Brew Haven Homebrew Competition and Beer Festival

I received the following via email. Not only is there a competition element to the event but we'd also be looking for volunteers to represent the club. If anyone is interested, please contact me.

We would like to cordially invite KLOB to participate in the Brew Haven 2012 Craft Beer Festival. Last year, the first Brew Haven Craft Beer Festival drew more than 800 people to what was appreciatively described as “a tasting atmosphere”. This year, Brew Haven will become Northeast Indiana’s premiere craft beer festival. We have more than doubled the area for the festival which is held on Main Street in picturesque downtown New Haven, Indiana. Early indications have led us to confidently expect to attract more than 1,500 people. Those who participated last year gave us glowing reviews and we already have more than 30 breweries on board.

While this year’s festival is Saturday, August 4, a homebrew competition is also being held. It will be BJCP sanctioned and judged by BJCP-certified judges. We would like to invite your members to compete and to judge/steward. Please go to beercomp.triontavern.com in order to get the details and to register (both to compete and judge/steward).

We would also like to invite KLOB to pour it’s beers at the festival. Last year, the local club poured 50 of its beers and this year we have designated an area specifically for homebrew. We feel this is a fun way to build interest and understanding of our rewarding hobby.
Participants will need to be set up before admission of VIP ticket holders which begins at 12:30pm with pouring for VIPs starting at 1pm. Sampling for standard ticket holders will begin at 2pm. The festival and all pouring will end at 6pm. One 6-foot table under the tent, ice water, pitchers, dump buckets and continual assistance will be provided. Participants are asked to provide beer, delivery, dispensing equipment and, if possible, their own pourer(s) who are licensed for Indiana. If your club can provide its own licensed pourers, 4 will be admitted free of charge. If your club cannot provide its own licensed pourers, arrangement can be made to have our volunteers pour for you.

Finally, we are also taking volunteers to work the festival. In exchange for working approximately half the time of the festival, volunteers will get a souvenir tasting glass, t-shirt and glass-holding lanyard.

Brew Haven is co-hosted by The Trion Tavern and The MASH Club – Northeast Indiana Homebrewers. The MASH Club is a growing group of talented zymurgists striving to perfect their techniques and spread the appreciation of fine fermented beverages. The Trion Tavern is Northeast Indiana’s best craft beer bar, boasting 58 taps.

Thank you for considering our event. If you have any questions or would like to reserve a table to pour your club’s beers, please contact MASH Club President, Kyle Alberda, via email at canofpears@gmail.com or call (260) 387-3115.

You can find more info about Brew Haven here:
TrionTaven.com's Special Events page (scroll down)
Brew Haven's Facebook page
Trion Tavern/Brew Haven's Twitter feed @BrewHaven

Info on other aspects (to be covered at the meeting on 4/25):

Ticket sales begin Friday, June 1st at 6pm (both online and as party of a ticket release party at the Trion)
We plan to have our final posters & flyers printed by June 1 (so we would really like to have as many commitments by the end of May as possible so that they can be included on the list)
Advertising is planned for Great Lakes Brewing News, Whatzup (Fort Wayne's free weekly entertainment newspaper), ROCK104 (radio) and NIPR (radio). Plus, posters/flyers at related area businesses, press releases to traditional media, and interaction with Hoosier Beer Geek and IndianaBeer.com.
Gourmet Beer Dinner - the night before Brew Haven (Friday, August 3) at 7pm - at the Trion. Details TBD but this could be an excellent venue for distributors to entertain/network. I will keep you updated on ticket price and menu.
Homebrew Competition
Timed tappings (at Brew Haven) - 7 openings available
People's Choice Award - 1 entry per brewery, 1 vote per attendee - votes will be collected from 1-4pm with the winner being announced/presented at 5pm

Adam Lepper - Brew Haven coordinator
Kyle Alberda - MASH president and competition coordinator