Defining "Hard Core" Beer Nuts

Simple.

Anyone who attended yesterday's Washington's Crossing Fall BeerFest.

Was it damp? Yep. It was a warm clothes, galoshes and poncho kind of day.

Was it chilly? Damned right. There were three firepits that had HCBN's actually standing inside them, browning nicely. Was it muddy? Look up the word "quagmire."

But was it fun? Hell, yes.

And the spirits of everyone I chatted with were in no way dampened by a passing nor'easter which flooded the Jersey Shore and jeopardized the Washington Crossing Fall BeerFest in only its second iteration. Oh, the threat certainly had an impact on attendance of both beer nuts and some breweries, but you wouldn't have known it by the enthusiasm of those who did brave the weather, like the young lady below, who even put her beer in her "coozie."

And it didn't rain a drop the whole time my crew and I were there. In fact, my only disappointment was that, despite an intense search, I couldn't find my man Tim Gannon at Tim's Lair or anywhere else. But no matter. I'll see him at Isaac Newton's Pub eventually.

As he's always on the lookout for good beers there, I hope he slogged over to the not-yet-open Newtown Brewing Company's booth and sample both of Greg and Sarah Bonstein's beers--a lemon Saison and an IPA. But, on second thought, Tim probably invited them, or they wouldn't have been there in the first place. They will open doors for business this summer.

And there were some tents that had different brewers under them than were advertised. That was probaby due to weather-related cancellations by invited breweries. But again, few cared. I mean, how can you be upset when the tent that names another brewery is actually occupied by Yard's--serving George Washington's Tavern Porter?

It's about "improvise and overcome" in situations like this, and the brewfest organizers did just that to the delight of a crowd that was far larger than I would have predicted, considering Mother Nature's shenanigans.

Actually, my crew and I anticipated shorter lines for the food trucks because of the weather. Wrong.

But even standing in line, hard-core beer nuts find something to chat about, and interestingly evanescent relationships are forged.

This gal, for example, came all the way from Indiana, and had no regrets or misgivings about her trek. She admitted that she has driven one hundred miles to get good beer on many occasions.

These gals below came all the way from Pittsburgh (no slouch in the beer arena itself) to spend time and bend elbows with their good friend Tara (L.), a gregarious, affable mom of two who hails from Flemington, NJ.

There were also a lot of young ladies present, many of whom looked too young to have been served. But they were all valid, enthusiastic and friendly, and that's good news for the craft beer industry. Good beer and good beer events do that to folks.

There was even a former student of mine there with his lovely wife Cait. Danny hailed me as I was negotiating a tricky area of mud and hay, trying not to be swallowed up in it.

As usual at events like this, your palate is so bombarded with various flavors, you probably don't know--and don't care--what you're drinking after the first twenty-five beers.

But it's important to comport yourself with dignity and aplomb, lest you get accosted by the local constabulary (above), which was there to ensure that those firepits were safe.

And to prevent chilly hard core beer nuts from setting themselves aflame.

Yes, it was the second Fall BeerFest at Washington's Crossing, and it had every right to cancel or postpone, with all the attendant PITA work that might have entailed. But the organizers held fast, the weather held off and the event went off very nicely.