Annual Brewmasters Craft Beer Festival

Beer was fantastic… Five stars for that!
Our main complaint was the promise of food for our designated drivers:
Beer was fantastic and flowing…
But I must say that I’m absolutely disappointed that we paid $ 38 for ‘VIP’ designated driver tickets only to find that I paid $ 38 for a couple bottles of water and food portions that rival HEB’s sample plates. There were, what? Five vendors? Three of them were memorable as far as the taste and flavor but one of them? Memorable because I was charged an extra ($ 5) for two meatballs.
It’s a shame. We had such high hopes but we won’t be coming back. As far as we know, we aren’t the only ones. There were quite a few other guests in the VIP area that expressed the same sentiment.
We wish we could’ve used the money for King’s Biergarten Octoberfest VIP instead. We won’t be spreading our praise about this event’s (Brewmaster’s) VIP area though. Keep up the good work with the beer selection though. Let’s work on not robbing people of money.

If you want to find new and interesting beer to love, this is up your alley! You are given 24 — 1oz samples of your choosing, which is great because there are tons of options! If you use all of your samples and want to try more, for $ 5 you can get 12 more samples.
Three and a half hours might sound like a lot of time, but in actuality we could have stayed longer. There are so many vendors with multiple beers to try that we found ourselves going back to the same booths multiple times.
The really cool part about this festival is that the vendors want you to learn and understand their beer and passion. This festival is a true celebration of beer, its origins and its potential. A stage was set up for different educational/​fun presentations, all of the speakers were entertaining to say the least.
Oh I forgot to mention the event is inside! Thank the heavens because it was rainy and hot! This is the best beer festival I have ever been to, the amount of vendors and beer available for sample was incredible. 24 samples was probably a quarter of the potential choices, so fear not, you will have plenty to choose from even if you are a pickier beer drinker, like myself.

I had so much fun at the Brewmasters Craft beer festival. It was so much beer. I mean I felt like the female version of Homer Simpson. Upon entering they give you a card that allows you to have 24 tastings which was all I truly needed. You were also given a shot-​glass and that was what you held on to the entire time to get your drinks. There were beers from all over. The food was from Spec’s and other places and I truly enjoyed the cheese and meats that were provided.
This festival felt as though it should have been outside because there was really nowhere to sit and socialize. It was all about the beer. So me and my friend turned it into a shot glass beer contest and spent our time knocking back beer. I was definitely introduced to new beers and I have a few favorites to look out for. Most of the beers that were present can be found at Spec’s.

Beer is good. But I have liked some other festivals I’ve gone to more because the sample sizes are a little larger and there are tables to go sit with friends. Here I felt too much pressure to get my next drink I don’t think I got to enjoy my current drink.
But a great selection of beer and overall well laid out/​organized. I just needed some chairs and tables!

If it wasn’t 35.00 per person, then it would have been five stars. I thought it was too expensive. Technically you are getting 24 oz of beer equivalent to 2 cans. The free promotional give always end quickly which I think is dumb since the freebies are great advertising and that is what people lime me migrate to.
Also, the event needs more signage.
If we go back, it will be years or if hosted in a different venue/​city, but even then I think we’re one and done.

Beer, camaraderie, and tons of free swag!
A wide swath of breweries from all over the country participated, and there was a strong local presence, as well. Some breweries were only offering their standard brews that can easily be found in stores, while others were offering something special. Local beersmiths brought it hard in this department, with some deep cuts from their beer vaults. Of particular note was the 2012 Pumpkinator from St. Arnold.
Despite the lack of harder to find brews, it was great to have the opportunity to compare and contrast so many different potions in one place.
The only other thing I thought they could really improve on was the atmosphere. It’s held in a giant event hall at a hotel, which creates kind of a sterile environment. Furthermore, a lot of very popular breweries were having their beers poured by hotel convention workers, rather than having a representative from the brewery there. The organizers did their best to counteract the conventionlike atmosphere with festive decorations, but I’d love to see an event like this in a super cool setting, like outdoors near a lake or something. Then again, trash might be a factor…
But overall, it was good times. Who can really complain about getting to try dozens of different beers in one afternoon? I was like a kid in a candy store! When I got overwhelmed with tasting beers, I took a break and sampled the many wonderful meats and cheeses before quickly returning to beer. Then they blew the whistle and it was all over. I wouldn’t say I was hammered… but I wasn’t NOT drunk, either…

One of the funnest beer festivals I’ve ever attended. I drank my way through the 3.5 hour Grand Tasting on Saturday and it was extremely fun. Don’t let the 24 one oz sampling card discourage you. I don’t know anyone from my group that finished the card. Vendors would pour more than an ounce, some won’t even punch your card, and most just punch through existing holes. Best of all, it’s indoors! The selection of beers is extensive, and although crowded, you never have to wait long to try a beer. They also serve pretzels or nachos at the concession stand to munch on with your brew. Definitely going again next year.

