Hey There:
So what do you do when events are sold out, you didn't get a free pass and you don't have any money? You volunteer! That's what I did at the North Park Festival of Arts - Beer Craft Block a few weekends ago!
I volunteered as part of the San Diego Beer Club Meetup group, the event would be at a walking distance from my place, seemed like fun and I thought I would have a chance to drink craft beer while I was at it....more on that later.
There were two shifts, one that started at 9:30 AM until 2-ish and my shift from 1-ish til 6 PM. We gathered at The Old Mill on Ohio street for sign-up, a light lunch and orientation. The biggest shocker: I wasn't allowed to drink any beer, Oh no! And it was a hot day....would be torture for sure!
I was assigned to the Green Flash booth and had the huge luck to be paired with an ex-co-worker, it was total coincidence, neither of us knew we would be there. I had no idea what to expect, but she was a veteran volunteer, so I just followed her lead!
Our job was to pour the beer for the ticket holders and thanks to our different heights, we never bumped into each other, even though we worked side by side for 3 hours non-stop. It was a great pairing!
The beers we were pouring were Imperial Pale Ale and Saison San Diego
Imperial
India Pale Ale
San Diego IPA, as it has come to be known by many, is pale in color, super-hoppy, high-gravity, yet a highly quaffable ale. Our Imperial IPA is created in this new tradition with intense hop flavors and aromas from a unique blend of Summit and Nugget hops.
Saison Diego®
Ale Brewed with Spices
Unfiltered golden farmhouse ale, brewed with Seville orange peels, Chinese ginger and grains of paradise. Light, bright, spicy aromas, lively carbonation and earthy flavors co-mingle with musty notes that add funky complexity.
That was my first time being a server and pouring from a keg, but I quickly got the hang of it and I received many compliments on my tidy pours.
For the event University avenue was closed at 30th street, there were booths, music stages, food and I'm sure many cool things which I had no chance to see. Our shift at the volunteer booth ended early when we finished our kegs. People kept coming back and it was common for some to take a shot and then another pour for the road. Green Flash was a great favorite!
The time went by incredible fast, we barely had time to sip water and to the question, why do you do it? Because it's fun! Plus the event organizers threw a get-together at U-31 with beer and food later that week, not to mention the morning volunteers received a ticket for the beer garden after their shift ended....now I know for next year!
