Oktoberfest 2012 ICOK Beer Event EXTRAVAGANZA Guide

RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
edited October 2012 in Community
Hello everyone! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at ICOK this year. I was sad to have been completely buried in work during EPIC to the point where I was too exhausted after wrapping up each day to do anything but go home and pass out.

I vowed that wasn't going to happen for ICOK, so I'm planning well in advance to make sure it doesn't happen.

First things first:

If you are coming to Detroit for ICOK, you are in town during an epic event - the Detroit Fall Beer Festival has, for the first time in its (now) 4 year run, been extended to two days. It runs Friday the 26th 5 to 9pm, and Satruday the 27th 1 to 6pm. Over 50 Michigan brewers and over 300 Michigan beers on tap. Tickets are $35 in advance. IT WILL SELL OUT.

I am planning on going on Friday. I have a Michigan Brewer's Guild Enthusiast Membership, so I will be getting in 1 hour early at 4pm. Nonetheless, if you want to join me there are a few ways you can kill an hour near the venue (Eastern Market, unless they change things), and then we can try all sorts of beer and then come back to ICHQ to drink more.

If you are interested in attending with me, either buy a ticket directly from the MBG website, or let me know ASAP - I can buy tickets locally at a few places. Did I mention these will sell out fast? Last year tickets were going for 50% above face value on Craigslist in the days leading up to it.

Next up:

If you're coming to ICHQ from out of state and you don't want to bring beer with you, but you also don't want to have to make the 10-15 mile jog to a decent (let alone GOOD) beer store, I would love to be able to lay in a supply of brews for you in advance that will be waiting for you at Icrontic. Contact me directly and let me know what you'd be interested in having available. I buy from stores with the lowest prices around, so you won't pay a premium when you have to hit some random corner store or, god forbid, Embassy or something.

Finally: BEER TASTING.

Since I will be attending the Detroit Beer fest on Friday night, the most logical time to run the tasting will be Saturday in the early afternoon. I'm thinking around 2:30pm or thereabouts. We'll nail down a more accurate start time in the week leading up to the date.

This time around I'm going to be featuring a very unique and classic style - The Flanders Red and Brown ales. These Belgian brews have a rich history and are quite unlike much mass produced beer. A hallmark of the style is that they're typically aged in oak, but not in the kind that ages bourbon or whiskey - these are large oak vats or used wine barrels that are often laden with bacterium that traditional brewers try and avoid for fear they'll spoil other beer. These beers take on interesting, uncommon flavors and can often be mildly to mouthpuckeringly sour. The beers we'll taste will run the gamut, and I promise that even if you don't like "sour" beers, you'll find something to enjoy.

These will be paired with a selection of meat, cheese, and other accouterments. 8 to 9 beers will be featured with at least 1.5 oz samples of each.

This tasting will be $20 and limited to 15 seats (myself included). Based on the response thus far, I know that interest will exceed my ability to seat it. I've debated whether to do a first-come response, as I have done in the past, but that favors those who spend more time online. I've decided it will be more equitable if I were to do a lottery.

So please enter your names here. They will be drawn at random when on October 13th, two weeks before the tasting.

If you reply with "in" and forget to fill out the form, please don't be sad when you find out your name wasn't in the hat.

That's all for now, I think. Cheers!
Garg
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Comments

  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited October 2012
    Woot! Names in hat.

    Beerfest sounds awesome, but I'll probably be arriving in Detroit right at 4pm, so it might be tricky to coordinate with people. I'd really prefer to carpool after I saw the parking disaster last time.
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    In!
  • UPSLynxUPSLynx :KAPPA: Redwood City, CA Icrontian
    Who all is interested in checking out the beer fest? I think I'm down for that.
    WagsFTW
  • RyanFodderRyanFodder Detroit, MI Icrontian
    Pretty sure I can do tasting. Doing beer fest is too many calories :(
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    My van can transport 7 comfortably. They sell DD passes to the beer fest, but then that would require finding someone who is willing to go and NOT drink. Otherwise we have to rely on me sobering up by the time the fest wraps up at 9. Which is doable.
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    Bought ticket and in for tasting. Calories can DIAF for that weekend.
    RyanMM
  • In for tasting.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    Okay, sours? In.
    RyanMM
  • mertesnmertesn I am Bobby Miller Yukon, OK Icrontian
    edited October 2012
    In

