Celebrating Legal Drinking Age: GIBF turns 21

Hey, you there, beer fan extraordinaire. We’ve got another reason to fill your empty glass: the Great International Beer Fest turns 21 on November 8. Like all milestone birthdays, this one marks a certain coming-of-age with a great party and, of course, plenty of beer.  

What to expect? Well, if you’ve attended in years past then you know the basic drill. Newbies, get your boots strapped and ready. We’re going to do a quick run-through to get you prepped for the big event. After all, pros know that practice and strategy don’t magically happen on game day.

Game Time and Location

The 21^st Great International Beer Festival will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center (aka the Dunk) in downtown Providence on November 8. (That’s a Saturday so you’ve got no excuses. Your cousin will understand why you can’t make the wedding.)

GIBF presents two sessions for your drinking pleasure. 

“We typically have about 2,500 people attend in the afternoon and 3,500 in the evening,” shares Maury Ryan, Festival Producer, who’s been leading this event for more than two decades. Afternoon shows tend to be a slightly <ahem> calmer and staid crowd with the evening shows hosting a lively and <erm> fledgling audience.

The afternoon show begins at 1pm and ends at 4:30pm. The evening show runs from 6:30 to 10pm. 

Tickets for both sessions are $49 in advance or $52 at the door. It’s best to buy in advance, though. 

The Beers

First things first: the beers. Ryan and his GIBF team expect approximately 80 brewers, each bringing a hefty showing of their creations.

Your ticket entitles you to a 5 oz. plastic tasting cup to fill with over 250 brews. We’re going to go on a limb and state it’s likely impossible for you to drink them all, young padawans. Let’s take a minute to review the staples, crafty locals, internationals and odd-balls. No, these aren’t real categories. Yes, we made them up. Call them what you want, this classification system will help you navigate to the beers you want, much like taxonomy while on a safari. Below we’ve got them in no particular order, other than the Motif Beer Taxonomy for this fest.

[Verified Beer list goes here….waiting on final list]

National Staples 

Shocktop

Sam Adams

Narragansett

Tenth and Blake

Magic Hat

Longtrail

Coors

Blue Moon

Passport Holders

Guinness

Heineken

Shepherd Neame

Brouwerij Haacht

Crafty Locals

Trinity Brewhouse

Two Roads Brewing

Revival Brewing Co.

Ravenous Brewing

Union Station Brewery

Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery

Newport Storm

Opa Opa Brewery

The Just Beer Project

Paper City Brewery

Mayflower Brewing Company

Kennebec River Brewery

Gray Sail

Cape Anne Brewing Co.

Cisco Brewers

City Steam Brewery

Berkshire Brewing Company

Brutopia

Bucket Brewery

Foolproof

Crafty Out-of-New England

Lagunitas

Dogfish Head

Green Flash Brewing Co.

Odd-Balls 

Woodchuck Hard Cider

McKenzie’s

Mike’s Hard Lemonade

Cayman Jack

Angry Orchard

On the Side: Tunes and Eats

Now, you didn’t think you would be drinking alone, did you? GIBF lined up a little bit’o rhythm and blues for the sessions. In the afternoon you’ll hear Steve Smith and The Nakeds hitting their well-known tunes. Beer trivia fact – the Nakeds were inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Young Neal and the Vipers rock into the evening show with their locally loved music.

Now all that beer and shakin’ to music needs fuel and the GIBF organizers know that. Your ticket also includes as much pizza as you can stomach from Pizza Pie-er. If that doesn’t fill your gut, bring some cash and grab a variety of beer-inspired foods.  

The Competition

What’s a party without a friendly competition? The GIBF hosts the 18^th Annual Great International Beer & Cider Competition the day before the fest. A panel of judges rank submitted beers and ciders in an 18-category field. From wheat beers to sour ales to gluten-free, there’s ranking and bragging rights up for grabs. Winners are announced at the GIBF, which, really, is kind of perfect because you can fill up on the top placements and play judge yourself.

Survival Tips

Lots of beer, limited time, and thousands of people create an algorithm destined to make for a great day … or a terrible one if you’re caught off guard or unprepared. Here are a few things to make sure you have a fun time:

• Bring a legal form of identification, and yes, obviously you must be over 21.
• Wear comfortable shoes – standing and walking and holding beer can tire out those feet.
• Do NOT bring a backpack. This ain’t a hike, you crazy nature-lovin’ boys and girls.
• Make sure you’re at the right show. Tickets are not transferrable between shows.
• Eat before you get there – line that stomach!
• Wear deodorant. Seriously.
• Leave your fighting gloves at home. Nope, don’t be rude or argue – you’ll be kindly shown the door.
• Drink plenty of water. Yes, water may rust your blood but it also helps you from becoming the festival fool who gets kicked out in the first hour.  

Should You Stay or Should You Go? 

One last thing – be safe. Rather than driving to the show and back, why not make a weekend of it and stay in Providence? GIBF’s website lists a great number of nearby and walk-able hotels, all happy to have you and fellow beer-filled friends visit. There are discounts available, too.

If overnight isn’t your thing, don’t forget Providence holds plenty of cabs and driver services. Or, maybe you can pay a friend to be your DD. Whether staying or going, choose responsibly, dear readers.

You’re Almost Ready

Now that you know what to expect and how to tackle the GIBF, it’s important to practice. Read your Motif mag in-depth for beerducation, ale-related geekery, and also, stretch before and after curling those 12-ouncers. Good luck and have fun celebrating GIBF’s turning 21.

GIBF History [possible sidebar?]

Did you know the GIBF is the oldest running beer show in New England? In the early ’90s Maury Ryan and team used their relationships with brewers to kick off the first show. Once upon a time Boston had one, but it lasted just two years. Another little ditty for Providence to brag about. Take that, beantown. We’ve got the beer.