Food + Drink: A Quick Talk With Organizers Of The Great Austin Beer Festival

On Saturday, the Austin Music Hall will be invaded - by beer nerds. The first edition of the Great Austin Beer Festival takes place this weekend, and almost 40 breweries will participate in the event. We recently spoke to festival coordinator Blake Richards to learn more about what to expect from what could become a big event on the Austin beer calendar.

How did this festival come about - who got the ball rolling, so to speak?

I am an event planner in San Diego, CA, and I spend a lot of time in Austin with family and friends. There are so many beer festivals in other cities, we figured it was time to bring another one to Austin.

Does the festival focus mostly on Texas brews?

We are focusing on craft and import breweries. We have a good amount of local breweries including (512) Brewing, Shiner, St. Arnold, Live Oak, Real Ale Brewing, and Independence, and we will have a brewery that is getting close to opening there, Jester King, there with information. Jester King won't be serving beer.

Does the ticket price include a certain number of samples? Does it include any food?

The ticket price includes samples for the event as long as all guests are responsible. It does not include food, but we will have a local vendor, Boomerang's Veggie and Meat Pies.

How did you select the breweries invited to participate?

We had a lot of interest from breweries, but we looked for some of the leaders and some of Austin's favorites.

Will there be enormous lines for the beer samples?

There are 40 tables. The process should be quick for a 4oz pour, and I expect minimal lines...but I have never been to a beer festival that had absolutely no lines!