It’s that time of year again. BrauKunst Live 2015 is upon us for the fourth time at the MVG Museum in Munich. Germany’s largest beer convention is set to kick things off on Friday, March 6th at 4pm. For three days just around one hundred exhibitors will showcase brews from over 120 breweries. Past year the event attracted close to 8000 beer enthusiasts from Germany and around the world over the three days to try over 700 beers. So no doubt about it, that’s quite a number.
For those attending for the first time, there’s a right way and a wrong way to attack BKL 2015. Here are some tips to help you make the most out of your beer adventure:
Stay hydrated & lay down a base.
Drink water! Lots of it and don’t wait until you arrive at the event because once you’re there you’ll get distracted by all the tasty brews and forget H2O even exists 😉
A good rule of thumb is one glass of water per glass of beer… Also think what you drink; don’t just gulp it down, look at what’s in your glass, smell it and savor it. What are you drinking? How does it look? Does the aroma or flavor remind you of something?
Eat before you get there! Having your stomach filled with food will help soak up the alcohol and keep you going throughout the day. There will be a food court in the exhibition hall to get anything from a small snack to a full meal but nothing is free as we all know. A good tip, make a Pretzel necklace… this has become a must-have going to beer fests or conferences. You think that’s cheesy? Try it and see all those jealous looks from those who don’t have one 😉
And keep in mind you’ll eventually have to go and empty your bladder…and guys this is for you especially… the lines are long! As a girl, we always have to wait twice, three or four times as long as the boys, not so at beer events.
Do your reserach – Prepare wisely!
This year’s beer list is long. Take a few minutes before you leave to look at the breweries and beer line-up. Of course you can just go with the flow and hop from booth to booth, but you’re likely to miss some tasty rare treats which will be gone quick or have gotten replaced by another beer by the time you get to the booth.
Braufactum, one of BKL 2015’s premium partners, will release their new Hoppy Strong Saison, which they brewed specially for this event. In addition to that they will present their new international partners Mikkeller, Gypsy Inc. from Denmark and Birrificio Italiano from Northern Italy.
Love hops? Swing by the hop experts Joh. Barth & Sohn’s booth and check out two new hop varieties Monroe and Relax.
Also, take a break from cruising through the hall and visit one of the Masterclasses and learn more about beer, brewing techniques & ingredients or get a glimpse into the suds-soaked world of a brewer.
Try styles you haven’t had.
If you live in Germany and/or are German you think you know all the “important” beer styles… well… there’s a world beyond Pils, Weizen, Altbier, Kölsch or Bock beers… You probably have heard of Berliner Weisse, Stouts, Porters, Pale Ales and India Pale Ales (IPA’s), but what about Barleywine, Saison, Wit beer or Sour Ale? And what the heck is a Gruit beer or the difference between a Midwest Coast IPA vs “normal” IPA? Hey Urban Chestnut, what the heck is a Midwest Coast IPA? 😉
Again, check out the beer list, find out what Braukunst Live 2015 has to offer and hunt down the rare and unusual creations.
Last but not least…
…enjoy the festival. I’d love to bump into some readers for a chat or a Cheers!
See you there!
The ART of Beer 