So. Much. Beer. Nothing could make a girl happier.
How it works is: upon arrival, you get a wristband, a tiny beer mug (like the size of a shot glass), and a punch card good for 24 tastings. Enter the facilities and enjoy! There was a large variety of different beers available. Most, if not all, of the beers seem to be available at Spec’s for further tastings later. My personal favorite was a ginger beer from the UK. There were IPAs, dark beers, all sorts of flavored beers, ciders, you name it from different craft brewers all over the world (though mainly the US).
There were also sausages, cheese and snacks to try out, I definitely had to visit that line a few times to balance out all the beer! There were also concessions for sale, but it is advisable to eat beforehand and not subsist off of nachos and pretzels.
A lot of the representatives had little goodies to give out as well; I came home with a Shiner ram antenna topper, Summer Shandy flavored chapstick, a few bottle openers, and some pretty sweet Unilocal sunglasses.

The Brewmasters Craft Beer Festival was a blast! I wish I had more time to try all the different beers. I came thirsty and left feeling satisfyingly quenched with beer. The Moody Gardens Convention was a smart choice in venue to have this indoor beer festival. It’s nice to walk around in A/​C and not worry about trying to find a shady spot to enjoy your beer.
I finally got to taste beers that I’ve been anticipating like Hitachino White Ale and Angry Orchard’s Cinnamon Apple Cider. Most of the beer tents had representatives from the brewery to answer hoppy questions. Like «Where can I get this amazing beer in my mouth?»
Notable beer mentions: Founder’s beer was there from Michigan. (Centennial IPA is a fave of mine) and local Texas Belgian style brewery Adelbert’s was there (Tripel B was a strong ass punch in the face beer). Dogfish Head beer tent guy was pretty cool because he wasn’t even punching our sample cards. I also got to taste different cheeses and charcuterie samples. It was great! Thank you Unilocal for my complimentary tickets an got to chat it up with Farrah for some Unilocal goodies.

This is a well kept secret. Thanks to my Unilocal connections, I got free tickets to the BrewHaHa Grand Tasting on Saturday, but I would have gladly paid to attend and likely will next year. It was seriously a fantastic event.
First, the logistics: You park in the well marked parking garage… FOR FREE! Then, you walk inside and pick up your wristband and baby mug with the once ounce pour line on it. Don’t worry, though. That line will be largely ignored if you smile and bat your eyelashes. There’s a card with 24 numbers that are to be punched by the vendors. This too will be largely ignored.
Inside the tasting event is heaven on earth for beer lovers. Seriously. SO MANY BEERS; SO LITTLE TIME. Three and a half hours, to be exact. I do believe there is an upgrade you can purchase that allows you to enter an hour early. What’s that? You don’t like beer? How about a cider? There are tons of those as well. Need a new coozie? How about 20? Need some chapstick? How about Leinenkugal flavored? Sun in your eyes even though you’re inside? Check out the Unilocal booth! Have a special craving for Spanish beer? Got you covered. Hungry? Check out the concessions or stand in line to taste cheeses courtesy of Specs.
If you love (or just kind of like) beer, this event is an absolute must. It’s definitely great for a novice to the world of craft beer and there is definitely something for everyone. There are even seminars inside about brewing your own, which is all the rage these days. I’m already set on rallying the troops for the whole weekend of events next year.

A marquee event for those with a penchant for craft beer and an interest in micro breweries. Between the swag and the different samples of an amazingly wide spectrum of beers and ales this is really a playground for food and beverage enthusiasts.
My favorite event was the beer and food pairing event on Friday night. Exactly what it sounds like. Breweries partnered with local chefs and what not across all meal types. What makes this extra awesome is the effort these chefs and beer people took to make this exceptional. Of course there were a few food items that just did not fit and some that should not have been there at all. Some favorite food items included the stewed rabbit with apple to the beef cornucopia… or the roasted beef with bacon wrapped potato… or the pulled pork with poached quail egg. Get the picture now?
To sum it up: Craft Beer + Free Swag + Food X good people = Brewmasters Festival.
Moody Gardens hotel was pretty nice. We got the recently renovated rooms that overlooked the pool. When I mean recently I mean the «you can still smell the glue on the laminate walls in the hallway» kind of recent. Free turn down service with chocolate? Yes… free chocolate is always nice. The bar downstairs in the lobby is pretty good and was often the place to congregate after conference events. I will consider staying here in the near future!

Holy heck this is one of the best events I’ve been to in a really long time.
If this had lasted forever, and I had to choose between coming back to the real world or staying in Galveston drinking beer forever… I would have stayed in Galveston.
Brewlicious brews and food pairing: AMAZING. I cannot describe how awesome this was. The food was all delicious, like all of it, everything we tried (which, let’s be serious, which almost every restaurant/​caterer) was phenomenal. And the beers. Oh yes the beers. AMAZING.
Brewhaha tasting: Oh yes, also, AMAZING. I love this place. Beer. Beer everywhere. And cider. And well, what else do you need? Specs was also kind of enough to provide cheese and other snack samples. Yesssssssssss.
This event was super well organized, all the volunteers and people working it were incredibly nice, plus beer people are the greatest people. I didn’t witness anyone who was unhappy. It was like disneyworld for beer drinkers.
Totally coming back next year, and bringing everyone I know.

