As beer festivals fade de Garde Brewing’s Anniversary Invitational only gets better — New School Beer + Cider
This scenario is particularly hard when many consumers have a hard time committing to a larger ticket purchase far in advance. This is a notable shift that has been experienced by everyone from food and beverage event organizers to bands trying to sell advance concert tickets for an upcoming tour, often leaving organizers in a state of financial limbo that increases their risk.
“While we do take in a large percentage of the total sales through ticket sales in advance of the event, we have to budget for tens of thousands of dollars in expenses before we see any of that revenue, and the additional continuing costs (the beer, space, security, bands, permits, staging and sound, tenting, glassware, tokens, staff, etc.) accrued after ticket sales start ensures that we run a deficit. It’s a cash flow/budgeting nightmare for a small business,” says Rogers, before pivoting from the negative to a more optimistic perspective. “Still, we think that this is a thing worth doing. Like many of our business decisions, the fiscal practicality of it is a consideration outweighed by the perceived benefit. Whether it’s a beer we’re excited to make, or an event to support the area and industry, it’s not always about money. Some things are just worth doing.”
Since day one, drawing people to Tillamook has always been the ideal way to get them to experience de Garde’s offerings. With the Invitational, he sees an opportunity to expand on that vision and truly showcase what his region has to offer beyond beer.
“We use almost exclusively Oregon ingredients in our beer. Our location itself was chosen for the native yeast and bacteria. So, a sense of place, terroir, whatever you want to call it, is an integral part of our identity. It’s perhaps the most important and defining feature of who and what we are, and the character and quality that we present. In light of that, we want to feature and share local harvesters, producers, restaurants, and artists as part of this celebration. They all contribute to the vibrancy of our region, and the quality of where and what we are,” says Rogers.
Moving into the fairgrounds, which he describes as “huge” with a “long history in the area,” allows the event to feature seven different local food vendors to complement the beer, no matter the weather. Of course, the biggest draw of the event is the massive lineup featuring many of the best breweries in the world, including Hill Farmstead, Tilquin, Cantillon, Trillium, Monkish, Het Boerenerf, and Green Cheek, to name just a small handful. In total, de Garde is convening nearly 60 breweries – many of whom still draw plenty of hype – to be poured alongside a handful of their own beers. What makes the beer lineup so exciting is the amount of surprises awaiting attendees. One example is the special collaboration beers de Garde is releasing. This year that includes collaborations with 3 Fonteinen (their 2-7 year Lambic and de Garde’s 2-7 year Spontaneous beer with Mourvedre grapes called Meer & More, Trillium (2-7 year spontaneous beer from each brewery called Reflet), and Brujos and Ruse (5 year spontaneous beer with Grenache grapes called Corpus Carnelian).
