BrewDog’s Cinematic Circus is coming to town....

laros

Brewdog are having a one day beer festival at Weston Aerodrome on Sat 7th July ... details below




https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/blog/brewdogs-cinematic-circus

Hotblack Desiato

There's a couple of ads for this on the scrolling ad displays on the Naas Rd between Red Cow and Long Mile Rd. Impossible to read when driving :rolleyes:

Weston is a bizarre location for an event you can't drive home from.

Hotblack Desiato

I don't live too far away but on Dublin Bus it's a trip right into the city centre and out again. Feck that. Did they do any research at all before arranging this? Weston is further out of the city than Dublin Airport ffs, and much more poorly connected to it.

L1011

Would have thought a 76 and then a 67 would have been significantly quicker? Unless I'm either misremembering the bus numbers or they've changed the routes...

Hotblack Desiato

I put in departure and destination points into DB's website and that's what I got. I'd like this event to succeed and be repeated, but I don't hold out much hope and the roadside advertising 2 weeks out seems like a desperation move

L1011

Ad up in Dorset Street so it's not just local at least.

Most craft fests do line and radio ads which seem missing here, first time around at least you do need to let people know it's happening

Hotblack Desiato

Dunno why someone near to the centre of the city would want to travel out to this, with an infrequent bus home (if they're lucky enough for it to be one bus)

Not sure who'd want to travel there in broad daylight never mind hoping to get home fairly late.

It's just a bad location.

Saruman

Just saw this on Facebook, a code for half price: CIRCUS50
I paid full price for mine

As to getting there, buses go to the Lucan Spa slip every few minutes. It's only around the corner, about 15 minute walk. Also, trains go to Leixlip and Celbridge. They are putting on bus transfers to/from them.

basskebab

Saruman wrote: »

Just saw this on Facebook, a code for half price: CIRCUS50
I paid full price for mine

As to getting there, buses go to the Lucan Spa slip every few minutes. It's only around the corner, about 15 minute walk. Also, trains go to Leixlip and Celbridge. They are putting on bus transfers to/from them.

Saw that too. Would be a bit pissed off if I'd paid for a full price ticket! I'm assuming the ticket sales aren't going to well if they've done 50% discounts. Location isn't helping

gaz wac

looking at 26 degrees for Saturday...at least we will have the weather! Also doing a half marathon that morning, so nice way to chill for the rest of the day!

Niallp1976

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

I don't live too far away but on Dublin Bus it's a trip right into the city centre and out again. Feck that. Did they do any research at all before arranging this? Weston is further out of the city than Dublin Airport ffs, and much more poorly connected to it.

If you get the train from Clondalkin to Hazelhatch, there is a free bus to Weston for teh event running every 15-25 mins

L1011

Looking at my tickets, the drink prices are a tad strange


Tokens are 1.50 a go, sheets of 10 only

<6.5% - 3/pint - 4.50 a pint. Wahey. Barely get that in Celbridge itself. 2/half paint - 3.00 is another option for <6.5%.
>6.5% - 3/half - 9.00 a pint. Jesus.

Cans - 3.00. Fairly reasonable. No difference for ABV

It almost reads like there's a typo but I doubt it. Either 6/pint < 6.5% or 6/pint < 6.5% would have made more sense with the other prices.

Just have to stay on the lower strength full pints!

Hotblack Desiato

They really need to outlaw this Itchy and Scratchy Dollars nonsense, or force them to be refundable.

BeerNut

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

They really need to outlaw this Itchy and Scratchy Dollars nonsense, or force them to be refundable.

It's getting to be almost impossible to run a beer festival in Ireland. Adding further regulation would probably kill the concept completely.

Niallp1976

Beer List for Cinematic (And also Hawkes Apple Cider)

**Brewdog Beers**
Punk
Dead Pony
Elvis Juice
Jet Black Heart
Hazy Jane
Indie Pale Ale
Overworks Haedor
Overworks Sooer Peach
8 Bit Collab NE IPA
Jet Trash West Coast IPA
Trashy
Brewdog V Amundsen Collab (Mallow Mafia)
Dog G
5am Saint
Clockwork Tangerine
Kamikaze Knitting Club
Nanny State

**Yellow Belly**
Citra Pale Ale
Castaway Passion Fruit Sour

**Third Barrel**
Shut Up Juice
Strawberry Fields
Stone Barrel Boom IPA

**Kildare Brewing Company**
Weiss

**Dot Brew**
Little Pale
Barrel Age Cognac Brown Ale

**Wicklow Wolf**
Elevation Pale Ale
Ranchero Rauchbier

**Rising Sons**
Uprising
Mayhem

*Note Some beers are only available in EFP section

L1011

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

They really need to outlaw this Itchy and Scratchy Dollars nonsense, or force them to be refundable.

BeerNut wrote: »

It's getting to be almost impossible to run a beer festival in Ireland. Adding further regulation would probably kill the concept completely.

