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.

Irish Craft Beer Festival - March 15-19

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