CLEMMONS
Before heading out to the Great North Carolina Beer Festival, Scott Gammons and his buddies divvied up a bag of Snyder pretzels and strung them to make pretzel necklaces to wear around their necks.
The idea was to sample one of the craft-brewed beers and then eat a pretzel.
"It's a sobriety tool," Gammons said. "It keeps you from getting too drunk, so you can sample more beer."
Really, Gammons' buddy Patrick Hiatt said, coming to the festival wasn't about getting drunk, it was about the chance to enjoy tasting a variety of craft-brewed beers.
Gammons agreed.
"I'm kind of snobby," he said. "You have to use good-quality stuff."
The men were among more than 19,000 people who came to Tanglewood Park for what organizers hope will become an annual event.
"The goal, first, is to give the community a great event that everybody can enjoy at a reasonable price," said C.H. McMahan, one of the festival's six organizers.
Admission was $25 in advance, or $30 at the gate. For that, festival-goers got to enjoy live music while sampling beers from more than 40 small brewers -- most based in North Carolina, some based in such states as New York, Georgia and Virginia. Because most brewers offered several varieties, Bryan Wheeler, the owner of Tailgators Bar & Billiards and another one of the festival organizers, estimated that there were about 150 different craft beers on hand.
Plus, a couple of local brewing clubs, including The Winston-Salem Wort Hawgs Brew Club, brought in home-brewed beers.
"We're here to educate people about our beer," said Steve Mance, a member of the club. "We're all about education."
People who enjoy wine and people who enjoy craft-brewed beers are up to the same thing in that they want to enjoy a flavorful product, said Jeff Perkins, a regional brand manager for Brooklyn Brewery. The main difference is that people tend not to be as intimidated by beer.
"We like to think that beer is more approachable," Perkins said.
People whose first choice is wine could drop by the Forsyth Humane Society tent and buy a glass for $5.
"We've sold a fair amount," said volunteer Becca Harnish. "We're appealing to the wives."
The people at First Community Bank had printed up 5,000 fans to pass out, and, with the temperatures in the upper 80s and plenty of free humidity, people were putting the fans to good use. Belinda Moorefield said that she wouldn't mind seeing the next festival moved to October when it would be a little cooler.
Baxter Cromer, who was taking an afternoon off from his job as chef at the Village Tavern on Hanes Mall Boulevard, was impressed by the turnout.
"I think this is going to catch on," Cromer said. "I never would have expected to see this many people."
kunderwood@wsjournal.com
727-7389
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement