So this post may be stretching the “trying new things” premise, since I’m writing it after my third time attending the oh-so-wonderful Naples Craft Beer Fest. My sister “tried it” for the first time this year, though, at my insistence, and she in turn insisted that it would be worth writing and reading about, so here goes…
Attending craft beer fests is definitely one of my favorite activities, so when I moved down to Naples Florida and realized there was a local craft beer fest in its third year approaching, I very quickly bought my ticket. Not having many friends in my new home at that point, I fortunately convinced my mother that weekend would be a pleasant time for her to visit.
This event became an annual highlight – occurring in early March each year, coinciding with many a spring break and the highest level of visitors to southwest Florida – to which I invited my father and brother the second year, and as mentioned, my sister this past and third year. Of course, my afore-mentioned pizza-loving-man was present at the latter two events, as well. (He still complains that I didn’t invite him to my first event attendance, even though we’d only been on a handful of dates at that point and I didn’t feel quite comfortable taking the “spend an afternoon with Mom” step forward.)
At this point, I’ve been to many a craft beer fest, and the Naples Craft Beer Fest is still my favorite. If you’re in the area, or even if you’re not in the area, but you’re looking for a weekend getaway – take this as your invitation!
What sets the Naples Craft Beer Fest apart, side from the ideal location in the beautiful Bayfront Plaza, the fun live music throughout the duration of the five hour event, the standard complimentary event glass, the support of a local community nonprofit (the Naples North Rotary Club Foundation), and the necessary-but-not-oft-provided free bottled water, is the FOOD. This year’s favorite, as seen below, was the incredible Pub Naples pulled pork mac-and-cheese, ultimately the second-place winner of the event.
Each brewer is paired with a local restaurant, and together they develop a meal-and-beer pairing. The best pairing will be determined by fest attendees, each of whom receives one vote. The top three winners of this contest are celebrated locally and it is a point of pride within the town of Naples – not only to be selected to attend the fest, but to win, is huge. Basically, for the average beer fest ticket price of $50 (roughly $55 with fees), attendees receive not only unlimited delicious craft brews from over 25 local and national brewers, but unlimited food from over 15 local restaurants!
I do have a friend who brews his own beers and claims that the Naples Craft Beer Fest is not the best. The fest does host a number of national not-quite-craft-brewers (such as Sierra Nevada, Magic Hat, and sometimes, Bud and Stella, as seen by the above sponsored photos), but for me, that’s fine. I still have the opportunity to taste beers I wouldn’t normally want to buy a full pint or six-pack of, and there are plenty of local brewers to sample, as well. My friend prefers the fests with the more overwhelming presence of local brew clubs, and I’ve attended and enjoyed those as well – unfortunately, the majority of these don’t boast the additional perks the Naples Craft Beer Fest does.
So, that all being said – long after I leave Naples, I will still plan my return trips around the Naples Craft Beer Fest. Let me know if you plan on checking it out in the future!