Philly Beer Week...so what's happening anyway?

Philly Beer Week has gotten off to a huge start. Event after event comes up and event after event is talked about by folks who were there, folks who organized it, and folks who are kicking themselves for missing it. If ever there was a wet dream where you were able to have a complete beer experience with your favorite brewery (or region, or beer style, or pairing, or speaker) one night and then open your mind to a completely new brewery (or region, or style, or pairing, or pub) the next night....then Philly Beer Week is it. I hate to make the comparison, but seriously, this is the Bonnaroo of Beer. At that dirty, sun soaked festival in Tennessee there are upwards of five or six bands playing at the same time (at least that's how it was when i was a dirty hippy, who knows what's going on there now) and you have choices:

You can invest in something on a big stage and work your way up front, surrendering yourself to all of the other madness around you for a while OR you can hop from stage to stage, a couple songs here, a couple songs there, taking in as much as possible and hopefully being in the right place at the right time.

Whether getting your taster glass filled or dancing in the grass, you meet people, you have your own experiences, you overload your senses a bit, but you have a time that is unforgettable. I haven't hit nearly as many events as i wanted to this week, but really, i've met a bunch of great people, tasted a ton of great beer (thank god a bunch was local stuff i haven't had and can get my hands on), and gotten reports from others on just how well this thing was organized and is coming together. It's a great week to be a beer geek.

So what have i done? Where have i been? What am i still planning to do? Whose interviews didn't actually record?

Tune back into Grain Bill later today for the full report. If you like beer then you'll read something that will make you want to kick me in the shins next time you see me. And i'll deserve it.