Cincy Beer Fest - 2009

It would seem that Derek meeting Craig at the Jungle Jim's Spring Beer Fest was a most fortuitous event. This simple meeting lead me to be a photographer for the Cincy Beer Fest in Convington, Kentucky. The irony of the name and location are not lost on me, but is not something upon which I dwell.

Arriving at 1.30, it was a rainy start. The rain was off and on, but when it did, it poured. Those few who ventured out at that time were greeted by smiling volunteers. The visitor's delight was in the lack of lines. By about 3, however, the skies had cleared a bit and the crowd started to grow. Throughout the day, all it did was grow larger. There seemed to be very little limit to how large it would get, but it did finally stop. Turn out was great and everyone was very well behaved, despite the limitless nature of their tickets. Even the local constabulary hired to keep the peace remarked how well the drunks were behaving.

Most of the beers available were on tap, though some of the best were in half liter bottles. Though there was no Miller or Bud Lite on hand, there was Little Kings, PBR, Schlitz and PBR light. But there was also Guinness 250 and Stone Levitation. Over all, the beer selection was very good and only a few things ran out. Samuel Adams had two new beers for taste evaluation and voting, both were excellent. One was a pilsner, brewed by Jim for his daughter's wedding, and the other a basic American ale. It was difficult, but I chose the ale.

As the day worn on, taking pictures of people became easier. Many people asked if pictures could be purchased and more thought I was from a local paper. Even the photographers from the local papers thought I was from the other. Toward the end of the night, several, mostly women, insisted on taking my picture, so I am in several. The selling of my photos is new territory for me, so hopefully the site is set-up properly.

Overall, it was a long, tiring day, but great fun. Had it been typical July weather, I do think it would have been quite miserable. The cooler weather aided in getting people out in the late afternoon as opposed to mid-evening. The crowd was great and the attitudes better. The only negative I have is that there was very little representation from the breweries, so questions about some of the beers were not answered too insightfully.

Had a great time and met all manner of people. See you in February.