Hop Fest

Tired of huge crowds, rank amateurs, little beer and drunk douchebags at your favorite beer festival? I am and apparently so were some other folks so they came up with Hop Fest 2011. Hop Fest aims to solve the large crowds of other beer fests by limiting the number of tickets to 850 (750 General and 100 VIP). To keep out those who believe a Heineken is a special treat, Hop Fest charges a bit of a premium, $30 for General Admission and $50 for VIP's. Solving the problem of running out of beer, Hop Fest is actually purchasing the beer for the event rather than relying on donations from distributors or breweries. That means they're going to be buying the good stuff and lots of it. I don't know if there's a plan to keep out the drunk douches, but without Bud Light or beer flavored with lime, I think Hop Fest may be douche free (at least the standard Jersey Shore-ish, protein powder swilling kind).

Most breweries that have beers available in KC will be represented. But, they won't just be offering the same old fare you could find at Gomer's or Royal. They'll be bringing the rare stuff too. In addition, rare and unusual beers will be released every 30 minutes during the festival. The VIP ticket gets you into Hop Fest an hour early so you can get to the Hopslam or Boulevard Hoppy Wheat (or whatever rarities will be available at that time) without having to push through 700 people. VIP's will have access to 5 rare or unusual beers in the extra hour. With every ticket guests will receive a tasting glass and program and access to some of the best brewers and beer people in the US.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday at The Well and Lew's Bar and Grill in Waldo. Hop Fest will take place on Saturday, June 18 and take place in the parking lot just east of The Well. Get your tickets quickly, you don't want to be on the outside looking in.

Update: Someone is posting this around saying this is the official site of Hop Fest. It is not the official site of Hop Fest. Other than planning on attending, I have nothing to do with Hop Fest, have no financial stake in Hop Fest and have no responsibility for Hop Fest. This is not the official or unofficial site for Hop Fest, this is a blog covering events, bars and beers in Kansas City.

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