Agree with both posts here despite them being in disagreement with each other

Trying to organise refunding people - many of whom will be leaving at the end of the event and possibly be a bit too inebriated to know exactly what they're doing - would be a logistical nightmare. But it's extremely disagreeable that such systems have this problem.

I've been to events in the Netherlands where munten were used for the bar everywhere - even in bog standard nightclubs to reduce cash handling, pickpocketing etc. The modern system there is a disposable smartcard, usually a one token handling fee for a refund doable via a providers website

Between all the various beer festivals, plus other outdoor events that might want to use such a system I'd say there's a market for someone to come in to Ireland with them. They're sold and charged via self service card terminals usually so it reduces staffing costs for the operator also.

BeerNut

L1011 wrote: »

Between all the various beer festivals, plus other outdoor events that might want to use such a system I'd say there's a market for someone to come in to Ireland with them.

Would the festival vendors trust a system that gives that much power to the host, though? There's a lot to be said for physically handing a pile of tokens to the organiser and getting paid for them. It's very different to a club where only one business needs to get paid out of each transaction.

L1011

Valid point. Direct payout from the card provider minus the operator cut could be done. May need someone like payzone or verifone with a reputation in the game to run something like this

BaZmO*

Was actually going to go to this until I found out I'm on babysitting duties

Not too disappointed though as I've pretty much tried all the beers on the list apart from the BD Overworks stuff. Ah well, next time.

BeerNut

L1011 wrote: »

minus the operator cut could be done. May need someone like payzone or verifone with a reputation in the game to run something like this

Three companies being paid every time you buy a beer! I mean it's not like punters ever complain about festival admission and drinks prices as-is...

emo72

I'll have about 5 pints of the weaker stuff. What token do I need. This is my first beerfest, I haven't an iota. I feel old and stupid. Feckin tokens!

BeerNut

emo72 wrote: »

I'll have about 5 pints of the weaker stuff. What token do I need.

That's 15 tokens, 3 per pint.

emo72

BeerNut wrote: »

That's 15 tokens, 3 per pint.

You're a gentleman. Thank you.

ianob7

emo72 wrote:

I'll have about 5 pints of the weaker stuff. What token do I need. This is my first beerfest, I haven't an iota. I feel old and stupid. Feckin tokens!

Cans are only 2 tokens so that might be an alternative for you also

L1011

BeerNut wrote: »

Three companies being paid every time you buy a beer! I mean it's not like punters ever complain about festival admission and drinks prices as-is...

Two, fest operator and card operator. That being verifone or whoever. Would still be two as soon as you bring in the cards

It's not going to happen anyway - at best we need to see more of the setups where the volume of tokens sold in one go is limited towards the end of the day and can be bought in smaller volumes.

emo72

ianob7 wrote: »

Cans are only 2 tokens so that might be an alternative for you also

I'm not really a fan of cans. Bottles are ok. But if Im getting a nice ale I definitely love a fresh pulled pint. Example I love Carrig Poachers Ale, but it never tastes as good from a bottle. Sadly my local stopped selling it on tap. So I stopped going to it.

If anyone is familiar with Poachers pale ale, can yis recommend an alternative at the show?

BeerNut

L1011 wrote: »

Two, fest operator and card operator. That being verifone or whoever. Would still be two as soon as you bring in the cards

So the brewers give away their beer for free?

L1011

BeerNut wrote: »

So the brewers give away their beer for free?

I thought you meant three taking a cut before the brewery - which coild have happened the way I described it, finance house, separate card operator, fest operator all taking their fees.

BeerNut

L1011 wrote: »

I thought you meant three taking a cut before the brewery - which coild have happened the way I described it, finance house, separate card operator, fest operator all taking their fees.

Nobody would organise a festival where they get a cut of the takings. They take the money and then give the suppliers a cut of it. That's how every token system works, and for a good reason.

Hotblack Desiato

Is it really that hard to give people a refund option on the way out? Or things which can be bought with one token, or even a charity box to put them into on the way out? Because taking money and not providing value for it is basically theft.

Or: putting it another way,

Tokens are 1.50 a go, sheets of 10 only

So I pay my €15 and enjoy a few beers, then I want one more but I have to buy another €15 worth. So I'm incentivised to drink €30 worth when I only wanted to drink say €20.

L1011

BeerNut wrote: »

Nobody would organise a festival where they get a cut of the takings. They take the money and then give the suppliers a cut of it. That's how every token system works, and for a good reason.

I'm aware how token systems work and nothing I've said contradicts that. Whereas you've just said no organiser takes a cut, but then said every organiser takes a cut - you may want to re-read that post for comprehension.

Festival organisers sell the tokens to punters. Breweries receive the tokens from punters, return them to the festival organisers, get payment for them which is less than the punters paid for them. That is still taking a cut, whatever term you wanted to use for it instead.

Where the card system exists - someone else is loading the cards and paying out the breweries but they would still be giving an equivalent cut to the festival organisers.

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Is it really that hard to give people a refund option on the way out? Or things which can be bought with one token, or even a charity box to put them into on the way out? Because taking money and not providing value for it is basically theft.
.

