Irish Craft Beer Festival - March 15-19

BeerNut wrote: »

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

Perhaps we could bring our own glasses along with us? Not sure if that would comply with the terms of the insurance for the event? I still have a couple of All-Ireland Craft Beerfest glasses that now sadly spend most of their time filled with water. It's about time they got put to proper use once more!

Really hoping to get out to the festival, but once again, my timing is stupendously bad. Off the beer/alcohol for 5 weeks in the lead-up to a sporting event, but once again, I'll give myself a special dispensation for this one.

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Well no I'll vote with my wallet and if they get sufficient numbers then fair play to them. But we will know soon enough whether Irish people will pay 10e to drink beer they can get in a dozen other pubs but in a plastic glass purely because it's advertised as a beer festival.

To be fair i think you're being entirely unreasonable for whats an event that could be used to showcase Irish Beer that isn't produced by either Diageo or Heineken NV.

If there are Corporate Tables that lead to people trying Irish Beer or continuing buying Irish beer, then fair play, let them go for it. If they introduce their product to a new audience, then fair enough. No doubt the same audience are already familar with another Heineken product called Paulaner which moved it's own octoberfest forward 1 week last year to coincide with the Craft beerfest in the RDS last year. No harm in someone trying to compete with the bigger lads on what has previously been their stomping ground for promotional events.

If you are going to be offended by there being people there such as the Corporate tables that you don't like, then perhaps you aren't seeing that this is where these producers need to be headed so that the demand can grow for their product. If the Craft brewers don't grow the home market sufficiently or look to expand into the export market, then there will be nothing for us all to enjoy. Sadly the result of that will be that all we will be left with is a mediocre choice of whatever product that Diageo or Heineken deem us Irish drinkers of sufficiently little worth as a market to consume. Lets face it - what else have we had for the longest time?.

I think you may be pissed off with something other than this and i don't know if this is, or why you may have a bee in your bonnet about this event - I risk being wrong on this point, but perhaps i read you wrong. Whatever it is, I would suggest that you overlook the issues you may have. If you have a problem with suits, then fair enough. However, they are people too, who have taste buds and interests the same as you do, and they probably have a similar level of interest in drinking decent beers as you do. There is a justified perception that this market already pays over the odds in Sheeeite holes like Cafe En Seine for the same old barf you can get in a can in your local spar. Why not try to tap the suit Market and try to get them to look for something different?. Not a bad wallet to try to tap. The Against the Grain lads are likely thinking the same way with their latest venture towards what used to be Kate's Cottage.

Regardless of you're reservations, the market needs to be explored so that these brewers can get a chance to continue.

MCMLXXV wrote: »

I had my concerns about the festival last year in the RDS. My main concern was that with Irish Craft only and no other beers there wouldn't be a huge amount of choice. With 12-14 exhibitors and 2+ beers per exhibitor I was never going to run short and it was a great event I thought.

I'm sure they'll do just as good a job this time round and my only concern would be that if they're charging €250 for a corporate table of ten that's obviously €25 a head. I understand the gig has to cover its costs at the bare minimum but I don't think it's right to charge any punter more than double the price unless they're getting more than double the experience.

I won't make it down this weekend but best of luck to the organisers and exhibitors!

There's no obligation to buy a table, you do know that? My experience at beer festivals is that seating can be an issue so to guarantee seating with mates/suits whatever is probably worth a premium price (not to me, but to some).

I think the thing that people (I'm looking at you johnnyskeleton) is forgetting is that this is one of 2 opportunities a year that people really get to try the whole (nearly) range of Irish micro brews available at the one time without having to go on a pub crawl.

There is also no obligation to pay in, simply go down Thursday or Friday before 7pm and you avoid the entrance fee.

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

1 maybe I'm spoiled for choice, but there are a dozen or more pubs that serve those beers in Dublin, and cork isn't really that far away for the Franciscan well stuff.

