Beer Festivals in Germany/Belgium

kindalen

Hi, looking for information on beer type festivals in Belgium and Germany.

Any advice on smaller ones, more about quality not quantity. Been to a few with food and a variety of beers and really enjoyed them.

Thanks.

random_guy

kindalen wrote: »

Hi, looking for information on beer type festivals in Belgium and Germany.

Any advice on smaller ones, more about quality not quantity. Been to a few with food and a variety of beers and really enjoyed them.

Thanks.

For Germany:
http://www.volksfeste-in-deutschland.de/

State by state, town by town.

BeerNut

Not been, but I like the look of De Lambikstoempers.

For Germany, I've been to BrauKunst Live in Munich and it's excellent, though I've heard the 2016 event may be in a bit of legal trouble. I've heard good things about the Festival der Bierkulturen in Cologne but there's not much information about the 2016 one, that I can see.

If you can swing the Netherlands, Borefts at De Molen is amazing.

slayerking

Sandkerwa in Bamberg, Germany is supposed to be pretty good. Never been, but I'd love to head over to it some day.
It seems to be more of a folk festival tbh, but being that its in Bamberg, beer features predominantly.

n97 mini

http://www.belgiansmaak.com/belgian-beer-festivals-2016-festivals-in-belgium/

Padraig Mor

BeerNut wrote: »

If you can swing the Netherlands, Borefts at De Molen is amazing.

That looks superb. Question for anyone who's been: what is the rough cost of drinks. I see it's ~€2 for a token, but no clue as to how many tokens per beer! That you only seem to get a 150ml glass to use sort of suggests it would be one token per glass - yet surely a 15% monster wouldn't be the same price as a 3.x% session beer?

BeerNut

Padraig Mor wrote: »

yet surely a 15% monster wouldn't be the same price as a 3.x% session beer?

It is. Up to a few years ago a couple of stands -- Mikkeller and Struise, IIRC -- were charging two and even three tokens for some of their beers. I suspect that it was knocked on the head by the management and now everything is strictly one token each. Mikkeller and Struise haven't been back, mind, but I've not missed them.

Padraig Mor

BeerNut wrote: »

It is. Up to a few years ago a couple of stands -- Mikkeller and Struise, IIRC -- were charging two and even three tokens for some of their beers. I suspect that it was knocked on the head by the management and now everything is strictly one token each. Mikkeller and Struise haven't been back, mind, but I've not missed them.

Jaysis, that's pretty good so. I get a bit wary when I hear about tokens, given their association with various monumental rip off events in this country (Taste etc). Seriously considering going to it. Dates not announced yet, but based on previous years it would surely be Sept 23rd and 24th. Just need to figure accommodation - seems limited in the town itself, but access to Utrecht (and hopefully Schipol) seems easy.

jester77

If you are in Hamburg there is the Craft Beer Days, still quite young and fairly small but worth a visit if you are in the area.

BeerNut

Padraig Mor wrote: »

I get a bit wary when I hear about tokens, given their association with various monumental rip off events in this country (Taste etc).

It's pretty much the only practical way of running a big event where you have independent stall-holders.

Padraig Mor wrote: »

Just need to figure accommodation - seems limited in the town itself, but access to Utrecht (and hopefully Schipol) seems easy.

I stay in Leiden, which is an easier stop-off on the way from Schiphol. But the beer scene is better in Utrecht so if you want post-festival drinkies, that's probably the better option.