American comedian Drew Carey once said: “Things don’t make me nearly as happy as talking and having a beer with my friends. And that’s something everyone can do.”
He’s absolutely spot on. But what’s even better is making new friends and sharing beer experiences with them; something that beer festivals gift to all of us.
Here at Siren, we’re always trying to put Finchampstead on the map, outside of the greater Wokingham area.
At beer festivals abroad we often get asked, “Where are you from?” And the answer is always proudly, “Finchampstead” and then “Wokingham” followed by “near Reading” … “just west of London.”
That’s when you get the understanding “Ah yes.” One day, maybe we’ll be able to stop at Finchampstead!
We’ve been up to some cool things recently, so I wanted to share one of them with you. If you’re reading this with no prior experience of a beer festival, I strongly urge you to come and check one out.
More on that in a bit!
Hagstravaganza
I’ve just got back from pouring at The White Hag brewery’s annual festival in Ireland, Hagstravaganza. With more than 1,500 descending on an industrial estate in rural Ireland, it was evident that the craft beer industry is booming.
They had a line-up of breweries from far and wide; The USA, France, Italy, Sweden and the UK to name a few. What was nice to see is that they also had beers from small more local Irish breweries, some of which were literal one-man bands.
Along with the awesome beers, the crowds enjoyed various beer-related games, bands and DJs, a samba band and some incredible street food offerings.
Even as an experience beer festival attendee, I was never without a smile on my face (even when the Irish skies bestowed us a bit of rain). Looking around at the crowds, people were talking, chatting, sharing and having fun.
I myself met so many people from other breweries, and fans of our brewery. I can normally be found wearing Siren merch and when someone walks past me at a festival, or even just on the street and says “Hey! Siren! I love your beers!” It truly warms my heart and always leads to a great beer-related conversation.
I came home from Ireland rich in memories and new friends; it’s truly what weekends are made for.
So where’s next?
In the coming couple of weeks, we’ll be at two of London’s top beer fests: CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival and London Craft Beer Festival. Both festivals host breweries from all over the globe and drinkers come from afar.
I’d like to think not just for the beers, but for the social aspect as well. After all, things don’t make us nearly as happy as talking and having a beer with our friends.
So Google GBBF or LCBF and pick up some tickets, we guarantee you’ll absolutely love them and come away with more than just a souvenir glass.
If you do come along, come find the Siren stand, say hello and talk to us about beer; that’s something everyone can do.