2. I can't imagine tasting the whole range in one sitting to be honest, so it's hardly comparable to a pub crawl.



I was toying with that idea, actually, to try any once off beers they have.

You're confusing the issue or yourself, which pubs have 20-odd of these beers on Tap/Cask at the one time?

I would think the most (probably L. Mulligan/B&C/Porterhouse) would have 8, which is a third of that available at this festival.

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

So it's unreasonable to want value for money? I can get Irish beer cheaper in pubs without the covercharge, so why should I pay more because it is marketed as a craft beer festival?

In any event, my point is that they could use it to showcase Irish beer, but not if it is too expensive. People used to drinking Heineken are unlikely, IMO, to pay more for what they will presume is a poor substitute for their favourite beer.

I'm not at any stage suggesting that its unreasonable to want value for money - I'd be grateful if you could point out where I have.
You don't have to pay if you dont wish to do so - the event is free in at a number of alotted times. Outside of these times you need to pay.
If its a fiver a pint, its cheaper than the Octoberfest Festival at the same location - incidentally sponsored by Heineken, and they sell only Paulaner and another beer which the name I cant remember now.
You are assuming that people who are used to drinking Heineken are making a presumption that Heineken cannot be bested by an Irish Product.

There are no doubt a great many self Loathing Irish who believe this applies not just to beer but to all things, I'm happy to point out the error of their ways as often as possible. It's a minor personal crusade of mine, but we'll leave that for another thread.

These Heineken drinkers may be use to drinking Heineken because in a great many places, that's all thats available from the 5-6 products in their Local. They may also like to try new things.

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

I have no problem with corporate tables and don't know why you are suggesting that I do. I think it is ideally suited to a company who would rather their employees have a few sensible drinks than getting drunk and disgracing the company.

Then I have indeed taken you up wrong - your tone however appeared to be somewhat negative towards this part of the event.
I'm not sure that the Organisers care too much about whether people disgrace their company or not, rather whether they will come back to a similar event and perhaps book a table again.

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Nor do I have a problem with the little guy competeing with the bigger players. But I just don't think that they are offering a competitive product. It costs €10 in and drinks are probably €2.50 a half pint. So it is more expensive than getting the same thing in the bull and castle but in a plastic glass in less pleasant surroundings.

I think there is a good market for beer festivals that will encourage people to try their beers, but I think this segment of the market is discouraged because of the price.

Its not going to continually cost 10 euros in and in fairness, if you had seen the Octoberfest at the same location which was thronged last year. Same setup where you had a choice of 2 beers at AFAIK 5.50 a pint, and you had to pay for a seat in the tent.
There's a Market for events that people are willing to pay for. This has been proven by the success of previous events.

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

I do however dislike this veiled threat that unless we are prepared to pay over the odds for Irish beer, we will be doomed to forever drink Heineken.

This is not a threat - and it's certainly not a threat from me. This is what happens when Market forces work. If the smaller brewer does not successfully seek out New Markets, it's only a matter of time before his current market Dwindles and moves off to something new.
And I'm not suggesting that you have to pay over the odds for it either - it's been pointed out that it's Free for a large portion of the event to get in.

You can be certain that I will do whatever I can to introduce people to new beers and the Craft brew pubs as much as I can. This again is a mini crusade of mine however it's not entirely unselfish. I do this because I like these places, I like the beer they sell and I want them to succeed.
The more they succeed, the more likely
1 - I'll have a Brewpub on my doorstep
or
2 - my Local will start to serve decent beer other than Guinness, Carlsberg, Heineken, Miller etc etc - you know the list.
Apart from that, I also encourage people to drink Irish Craft beer as my preference is to see the money I spend stay in the country. If I'm going to drink something I prefer to see to it that the money I spend on it benefits an Irish Producer. I don't include Guinness here as obviously there is a much lesser %age of Irish Shareholders of Diageo than there are of Galway Hooker or the Carlow Brewing Company.

