Belgium Comes To Cooperstown ‘10

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The weather forecast is looking better than last year’s hot & humidfest.

Snuggies will be the “in” fashion wear at the campfire as the temps will dip into the 50’s.

Be prepared, don’t forget your Snuggie D-Lux!

The Eagles would have been proud, it should have been themed “Hotel California”

Fear hung over the festival-goers like a heavy raincloud. With the brewery deciding to ban dogs at the last minute, handing out “limited” drink tickets, and supplying official State of NY training to help volunteers identify drunks, we feared that BCTC had jumped the shark. As if the drunks needed help identifying each other or had the slightest proclivity to do anything about it… yeah, right!

A well written e- mail by Neal shows that years in the service industry paid off, Max and his canine compatriots are allowed to attend, woof!

The Eurovan arrived early Friday, rolling onto the grounds prior to any other RVs and securing the corner spot for the Stewart’s gang, who rolled in shortly thereafter.  Kegs were tapped and bottles opened in short order.

Ed, Jamie, and Hans turned up next, followed by Neal, Rick and Kristin.  New to the event were Reka, Lori, THE Tom Harvey and son Jason. Some vowed to return, others, not so much.

Friday night found Neal and Dan up too late with the others watching Rocky Horror, only to be rudely awakened early or volunteer duty as one of Scottie’s Hotties. Cleanup duties and check in went smoothly, despite Scottie’s best efforts.

Afternoon finally rolled around and with it, the tasting. Fewer breweries than years past but still some very fine libations. Hans (AKA Manfred) appeared without his Wingman at times (see separate update), which could only lead to trouble. Kristin went clothes shopping. Manfred drank heavily. Max ran around with a squeaky beer bottle in his mouth, to Kristin’s delight. Mafred continued to drink.

Reka and Lori headed for home early citing an uncomfortable night in the tent. Ed found Manfred disembarking from the balloon, then beer disembarking from Manfred. Grills grilled, more beer was enjoyed and movies were watched. Neal “picked up” a house warming gift, to Suzan’s surprise on unpacking the van. Tom sat contentedly in his chair drinking fine beer and vowing to return next year.

Morning dawned with a light drizzle. The area behind the Eurovan smelled like a Moroccan men’s room; I know, I’ve been in one. Cars were packed, good-bye’s exchanged, but everyone knew one thing; when it comes to BCTC, you can checkout any time you like, but you can never leave! 2010 was already being penciled into calendars, at least for most of us.

The management apologizes for not having brought this site up to date but check back soon for the 2009 wrap up and the 2010 preparation.

Spring of  ‘08 finds a new cast of characters  ready to obtain VIP tickets the minute they go online, but to no avail.  The Ommegang web page crashes, the phone lines are busy.  By the time anyone gets in only standard tickets are available, but they are snapped up, and in greater numbers than before.  With no Friday camping at the brewery, all head for last year’s discovery,  Deer Haven.  Dan and Suzan pop the EVC first.  Neal arrives all the way from OH,  Max barks.  Neal has treats… ooh, you’re OK!  Ed, Jamie and Mani arrive (Mani all the way from Visp).   Max barks some more.  Krisitin and Rick arrive, Max… oh you get the drift.  Neal still has treats, though.  Beers are handed to Kristin and Rick, preventing them from shopping for food, but no worries,  no one notices, and there is plenty of food (and even more beer).  Drinking, eating, drinking, skinny dipping, and standing on the hill naked follow.

Morning dawned clear.  The party shifted to Ommegang.  Sh!t, no place to park the EVC… hey, there are Ric and Natalie!   The gang from Stewart’s opens up space.  As the festival begins, Neal (Johan) turns into the best “wingman” that Mani (Hans) has ever had.

The drinking goes on, the wingmanship goes on.

Sadly, Johan forgot that Amsterdam is not in Belgium, the chick noticed, and the beer tasting ended.  Stewart’s continued to pour, though, as did Uncle Jesse (homemade barleywine and whiskey!).  I think there was loud music, bands, a movie, and a bonfire.

