First item of note, the Sloss Museum Store is almost sold out of MCBF tix.  If you were planning on buying your tix there, better do it quick and call before you go to make sure they still have some: 205-324-1911.  I don’t have a recent update on where TicketMaster sales stand as our partner in the event handles that aspect of it, but it seems obvious we are facing a sellout in the wake of the passage of our bill this year legalizing beer up to 13.9% ABV.  So if you want to try a wide variety of new beers legalized by FTH’s efforts, better get your tickets ASAP.  http://www.magiccitybrewfest.com

On that note, local brewery Good People Brewing Co. is going to have a lot of cool beer there.

1) They have brewed a special beer just for the Brewfest, a Rye IPA.

2) They brewed just 10 gallons for a first run of their Imperial Stout, Fatso.  While you’ll eventually see Fatso on draught around Birmingham after the MCBF, it will be availalable on cask in a very limited quantity on Friday night.  It is the first over 6% ABV beer ever commercially brewed in Alabama.  I will be ceremoniously tapping the cask and then we’ll be selling 4 oz pours for $4.  The only reason we’re selling pours is that there is such an extremely limited quantity we want to make sure the people who are most interested in the one-of-a-kind historical event get a glass of this beer.  10 gallons won’t go very far among the 2500 attendees Friday night.  Good People want the money raised from this special event to go towards Free The Hops’ future efforts to reform Alabama beer laws which will help their business as they grow and expand.

3) They also started brewing Alabama’s first Double IPA after Governor Riley signed HB373 into law.  They aren’t sure the full batch will be completely finished and ready to drink by the Brewfest, but at the very least they will have the five gallon pilot batch there.  Goes by the name “Snake Handler.”  Worst case scenario, Snake Handler will be served up on Saturday to balance out the limited availability of Fatso on Friday.  Best case scenario, the full batch will be finished before the Brewfest and there will be plenty for everyone to enjoy in both sessions.

4) They’re also going to have five gallons of their Cow Tipper Cream Ale on Saturday.  There is no big batch of this, so this will definitely only be available on Saturday, to balance out having Fatso only on Friday.

And not only will Good People have all this great beer there, but a BRAND NEW Alabama beer company is going to serve a new beer you’ve never seen before: Back Forty Naked Pig Pale Ale.  They are just getting off the ground and launching their first beer at MCBF.  Very exciting.  Expect to see a lot more of them in the coming months.

ALSO, lots of new high gravity beers are going to be at MCBF.  The exact list is still in flux and unofficial, but we expect Belgians like Duvel, Orval, Delerium Tremens, and La Chouffe, as well as high gravity offerings from many American breweries already distributing here, like North Coast, Mendocino, and Atlanta Brewing.  You could say it’s going to be insane.  I have it on good authority that we’re even going to see Great Divide Yeti and Hercules.  It boggles the mind.

So.  To sum up.  Tons of good beer you’ve never seen before.  Almost sold out.  Hurry and buy your tickets now before you hate yourself for missing it.