BrewHaHa Grand Tasting 2013:
bottles and cans and kegs, oh my!
picture this: you walk into a convention center lined with booths filled with beer from Texas, those other states in the US who got started earlier, and even the great big world beyond! I had a Korean beer! and a Brazilian beer! porters aged in bourbon barrels! sours! ciders! beer with rosemary! hazelnut beer! so many wonderful things, and yet there was not enough time for me to have All The Beers! that many beers!
if you’re an IPA’er: man. this is probably close to heaven. have you had Bigfoot? I’m not an IPA’er, but I went back to shake hands with that Yeti more than once. (I realize Bigfoot and Yeti are from different continents, but Bigfoot is the name of the beer, and I needed to make an inside Yeti joke. thanks for letting me have this.)
sure, there were lots of us at the Grand Tasting, but we were all beer drinkers, after all. a pretty cool lot, if you ask me. there are VIP tickets if you want to start an hour earlier to beat the (fairly fast moving) lines and/​or to have more time to attempt tasting All The Beers.
kudos to all behind this event!

WOW. What a weekend! I’m a huge fan of craft beer and food tastings. For me, this festival was like a weekend getaway to heaven. Top chefs preparing small plates, cheeses, and most importantly, over 400 beers to sample. I put forth a valiant attempt, but failed in my mission to taste them all. Good thing there’s next year!
Brewlicious was held Friday evening. My wife and I came with empty stomachs and were glad we did. We stuffed ourselves with delicious fish tacos, unique meatballs, and dozens of cheeses each paired with a beer. We ate and drank and then ate and drank, never reaching our punch card limit. Any more food or beer, oompa loompas would’ve appeared to roll us out.
Saturday was BrewHaHa. This was the big day where all the craft breweries showed up. With mainly beer samples and no food to absorb the alcohol in my quest to try them all, I’ll admit, I got a little tipsy and very squinty-​eyed toward the end of the event. The next morning, I woke up in my Moody Garden hotel room bed next to my goodie bag filled with free koozies, bottle openers, sunglasses, and a few Unilocal Sticks. Not sure why but my lips tasted fruity too.
Just make sure you drink responsibly. Plan beforehand to have a designated driver or hotel room reserved. Both Brewlicious and BrewHaHa are a blast!

BrewHaHa Grand tasting (Saturday Event 3PM-​630PM) — 400 craft, domestic and local Texas specialty and craft brews! Love it!
This event was amazing, amazing, and did I mention amazing. After the quick check in, and being fashionably late (meant we needed to hustle, drink/​taste faster?, we were already an hour behind), I stepped into the doors of the convention center and stood in complete astonishment. Booths from end to end further than the eye could see. With my 1oz plastic taster cup in hand (thank you for being plastic, such a good idea) and yellow golden ticket allowing me 24 tastings of my choice (I GOT A GOLDEN TICKET, not sure what the other colors meant but the fact mine was «yellow» I can say the aforementioned).
I didn’t really know where to begin, I felt like I was being tugged in every direction! So many choices! Needless to say I decided a circle would be the best choice, and thus began my journey. Every booth had friendly staff serving and more than willing to educate you about the brews available for consumption. Not to mention tons of freebies, I love beer paraphernalia, especially bar coasters, and definitely scored quite a few at this event. (Also thoroughly enjoyed my I Unilocal Texas Beer stickers!) If you stayed til the VERY end the staff was filling up your cup entirely so no suds went to waste.
Wish I would have gotten the gentleman’s name and shook his hand, but he gave me and my company his «golden ticket» that had only been used a few times, score more free tastings.
I would highly recommend this well organized and executed event and definitely see myself becoming a regular attendee if my liver holds up that long.

Second Year that we have attended and it is a Great Event! The Beers, Wines and Ciders were really well represented. We got to visit with the Distributors and some Brew Masters.
Last year we loved the Saturday Brew Ha, Ha daytime event. There were so many tasting booths that we did not make it around to everyone becuase we were talking to so many people. Imagine you with a very small glass, 400 beers and only 3 hours! Everyone that served was willing to share information and happy to have you try their beers or ciders. It was great and we learned a lot and added many new favorites to our refrigerator.
This year we wanted to try the Friday night event, Brewlicious. We stepped up to the VIP Ticket for private tastings and food pairings. The event was smaller but it was easier to get to all of the booths and their were more food pairings to sample. I would not do the VIP ticket again though. The food was only fair and the specialty beers were nothing new to us. We had all ready seen them or purchased them from Spec’s.
This is an Awesome event and I would recommend it to anyone. I am happy to have such a large event that is really well done in Galveston.

Awesome! Got to try 24 delicious beers at once and got tons of great beer swag. Learned some new things about some non-​local breweries and tried some special samples of hard-​to-​find brews. We enjoyed ourselves immensely! Totally fun. Get some gumbo at Gumbo Bar beforehand to sop up the suds!