Guest blog post from The High Desert Life (now defunct).
For me the Bend Beer Festival is bitter – sweet, and that’s not a reference to the hops or malt. It is both frustrating and awesome at the same time. Let me explain. I’ve had this conversation with many people who share the same sentiment. See, I am a self-proclaimed beer enthusiast. I brew beer. I study beer. I contemplate its history, economics, its artisanal and culinary influences, hence its impact on our lives. The idea of spending an evening with thousands of people casually enjoying various states of a buzz is never going to be my go to plan. So forgive my skepticism, but I don’t see many people actually enjoying the beer. I’ve looked.
It’s like a special handshake of a not-so-secret society. First one holds his glass up to the light, then the swirl, sniff, swirl again, second sniff, then the taste. Or, at least every subsequent taste is preceded by a quick sniff, because the people who understand that aroma contributes a significant element to the flavor won’t miss out on a single opportunity to truly enjoy what they have. These are the folks who feel two tokens for a taste at the X-Tap booth is money well spent. Like me, these people may also take notes in their pamphlet while they nod approvingly. On occasion you may find these same people dumping out perfectly good beer, because they don’t want to waste their time on a bad sample. These people comfortably use words like Diacetyl, phenols and esters when discussing beer. And then there is the rest of the crowd!
Okay. Now that I have gotten my overindulgent beer snobbery out of the way, allow me to get over myself and look at the Bend Beer Fest for what it really is, pure awesomeness. Even the 2.3 kids can come watch their parents drink beer and act “silly” until 7:00 at night. Bend has a scene, like everywhere else, and scenes can become tiresome in their homogeneity. But, at least the scene in Bend is comprised of healthy, beautiful people who are fairly well grounded, outdoorsy, who have families with 2.3 kids, a dog named after one’s favorite beer, a couple extra bikes (because, you never know), who often end up at one of the myriad breweries at some point during the week. If a “scene” is inevitable and if I have to stick my flag in the sand somewhere, then Bend-ites are my people and the Bend Brew Fest is my place. Sorry, please leave your dog Porter at home.
Despite my incessant whining about beer snobbery, the Bend Brew Fest is like a beer commercial where suddenly there are half naked people covered in body art, great food, amazing and creative beer all surrounded by incredible mountains and a river filled with stand up paddlers, kayakers and floaters. Are you kidding me? And, for the snobs like me who want to sit around waving our pinky fingers in the air, ruminating on beer culture, we can go sit our asses down at the X-Tap tent sipping premium beer paired with cheese and listening to brewers discuss their inspiration for their latest blah-de-blah. But, frankly, it has become a place of diverse experiences that pair so well that hardly anyone notices. (I even savored a Brettanomyces Saison while listening to a remix of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”. Yep, scratched that one off my life’s To Do list.)
The point is this: There’s something for everyone. Beer experts, snobs and enthusiasts will find something to hold their interest. Families will have fun. There is even a wine booth for the outright anarchists. For those people who merely enjoy a good craft brew, life is good at the Beer Fest. For those who don’t really care and normally drink crappy beer, then I say, “Welcome to the team.” Whatever freak flag you fly, at the very least, there is a place to wave it at the Bend Brew Fest. One thing is certain, you will find me proudly waving mine at all the rest of the beer festivals throughout the year.