Well I have finally gotten a chance to sit down and write about this awesome experience. If you are looking to have a great time and meet some beer lovers like me, then I highly suggest the Beer Bloggers Conference. Next year is Tampa and, since I don’t know where I am going to be, I am not sure I will attend. This one in Asheville sold out so I suggest that if you do want to go that you book now. You can click here for information on how to register. 

So what was so special about this year’s conference in Asheville??? Everything. You got VIP treatment, lots of great beer from breweries all over the country, and met a lot of great people.

Day 1 was probably the best day of the trip. We started out at the conference hotel with a couple of talks but then traveled to two of the largest breweries in the Asheville area– Oskar Blues and Sierra Nevada.

To get there we took the Oskar Blues trolley, which didn’t have air but was a great time (and who needs air conditioning when travelling down the highway at 65 mph).

At Oskar Blues, we were treated to picnic tables filled with swag and coolers filled with beer.  I am a big fan of Pinner so I had a couple. We also got some samples of a Mango Habanero Dales Pale ale. I really liked the Death by Coconut, as it was reminiscent of Maui Coconut Porter (one of my favs). I went upstairs to the tap room and tried a couple of saisons and a barrel aged G’Knight that was spectacular.

After all that, we traveled to Sierra Nevada’s brewery. I had seen a feature on CBS regarding the brewery but it didn’t do it justice. It is spectacular! It is like a ski chalet with a huge flagstone patio and sited in a big park! It is worth the trip just to see this!

We were treated to a brewery tour by the Grossmans themselves!

After the tour, we headed down into the woods for a great pig roast cookout and the first of this year’s Oktoberfest beer in big steins (which we got to take home)!  The German brewers that collaborated on the beer were also there with their beer.

And after all that– we still weren’t done. We were treated to a huge beer tasting event with beers from throughout the United States but particularly represented were breweries from throughout the state of North Carolina.  For a list of all the beers I tried, you’ll have to check out my untapped account (terezam)

Finally the night ended with a bottle share.  By this time, I really couldn’t drink much more but I had to try to elusive Pliny the Elder.

Sadly, it wasn’t as great as I expected.

After a raging hangover, I awoke to day 2.