We just received a call from Cathy Rascoe the coordinator of Dallas Beer Week and the recently canceled Dallas Beer Festival. After the initial explanation that pre-ticket sales simply precluded the event from taking place, Rascoe went into deeper explanation.
“We had just over 100 tickets pre-sold for the event Saturday and that just wasn’t enough to go forward. We did the festival last week in Houston and we had between 650 and 700 tickets sold in advance. There were an additional 250 walk-ups that really made the event successful,” said Rascoe.
To run the event and purchase the beer necessary would have taken over $20,000. It was not a risk that made sense to Rascoe.
“Beer Week has been extremely successful in Dallas. All the reports we are getting back from the pubs are incredible. We will do this again. We will just need to rethink how we will do the Festival,” continued Rascoe.
Rascoe felt particular despair for the owners of the Amsterdam Bar near Fair Park where the event was to take place. The Amsterdam Bar was going to host the after party. So she has a plan.
Mikkel Borg Bjergsø of Mikkeller Brewing and Jeff Stuffings of Jester King Brewing will be in Dallas Thursday for the Common Table dinner. Mikkel was going to stay in Dallas for the Festival, and still will. Instead of Fair Park, Rascoe plans to bring Mikkel to the Amsterdam around 5pm Saturday.
There you can pique the knowledge of the gypsy-brewer, and soak in the suds planned at the Amterdam. The cancellation will free up many kegs that are in the DFW area and no doubt we will see some of those available on Saturday.
We made the call to Amsterdam’s owner, Sheldon Hubbard, and he said that they are meeting with the beer vendors and plan to pick up as many of the beers you might have found at the Festival. More information as to what they purchased later.
If you plan to make the Amsterdamn bar Saturday we suggest you go very early and stake your claim to a seat.
Meanwhile, Beer Week continues. Here is a list of a few highlighted events for the next few days:
Brewery Ommegang Three Philosophers Progressive Vertical Tasting at The Common Table and Ginger Man, Weds 6pm Lagunitas Beer Dinner at Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House, Weds 6:30 pm Blind Beer Challenge at The Holy Grail Pub, Weds 7:30pm Mikkeller/Jester King Beer Dinner at the Common Table, Thurs 7pm <sold out> Mikkeller/Jester King Dinner After Party at the Common Table, Thurs 10pm Beer Dinner With Garrett Oliver at Eno’s, Thurs 5:30pm