TCBF Tips

The Tacoma Craft Beer Festival starts in just three hours!  Now would be a good time to make sure you're ready.

Step 1. Get There and Get Home: Safely

If you're planning to have a great time drinking beer at a beer festival, plan also on not driving home.  There's a shuttle service running from the Tacoma Dome Station, which links to local and regional buses and the LINK Rail.  And the railing around the dock is basically a giant bike rack, so why not ride there?  (Last year I arrived early and they let me lock up indoors to a boat trailer.  I understand that boat has now been removed to make room for more brewers. YES!)

If possible, you may want to ride a bike with a back seat.  You never know who else may need a safe ride home after last call.  (Yes, that's my bike. No, that's not me.)

Step 2: Bring a Snack

The standard for beer festivals is the pretzel necklace.  It's cheap, effective, and virtually hands-free.  However, there's still time to whip up a batch of Matt's Favorite Cookies.

Hint: Tape the recipe card inside your cabinet by the oven.

These pair well with most ales and are quite tasty.  I always recommend making a double batch to share with your friends.  Or to trade them for beer tasting tokens.

Step 3. Show Your Colors

C'mon,it's a beer festival! We're celebrating one of the most amazing inventions of all time, so put on some lederhosen or a toga or a funny hat...

This ancient form of haberdashery dates back nearly four decades.  I had Grandma train me in the Ways of the Can Hat and now it is time to unleash their awesome power!  Expect to see a few of these in the Canned Beer Garden at TCBF on Saturday.  BTW, if you haven't tried craft beer in a can, now is the time.  There are some great beers available now in cans, including those made by our local boys 7 Seas Brewing from Gig Harbor.

I'll be posting more pictures and a full review after the festival.  Any other tips to share?