    Edit: Can't access GDocs from the office. I'll have to remember to do it this afternoon.
    Edit: Bought my beer festival ticket!
  • AnnesAnnes Tripped Up by Libidos and Hubris Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    mmmmm. Tasting.
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    This is gonna be the best ICOK evar.
  • JBoogalooJBoogaloo This too shall pass... Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    Ticket bought for Friday beerfest and name tossed in the hat! Really looking forward to this!
  • fatcatfatcat Mizzou Icrontian
    edited October 2012
    Dee and I are skipping out on this tasting (lame excuse is our diets..) to allow others the opportunity to get in. +Rep for doing these @RyanMM
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2012
    Well @fatcat, if calories are a concern, it's at most 15oz of beer that averages around 6% ABV, so roughly 200-250 calories for the beer itself. Sure you can find some wiggle-room for that. ;)

    I'd be more than happy to put you on an "alternates" list if you are worried about bumping anyone in the lottery.
  • AlexDeGruvenAlexDeGruven Wut? Meechigan Icrontian
    I think I'm going to opt-out of the tasting in favor of beerfest. I like trying new things, but the idea of sours just doesn't appeal to me in the least. I've had some before, and the overall is just not within my palate range (like IPAs).

    I can appreciate them for what they are, but do not enjoy them.
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2012
    @AlexDeGruven, next time you're at a beer bar and you see a beer called Monk's Cafe or Duchesse de Bourgogne, ask for a sample. In fact, BOTH are on tap right now at One-Eyed Betty's. This is the style we'll be tasting, and those are two of the milder examples. Great gateways to the style.

    I too don't like mouth-puckering beers (and man, I've tasted some doozies), but some of the Flanders Red ales can be nicely balanced. I'm sure some of the stuff for this tasting will be too sour for me. I hope so, even - I like pushing my boundaries. But don't write this off too quickly.
  • SodaSoda Ann Arbor, MI Icrontian
    Mmmmmm beer. At ICSP I didn't know there'd BE a tasting. This time...my body is ready.
  • BandrikBandrik Elkhart, IN Icrontian
    Name added to hat. Contemplating the beer-fest. If I get a ticket, my vehicle handles 7 for carpooling.
  • AnnesAnnes Tripped Up by Libidos and Hubris Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    Beep. What's going on with this beast?
    GnomeQueen
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2012
    I am a delinquent and sorry motherfucker.

    My apologies all, I've been beyond swamped the last couple weeks and couldn't get a few things (like announcing stuff about this) done in time.

    So I got a total of 19 entries and I can only seat 14 besides myself. Rather that first-come like last time, decided to randomize things.

    The 14 people who are getting first dibs:

    image

    So attention to @Lershee @CannonFodder @Gargoyle + GF @UPSLynx @GnomeQueen @primesuspect @tiberiuslazarus @annes @Lincoln @Mertesn @Dunigan @Soda @ickybodclay

    If any of you decide you no longer want in, alternates will be offered seats in this order:

    @Tushon
    @Jboogaloo
    @Susurro
    @Bandrik

    The tasting is going to be aiming for between 2-3pm start time on Saturday. As a reminder, it will be $20 and will include a pairing of snacks. If you would like to paypal me in advance, hit me with a PM. I'll also email/text everyone about this post to make sure you've seen it.

    Also, could everyone who bought a ticket to beer fest for Friday message me? I want to coordinate our expedition.

    Cheers!


    EDIT: I edited your post due to typoness - you had JBoog as a winner, and he was not, it was icky
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    Not sure if I even like sour ales, so maybe this is good. I'll just make sure to run out of pumpkinator before you try some, Ryan
  • AnnesAnnes Tripped Up by Libidos and Hubris Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited October 2012
    OH GOD I AM SO EXCITE. I would also like to offer my "enjoyment of sour ales" services for all of those who decide mid-tasting that they're just not into them.
  • AlexDeGruvenAlexDeGruven Wut? Meechigan Icrontian
    That sound suspiciously like the role I took on at the EPIC '12 wine-tasting. Mrs. Mertes didn't like any of the reds so I found myself double-dosing.

    Good times.
  • ickybodclayickybodclay Madison Heights, MI Member
    I cant make it 2-3, bummer! Passing my spot
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    Woo!
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    If Tushon passes his spot, Jboogaloo is next on the list. @RyanMM, confirm?
  • RyanMMRyanMM Ferndale, MI Icrontian
    Yep! I'll notify him when I get off the road.
  • GnomeQueenGnomeQueen The Lulz Queen Mountain Dew Mouth Icrontian
    My body is ready.
    MAGIC
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian

    My body is ready.

    Nope. migraine.jpg
    CantiMAGIC
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