Thouhgts on FoBAB 2012

By scot in Beer on Monday, November 19th, 2012

The third pilgrimage to FoBAB. Each year I have been fortunate enough to be accompanied by my wife. Sitting on our tickets for two plus months gave me the burning desire to see what the new FoBAB venue would have to offer as well as the tasty treats the American craft brewers would bring forward.

That’s about where the excitement ended. A third straight year in which FoBAB under staffed the line. For the 500 – 750 that would be attenting, that wasn’t enough. Some 40 minutes in line got us into the venue. Coat check, glass, beer listing; ready to go.

Unfortunately the event was on the fifth floor, there was only one freight elevator, and it was slow. Not good for a fat guy. Once we made it up stairs, the best beers had already ran dry: only 40 minutes into the night. Yuck.

Once up there, it was hot. 90 degrees hot. Even after a first session in which they knew it was hot, they didn’t open the windows. I sweat easily and, when I do, I am not a happy camper.

The shape of this new space was rectangular and narrow. Not a great way to move around. In the past, the square shape allowed those with beer to move to the middle, not so as there was no middle. The low ceiling combined to make the space seem much more confined.

Yes, I a bitching. It wasn’t a good event. At $45 per ticked, I don’t feel I was able to get my value out of the event. We had a few good beers but nothing more. We left less than two hours after we arrived, giving away five of our tickets each. This was my last FoBAB. Enjoy!

Useless Fact: In 1912 a law passed in Nebraska where drivers in the country at night were required to stop every 150 yards, send up a skyrocket, wait eight minutes for the road to clear before proceeding cautiously, all the while blowing their horn and shooting off flares.