the afternoons as it gets too crowded and loud to do them in the evening.

Playing it by ear I'm afraid.

Oh, and a correction to the press release snippet above: they've been banned from having real glasses

I don't know if you'll still be able to get a glass to take home.

bedrock#1 · 09-03-2012 3:30pm

BeerNut wrote: »

Oh, and a correction to the press release snippet above: they've been banned from having real glasses I don't know if you'll still be able to get a glass to take home.

That is shameful sh1t... no glasses at a beer festival? :eek:

BeerNut · 09-03-2012 3:36pm

It was the same at Septemberfest, and the same at Bloom. Beer festivals in Dublin rarely have glasses, it seems.

BaZmO* · 09-03-2012 5:54pm

BeerNut wrote: »

It was the same at Septemberfest, and the same at Bloom. Beer festivals in Dublin rarely have glasses, it seems.

Location Location Location. Reckon there'd be a lot of broken glass if they did allow it, especially at the IFSC

KJ · 09-03-2012 6:26pm

BaZmO* wrote: »

Location Location Location. Reckon there'd be a lot of broken glass if they did allow it, especially at the IFSC

Oktoberfest is there every year as they have proper glasses.

BeerNut · 09-03-2012 6:32pm

They work a deposit system for that, I think. The organisers of this thing actually want people to take the glasses away.

BaZmO* · 09-03-2012 6:38pm

Must be an insurance thing so.

Big Nasty · 09-03-2012 9:11pm

Is it outdoor? If so I can understand the plastics but it would turn me off TBH. Real beer needs to be drank from real glass IMO.

irish_goat · 09-03-2012 9:23pm

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Is it outdoor? If so I can understand the plastics but it would turn me off TBH. Real beer needs to be drank from real glass IMO.

It's going to be in a marquee as far as I can tell.

Big Nasty · 09-03-2012 9:42pm

irish_goat wrote: »

It's going to be in a marquee as far as I can tell.

Probably those massive upturned umbrella things (very effective BTW) but still essentially outside. Again, I can understand but it just wouldn't do it for me.

Focalbhach · 09-03-2012 10:49pm

I haven't been to a beer festival before so I just want to make sure I understand how it's going to work: there's a €10 charge to get in, and after that you buy your drinks at normal price from the various stands? Are there tokens with the entrance fee? It becomes a less attractive proposition if not.

irish_goat · 09-03-2012 11:21pm

Focalbhach wrote: »

I haven't been to a beer festival before so I just want to make sure I understand how it's going to work: there's a €10 charge to get in, and after that you buy your drinks at normal price from the various stands? Are there tokens with the entrance fee? It becomes a less attractive proposition if not.

At the RDS festival, run by the same people, you paid €10, got a branded pint glass to keep, a programme and a token which got you your first half pint. After that you bought more tokens if you wanted more drink.

I'd hope that they're still giving a token for the first drink at least and if they're not allowed to give out the pint glass anymore they're probably going to need to cut a few euro off the admission price.

slayerking · 09-03-2012 11:33pm

Focalbhach wrote: »

I haven't been to a beer festival before so I just want to make sure I understand how it's going to work: there's a €10 charge to get in, and after that you buy your drinks at normal price from the various stands? Are there tokens with the entrance fee? It becomes a less attractive proposition if not.

It seems to be a bit up in the air at the moment as to how this is gona pan out!!

At the craft beerfest in the RDS last year it was very well run, 10 euro in which included a pint glass and a free glass of beer.
Once your in, you buy beer bucks for 2.50 each. Each buck will get you a half pint (or 2 for a pint). And the half pints were very generous half pints (almost 3/4 pints!!), so it was actually pretty good value, and nice to chat to some of the brewers.
Plus the entertainment was very good. You could also buy weekend tickets for 20 euro.

This time round, I'm not sure exactly what the craic is!! 10 euro in, but not sure whether thats just to get in the door or whether it includes a glass/beer or whatever.

Focalbhach · 09-03-2012 11:34pm

Thanks! Guess I'll wait and see, and hope for more details on the website!

Dyr · 12-03-2012 2:14pm

oh what to do, what to do

On the one hand, I've been off the beer since Christmas and I hate paddys weekend, too messy.

On the other hand, the IFSC is right beside work and I NEED to taste some clotworthy dobbin again.

BeerNut · 12-03-2012 2:56pm

Bambi wrote: »

I NEED to taste some clotworthy dobbin again.

I don't see Whitewater on the brewery list, unfortunately. You might have to make do with a bottle at home.

Dyr · 12-03-2012 5:08pm

BeerNut wrote: »

I don't see Whitewater on the brewery list, unfortunately. You might have to make do with a bottle at home.

So I noticed

. The only place where i've seen it is the celtic whiskey shop.

BeerNut · 12-03-2012 5:12pm

The Beer Club (Next Door in Santry, Harold's Cross & Kimmage) usually has it.

slayerking · 13-03-2012 12:04am

Just seen that its now possible to reserve a table for €250 for a table of 10, includes 1 pint per person.

A bit of a rip off if you ask me!

BaZmO* · 13-03-2012 12:19am

slayerking wrote: »

Just seen that its now possible to reserve a table for €250 for a table of 10, includes 1 pint per person.

A bit of a rip off if you ask me!

Yeah I saw that today. I'm all for making money, but I think it gets away from the point of the festival, or maybe I'm wrong.

Heroditas · 13-03-2012 12:29am

Is anyone else REALLY excited about this festival?
I absolutely can't wait!

BeerNut · 13-03-2012 10:12am

BaZmO* wrote: »

I think it gets away from the point of the festival

I think you might be inventing a point for the festival.

If I were organising something like this, my main aim would be to get out of it with my shirt. If corporate entertainment is one way to help secure the possibility of running it again, then I'm all for the suits subsidising the rest of us.

johnnyskeleton · 13-03-2012 11:29am

BaZmO* wrote: »

slayerking wrote: »

Just seen that its now possible to reserve a table for €250 for a table of 10, includes 1 pint per person.

A bit of a rip off if you ask me!

Yeah I saw that today. I'm all for making money, but I think it gets away from the point of the festival, or maybe I'm wrong.

If anything, these things should be aimed at increasing the popularilty of microbrews and fostering competition among them. Fans of micro brews often pay more in pubs so they will pay more in a festival. But johnny six pack won't bother unless it is the same price or cheaper than an ordinary pub.

Moreover, what chance does one microbrew drinker have of bringing his/her buddies along if it is more expensive with what the buddies percieved as an unknown, possibly inferior product.

BaZmO* · 13-03-2012 11:38am

BeerNut wrote: »

I think you might be inventing a point for the festival.

If I were organising something like this, my main aim would be to get out of it with my shirt. If corporate entertainment is one way to help secure the possibility of running it again, then I'm all for the suits subsidising the rest of us.

True enough. But it'll irk me to think that most of the seats would be used up for corporate tables (assumption here) at the expensive of the type of person that supports the microbreweries. But maybe that's the price to pay for having these events put on by the organisers.

BeerNut · 13-03-2012 11:40am

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

If anything, these things should be aimed at

But again, here you're up against the hard financial realities of running these sorts of events. If the sole aim was product promotion there are much less stressful ways to spend money.

Bear in mind that this event isn't a combined effort among the microbreweries to collectively promote their product. It's one person's business idea.

It's very easy to sit on the sidelines setting aims and objectives, devising market strategies and identifying target audiences. But the bills for staffing, insurance and infrastructure have to be paid or else there's no festival.

BeerNut · 13-03-2012 11:43am

BaZmO* wrote: »

But it'll irk me to think that most of the seats would be used up for corporate tables (assumption here) at the expensive of the type of person that supports the microbreweries. But maybe that's the price to pay for having these events put on by the organisers.

I think it is. However they're only advertising the corporate element now so I very much doubt it'll be booked out.

One of the horrible things about Oktoberfest in Munich (and there are a few

) is how corporate it is and how hard it can be to get a table once the big business bookings come in. Get in early and get out early is my preferred tactic.

Irish Craft Beer Festival - March 15-19

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