International brews on tap Saturday
All About Beer magazine hosted the fifth annual World Beer Festival at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center this weekend, enticing thousands of ale enthusiasts with the promise of a global beer tour from the four corners of the world — in only four short hours. Attendees roamed two floors of vendors, filling up plastic souvenir cups with their favorite beer or long-awaited first tastes. The seasoned beer veterans were easily recognized in the growing crowd, rolled-up checklists clenched tightly in their fists and a slew of salty snacks dangling from lanyards tied around their neck, eyeglasses or anywhere else that could hold a few pretzels.
“Pretzels are good for cleansing the pallet,” explained one experienced taster to his first-year comrade between bites, crumbs dusting his thick beard and collar. “Besides, what goes better with beer than pretzels?”
After complaints were made following last year’s event that too many vendors failed to show up or, even worse, ran out of beer, organizers were determined to deliver the suds to Columbia. Fast-forward to 2013, and more than 40 breweries were ready with kegs tapped and bottle caps popped by noon, when the day’s first session began. With lengthy lines roping around the building long before doors were set to open, patrons shuffled their way slowly past identification checkpoints before scanning tickets and snapping up festival guides and commemorative cups.
After that, attendees were free to roam festival areas as they pleased, making a mini-tour of each brewery’s offerings. Downstairs showcased the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium beer gardens, housing a load of distinct breweries that ferment every type of beer a passionate drinker could hope for. Whether a fan of in-your-face hops, dark stouts or thick wheat, one of these 2-ounce ales could go down smoothly.
Several foreign breweries made their way to the capital city to provide a little international gusto for the bevy of imbibers. England’s Old Speckled Hen, Tokyo’s Sapporo and the best-selling Almaza beer from Lebanon all made the jump overseas to show off their stuff — and provide a little incentive to put down the Natural Light. Of course, everyone’s favorite Irish beer, Guinness, was on tap, and Mexican cervezas Pacifico and Dos Equis even hopped the border — though the Most Interesting Man in the World was notably absent.
What may have come as a surprise to many patrons was the number of ales brewed locally in South Carolina. Conquest Brewing Co., situated right here in Columbia, gave tasters a choice of a lightly crisp Artemis blonde ale and a malty Sacred Heart India pale ale. New South Brewing Co. in Myrtle Beach paid homage to the coastal lifestyle with a selection of English brown, IPA and American white ales, while Spartanburg’s RJ Rockers packed a fruit punch with its wheaty Impeachment brew and richly toasted yet sweet vanilla oatmeal porter.
Staying stateside but stepping outside South Carolina, plenty of companies represented the variety of brewing styles across America. Atlanta sweethearts Sweetwater Brewing Co., Michigan’s Founders Brewing Co., California’s Lagunitas Brewing Co. and Brooklyn Brewery out of New York highlighted the brewers at this year’s festival.
“I think a festival like this is a great idea because it gave me a chance to try new beers I would never have been able to,” said Lindsey Chrismer, who attended the event’s 6 to 10 p.m. evening session. “There’s so many different types to choose from, and I’ve liked almost everything I’ve tasted.”
With a festival designed to maximize diversity and minimize boozing, tasters were only allowed 2-ounce pours as they mingled downstairs or upstairs at the Carolina Ale House garden. As the afternoon wore on and things began to get rowdy, many patrons put down the mug in favor of the fork, dining on anything from soft pretzels to pizza and stir-fry. Rolling roars of “Gamecocks!” echoed throughout the center as brew lovers young and old raised their glasses in salute of another World Beer festival come and gone.