By the way - they sell 3 of the Franciscan well beers in the Gingerman, so you don't have to travel as far as Cork if you are based in Dublin.

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Blackjack, I'm struggling to see your point to be honest. I think it's overpriced for what it is (albeit that there are some free entry times) and I never even referred to corporate tables until you brought it up.

If people want to spend their hard earned money on this, when they can get the same thing elsewhere cheaper, because it is marketed as a festival, then that's their business.

I suspect though there's an element of the funny attitude that smaller brewers must be better ie blue moon is not craft because it is owned by coors, but there is extra value in this festival because it is a craft beer festival. The oharas you get here is, bar the beer X, the same as you get elsewhere, but at this festival it is sold at a premium because of the marketing of it as a craft festival.

I find these trends utterly confusing, and prefer to stick to a good beer vs price equation.

You are indeed correct - it was not you who mentioned the Corporate tables, it was another poster. I apologise.

I too agree with value equation - however, bear in mind you can't get a good pint of Craft beer in the IFSC, so this offers people the option.
The only place I am aware of that does offer this is ELY CHQ, and I know that a Bottle of O'Hara's IPA there is 6 euros a pop. 5 euros for a Pint of the Draught at the festival is cheaper than the bottle in the local.

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

seriously? Well, if I was a debauched Athenian hell bent on drinking 20 pints in one night without walking the 5 minutes to the next pub, then yes, what you identify is a clear gap in the market.

You're being deliberately obtuse, I never said you had to drink 20 pints. The fact that you have a choice of 20 plus beers was the point I was making in reference to your claim that you can get all the same beers in other pubs in Dublin - you can't and you haven't refuted that.

Remember you can also purchase 20 half pints. Not that I'm recommending that. I for one am delighted to have the choice of so many craft beers in the one place for the same price as I'd pay in Against the Grain by going in before 7pm on Thursday or Friday or all day Monday.

Anyway I'm out of here you're just trolling at this stage as far as I can see.

So has anybody gone in yet?

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

I don't have to refute it because you are the one making this rather bizzare point that having a choice of all these beers in the one place at the one time is somehow better than being able to drink any of these beers within a few mile radius. But while we are on the subject of choice, L Mulligans has over 100 beers, and not just limited to the Irish breweries. So if it is an issue of choice, the options in this festival aren't as good as they are elsewhere.



If that appeals to you then fine. But it doesn't appeal all that much to me. In any event, it is highly selective to say that you want to choose these particular 20 beers in the one place and deride other places for having a much larger selection of beers, but just not limited to these particular Irish beers.



If you genuinely think I am trolling you can report my posts. I'm simply responding to the issues that you raised, if you don't want to discuss it then don't comment. I would ask you to cut out the comments along the lines of me being deliberately obtuse, confused etc. Perhaps play the ball not the man.

I can't let this go. It's an Irish Craft Beer Festival, the clue is in the title. I want to drink Irish Craft Beer this weekend, I want to have as much choice as possible in the one venue, so I'm going to this.

I never derided other pubs for having a greater selection, I simply pointed out that no other pub in Ireland will have this much selection of Irish Craft Beer on Tap in the one location at the one time, it's factual not an opinion. Similarly I hardly find it a bizarre statement to make that having such a selection in the one place is better than having to go from pub to pub to get the same selection.

Your comments smack to me of typical Irish begrudgery, similar to the gob****e who gave out about the September version for not having foreign beers :rolleyes:

Have you ever been to a beer festival? Have you ever been to a beer festival that you've liked?

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Well, if I was a debauched Athenian hell bent on drinking 20 pints in one night without walking the 5 minutes to the next pub, then yes, what you identify is a clear gap in the market.

Hehe, sounds like something from a Terry Pratchett novel.

@ schemingbohemia & johnnyskeleton

I think you've both made your points..........quite a few times.:rolleyes: