Building a Better Beerfest

Listen here for a second, bub: There are a couple things you're going to need to do in order to prepare yourself for the hoppy Valhalla that is the New Times' Original Beerfest, sponsored by Paul and Young Ron and BX Beer Depot. First, head to browardpalmbeach.com and pick yourself up some advance tickets for just $20 (they'll be $25 at the door, and will likely sell out). Second, clear your calendar on Sunday - you're not going to be doing anything except having a little hair of the dog after the Saturday night fest is through with you.

The twelfth annual Beerfest is the longest-running celebration of its kind in Fort Lauderdale, wrangling up over 50 craft and imported beers for a night of unlimited sampling. This year, New Times' marketing team has cordoned off an extra block of space around SW Third Ave. in order to accommodate the sizable crowd the fest draws. To that end, booths have been more strategically spaced, eliminating bottlenecks (the bad kind, anyway) and allowing drinkers quicker access to the brews they love. There will be over two times the supply of suds from craft brewers like Sierra Nevada, Abita, Brooklyn Brewery, Highland, Red Hook, St. Somewhere, and Thomas Creek, meaning you'll never want for a satisfying ESB or a rich stout. And what's a good booze party without beer's best friends, food and music? Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band Behind the Sun will be giving it away on the Revolution Live stage along with Fourth Dimension, while New River Pizza, Maracas Mexican, Palm Grill, Gordon Biersch, and many more will be supplying free (that's right, free) grub to help sooth those bound-to-be-growling bellies.

Feel that? That's your beer gut calling you to action. Just head to Esplanade Park, at SW Fifth Avenue and Himmarshee Street in Fort Lauderdale, Saturday night at 7. VIP tickets, with exclusive access to the very intoxicated persons area, run $50 a head.
Sat., April 18, 7 p.m., 2009