Beerfest 2008 Begins

The 'liscious naming convention is becoming very very annoying. Ronces-, Beer-, Summerde-. Net thing will be a porn industry eent called cockaliscious. People need to be a little bit more original.

Went once years ago. I'll never return. I can go to any decent pub, get most of the beers I want, a seat, some shade, food if I want it, toilets I am not afraid to use, the music isn't too loud to ignore, no entrance fee, and all of it a closer stumble home. No brainer.

$40 or $50 to get in, and only $5 of beer tickets! The fact that there are days sold out illustrates the Toronto-Effect: no matter how crappy and expensive the team or theatre event, it will be sold out in Toronto. This goes along with the Toronto-Corollary: the most middling theatre/music must end with a standing-ovation, and people believe 'this is the year' for their team.

This thing is too big.
I wish the nice little beer festival that was at St Lawrence Market a few years back would return, much more intimate.

Is this the same people who used to organize the St. Lawrence beer festival? I went to that about 4 or 5 years ago, and it was fantastic: no entrance fees, and you could walk around the whole market with your beer (it felt like I was in Europe again!) You also paid $2 for your first beer and a free keepsake half-pint glass that you refilled at other beer stands.

I went the following two years, and it just didn't compare. The beer was more expensive, no free glasses, less beer stands and but many mediocre food vendors, and you were forced to stay and drink only in a small gated area.

The 40/50$ tickets are for The English Beat performance on Thursday as well.

This will be my third year attending and I've found the exhibitors pleasant, the crowds pretty easy going, security quick to catch anybody creating any trouble and live-action foosball? Fun all around.

This is an outdoors festival, not a day at the pub.

I've been to the festival a bunch of times and it's a good go with friends. my only complaint is that I wish there were more of the smaller micro brews from else where. there are some incredible brews being made down south in the states, and even here in canada we have some really great stuff that isn't really being showcased.

still fun though.

Down with the Beer Store monopoly!!

I like the beer store. They have the best employees and lots of beers.

I'm only going if there will be a Telus/Rogers/Virgin tent where I can sign up for a mobile service, a Mastercard/VISA tent where I can sign up for a credit card, and maybe some Peruvian musicians selling CDs. Oh, and there MUST be a heavy security presence and the more corporate logos on plastic banners, the better.

Save time and just mail your money directly to Belgium/Japan/USA. End the monopoly!

beeeer...

@ Joe, RE: the "licious" naming comvention.

First Canadian Place (as in the bank/brokerage/corporate law tower) is holding "FCP Licious" this summer.

I hereby declare the "licious" fad PLAYED.

Thank you Ratpick. I'm glad others see it.

An I apologize for the spelling in the last post, dyslexia kicks in again, i need to proof more.

I've gone the last 4 and I have to say this one was a big disappointment. Even giving allowances for the weather, which nobody could control, this year was extremely poorly organized. It opened late, there were not enough booths selling tokens, and there were not enough toilets resulting in a day spent standing in various lines. I noticed there was also a lot less freebies than in previous years. Who was Inbev trying to fool passing off Stella Artois as a premium beer requiring double tokens it's the type of beer you buy in gas stations in Belgium? It felt less like a promotional event and more like a cash grab this year.

Perhaps it's time to scale back. Loss the mass market brewers and cut back to the craft brewers.