Organising cashing out small amounts of tokens to people who may be pissed when you're trying to clear a venue is not easy. That's one reason why its basically never done.

L1011

Something to do before the gates open if you're around early:

https://twitter.com/ryeriverbrewing/status/1015185853780561922

emo72

anyone there yet? hows it looking?

L1011

Busy enough already, match was on despite saying it wasn't which probably delayed some people

Smaller than I thought but probably right-sized to ticket sales. Still plenty big enough. And you can see some of the classic residents (DH Dove and Blackburn Buccaneer)

matrim

Niallp1976 wrote: »

Beer List for Cinematic (And also Hawkes Apple Cider)

**Brewdog Beers**
Punk
Dead Pony
Elvis Juice
Jet Black Heart
Hazy Jane
Indie Pale Ale
Overworks Haedor
Overworks Sooer Peach
8 Bit Collab NE IPA
Jet Trash West Coast IPA
Trashy
Brewdog V Amundsen Collab (Mallow Mafia)
Dog G
5am Saint
Clockwork Tangerine
Kamikaze Knitting Club
Nanny State

**Yellow Belly**
Citra Pale Ale
Castaway Passion Fruit Sour

**Third Barrel**
Shut Up Juice
Strawberry Fields
Stone Barrel Boom IPA

**Kildare Brewing Company**
Weiss

**Dot Brew**
Little Pale
Barrel Age Cognac Brown Ale

**Wicklow Wolf**
Elevation Pale Ale
Ranchero Rauchbier

**Rising Sons**
Uprising
Mayhem

*Note Some beers are only available in EFP section

Anyone here know which beers are in the EFP area only?

BaZmO*

matrim wrote: »

Anyone here know which beers are in the EFP area only?

I’d say the Overworks definitely are.

I had a bottle of the Amundsen collaboration last night. Really nice in an unusual way. Lots of toasted marshmallow flavours.

matrim

BaZmO* wrote: »

I’d say the Overworks definitely are.

I had a bottle of the Amundsen collaboration last night. Really nice in an unusual way. Lots of toasted marshmallow flavours.

Turns out it's dog g and 8 bit

BaZmO*

matrim wrote: »

Turns out it's dog g and 8 bit

Hmm that’s surprising considering you could get 8 Bit everywhere recently. Dog G can be gotten on their website.

L1011

Cans of Jet Trash on the private aviation apron. Apt.

L1011

I never thought I see a dwarf staple gunning a playing card to his mickey

That did actually happen

L1011

And that Henry Hoover will need counselling

L1011

That was really a rather strange festival. In nothing but good ways.

Towards the end I found I had nearly 30 quid of tokens in a pocket of my shorts that I had no recollection of buying - everything else went straight to the wallet. A big bag of cans was bought. Can stand ensured that you couldn't really be left with more than 1 token on exiting.


The Circus of Horrors bit at the end did make rather too much use of staple-dwarf, but was still suitably horrific. I'd suggest adding a few more toilets/pissoirs also but otherwise the setup was fine and the prices were more than reasonable.

Saruwatari

Pretty good setup for a first-time event. Only complaints being the men's toilets overflowing with piss leaking out into the main area, and not enough food stalls (was in the queue for Bao for literally 40mins). Was also chatting to someone whose husband was vegan, and the only vegan option in the place (Bao's chips) had run out before the big rush for food around 7.30.

Beer highlight was the Wicklow Wolf Ranchero Rauchbier. I usually find these smoked ales to be a bit too overpowering, but the WW guys found a nice midpoint with theirs where the smokiness was more manageable and not dominating the beer.

There was some marshmallow imperial stout going around that I had a sip of, anyone recall which brew that was?

BaZmO*

BrewDog x Amundsen - Mallow Mafia

emo72

Someone in my company remarked that it's not the type of clientele that would get involved in fights. Then at the end of the night some lad headbutted another lad. There's always someone to ruin a good night out.

matrim

emo72 wrote: »

Someone in my company remarked that it's not the type of clientele that would get involved in fights. Then at the end of the night some lad headbutted another lad. There's always someone to ruin a good night out.

Only trouble I saw was when there were long queues for the gents a guy trying to skip the queue started to get a bit aggressive when he was called out on it.

emo72

Queues for the men's toilets? That's a new one on me. I was walking straight in when I seen all the lads lined up in an orderly queue. "What's going on lads what are yis queueing for?". The shock to my system when they told me. Way back down to the end of the line for me. Now I know how women feel!

BaZmO*

Did they not have urinal troughs like at music festivals?

emo72

BaZmO* wrote: »

Did they not have urinal troughs like at music festivals?

No. I counted 8 urinals. And some portaloos. But not loads.

BaZmO*

emo72 wrote: »

No. I counted 8 urinals. And some portaloos. But not loads.

Beer festival without enough toilets. Seems a bit shortsighted.

matrim

BaZmO* wrote: »

Beer festival without enough toilets. Seems a bit shortsighted.

It was the main issue with Hagstravaganza last year too. Hopefully it's something that is easily sorted for next time.