Morning came and the crowd began to pack it in. 

Ed laments that this may be the beginning of the end, though photos showed that debauchery was not completely absent.  Max is Neal’s new best friend.  It was a good time, though, and all agreed that it should be revisited in ‘09.

Brewery Ommegang’s BCTC is almost here. Only five days left until the pouring begins! Abbey Road theme for this year’s beer festival. Baseball pants, mullets, skinny dipping, and so much more!

Things to do…

1. Buy beer
2. Buy doggie treats
3. Arrange bail money

Ahh, only 12 months since the Planet of the Ales, the tone begins to change.  No more Friday night camping,  leading to the discovery of Deer Haven campground.  Friday AM brings cold rain, Dan and Suzan buy extra clothes so they can actually go for a bike ride and only approach hypothermia.  This is July?   On the way back into town we have a VW weekender sighting… Stewart’s brew crew on the road in.

Ed and Jamie show up with 3 month old Willa… you do the math.  A cold drizzle leads to heavy drinking at Deer Haven.  Wait, anything would have led to heavy drinking at Deer Haven.  Ed stokes the fire, Oliver steals food, and all is well in the world.

Morning finds us parking the van next to the lovely boys from Brewers Art in Baltimore.  As we head out on the bikes,  they offer to watch Oliver; good score for him (they had hamburgers), good score for us (they had beer).  Plenty of  good brews, we discover that both Brewers Art and Stewart’s continue to pour after the tasting is over.  4 year old Sage (Stewart’s daughter) proves she can draw a mean beer.   Ed grows contentious but Dan points out that while he can lose the extra pounds he had put on, Ed will still have three kids next year.

At the end of the weekend, Ed bemoans the dwindling debauchery of last year’s Ommegangstock, but we all decide it’s worth a return next year.   Oliver (rest his doggie soul) is known up and down the camping row… apparently he had more than one hamburger that evening.

So you want to bring something to share…. you should.  Checkout these web sites:

http://draftmag.com/recipes/

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol4.htm

http://www.beercook.com/

Now get into that kitchen and make some stuff to share!

In the beggining there was… Planet of the Ales

It was June 2006, Suzan and I were sitting on the Narke deck on a Saturday afternoon, enjoying several good brews when Ed began discussing this beer festival he had heard of.  Somplace in NY he said.  Someplace named Ommegang that brewed Belgian style beers.  You could camp on the brewery grounds he said.  Send us the link we said.  By Sunday evening plans were being made to go.

2006, those where the days, show up on Friday, camp where ever you want, pay the fee (no advance purchase required), it was all OK.  The EVC arrived early and powered it’s way up the the hill in the far corner.  The Narke’s arrived later.  Dinner was had and all walked down to the tent to see what was happening.  “Gratis” beer shouted Jamie, “it’s Gratis, you do NOT have to pay!”.  Yes it was free beer all around, the night ended well with well under 100 folks on the grounds.

As morning dawned the cars began to roll in.  Parking where they wanted, pitching tents, drinking cheap beer, good beer, bloody marys.   100s and 100s came.  Cars got stuck axle deep in mud.  The fest began, the beer poured, the rain came, Woodstock it nearly was.   The sun cam out and all was good.  We meet the folks from Stewart’s in Bear DE (Ric and Natalie own a VW Weekender). As evening fell, Ed made friends from Long Island with mullets and we dialed Manni on the mobile.  Most of us passed out… Ed partied on.  Sometime in the middle of the night Ed tried to wake us all up to see “something really gross”.  We all passed (ask Ed what it was, something to do with a Saab and pizza).

Morning dawned, we had cool posters showing we had gone… all was good and plans were being made for ‘07.   Stay tuned for part II.

CLICK   HERE

me name is Axel, I visit from an online newspaper from the Flanders region. I see there are 2 others from my region… Hans and Johan..  but I hear they are really from amsterdam.

Due to popular demand and nothing else better to do… upon Ed’s urging, may I present the official BCTC ‘09 blog.

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