As longtime readers of this blog know, I consider the Cooper-Young Regional Beerfest to be the best Memphis beer festival of the year. No social scene, no RSVP Magazine taking photos, just lots of beer and lots of ways to learn more about beer. Many of the brewers appear personally in the booths where you can chat with them, and there’s an education tent. In the past three years the festival has been in a parking lot on Walker. This year, however, they are moving it to Midtown Autowerks at 795 S. Cooper. The larger space will accommodate more brewers and more booths. It will also be conveniently located across the street from Memphis Made Brewery, which local brewer Drew Barton should have open by then. Tickets will go on sale September 13 and the event date is Saturday, October 19. Keep up with Beerfest news on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or subscribe to their email list.
In other beer news, I was told by several people last night that my “Paul’s PBR Review” post about the Silly Goose was very well received. Glad to hear it. I’m working on a second post about Max’s Sports Bar that is about two-thirds done. Not all the posts will be as serious as the one about the Goose – I plan on having some fun with this series – but I’m glad people find them useful and informative. By the time the series has had its run, I hope to show that you can find a good PBR in the most unexpected places.
In beer news that isn’t about PBR, when I went to Beale Street yesterday, I noticed a beer deal that is worth mentioning. Blues City Cafe has a 32 oz. cup of Abita Andygator for only $8.50. That is a delicious craft beer and it used to be one of my go-to beers at the Flying Saucer. At 8% ABV, it’s really an equally good value for the money as a $5 32 oz. Bud, and you’ll actually be drinking a good beer as you walk around Beale or sit at the bar at George Paul’s Last Call.
Advice for PR people: When you’re requesting media placement, check to see if your event has already been mentioned before you ask. I say this because I got an email from the PR firm the Flying Saucer contracts with at 4:37 PM yesterday telling me about Stumblin’ Elvis and asking if I could mention the pub crawl on my blog, or maybe on social media or an event calendar. If they had looked at my blog, they would have seen that I had posted about my costume a mere two hours earlier, and that I’d been talking about Stumblin’ Elvis all week. They also would have learned that I don’t have an event calendar. FAIL.
The Orpheum is holding a raffle and the grand prize is a 1995 Ferrari 348 Spider with less than 27,000 miles. Tickets are $100, drawing will be November 16, and you will not need to be present to win. Other prizes include two Orpheum Broadway suite season tickets, a Broadway Evening with 4 luxury suite tickets to a show and an invite to the cast party, and a movie night for 20 at one of the 2014 Summer Movie Series nights. More info here.
The MBJ reports that the zoning board approved a variance for 666 S. Riverside to allow a storage facility and drive-thru there. I know that a number of the building’s neighbors were against this variance and even set up a website in protest. I hope the property owner will do something in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. The fact that the property owner is in Germantown worries me a good bit.
Two informative 3-D animated short films about the future of Downtown will be shown next week. Inside Bass Pro Shops and Across the Harahan Bridge will be 20 minutes long apiece, and will show you what the two projects will be like AFTER they have been completed. The films were announced by the Downtown Neighborhood Association, but you do not have to be a member to attend, so come get your virtual walkthrough of these places. Showtime is 6 PM at the Calliope Room, 456 Tennessee Street, Tuesday, August 20. Cash bar, free popcorn. Free popcorn? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.
Classy Nails Spa at 8 S. Main has closed and there are For Rent signs on the doors.
Thanks to Jeremy who invited me to his fourth plate party at the Flying Saucer last night. I had a couple of Dos Equis Lagers on his $125 tab. It’s nice to be an invited guest at plate parties. One more trip through the Ring of Honor and Jeremy will receive his Master of the Universe (M.O.U.) card.
Expect lots of photos on the blog over the next two days. Tonight I’ll get plenty of Stumblin’ Elvis photos, and tomorrow I’ll be taking lots of pics of the Bardog Alley Party. The schedule of events lists the start time as (Edit: noon). That means I will be skipping Majestic brunch tomorrow. That new All Around the World beer tent sounds like something of interest. On the other hand, I’m going to skip the poker tournament because I want to be out taking lots of photos like I do every year (I’ll go down there for a few minutes and get some photos of the tournament though). Fun, fun weekend ahead and I’m kicking it off at Panda’s bar at Bardog at 11 today as usual. Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll come stumble with us tonight.