Thursday
That’s beer geek day! It’s for those that are ready to take time off work to be the first to try the new beers. With everyone rested, it’s also the best time to chat with the brewers.

Friday
That’s when we all become one and the stadium become a giant party pub! It’s when the brewers really to try to show-off and present their best beer and snacks. It’s all about great people and great atmosphere!

Saturday
Much slower – great for hanging out with your family. Some beers will already have been finished off, but hey, you’ll still have around 350 others to choose from.

First-timer?
Bring your mates and find the dream beer that suits your taste. Treat it as a game: you have limited time, limited resources and dwindling control of your senses. Don’t drink excessively, but explore. Talk to people: staff, other guests, etc. Think of them as your guides on this epic journey of discovery!

Argh… Queues!
Big queues suggest something unique that’s unavailable elsewhere. Will it be worth it? Well, that depends on personal taste, but those people aren’t standing in line just for the sake of it. Top tip: queues pass quicker when you’re already holding a beer!

Etiquette…
Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do in a normal pub. Really, it’s nothing different from real life: trust your senses, be nice to others, have fun and don’t make things hard on yourself by being an asshole.

Glass or Plastic?
Plastic ain’t cool! We’ve got a limited number of special edition handmade glasses that haven’t just been designed to look good, but to also straighten out the fruity, hoppy aromas in a beer. Remember, rinse the glass before the next beer.

Strategy
There’s many to pick from: personally I prefer to start with light, refreshing, sour beers before moving onto stronger ones in the evening. It’s important to clean the palette from time to time with fruity / acidic beer and to drink water regularly.

What To Watch
Low and non-alcoholic beers are getting better and better and there’ll be many of those. The festival also usually sees one new IPA style and this time that will be Cold IPA – lager topped with American hops. We’re also seeing more breweries that have mastered handling Polish hops and thanks to their experience these beers are getting to be super tasty!

What’s new!

The festival is already famous for showcasing the best beers in Poland, but we understand that some people stand to be bored by the prospect of trying the 100 beers that are due to premier and the 700 others that will be available. That’s why we’ve prepared something a little different this year. Are you sitting down? This time, we’ve got a sauna zone with a fireplace and music! You can also try a range of hot non-alcoholic drinks in the herbal room – our new chillout zone.

Anything more?

We’re mixing tradition with new wave so this time around we’ve invited guest breweries from Belgium and Germany, two of which are operated by monks and over 150-years-old. With the support of the US Embassy, we’ve also prepared the first edition of The Sensory Olympics which will challenge your sense of taste.

Inside Knowledge!

Janek from the Monsters Brewery has launched a barrel-aged beer project called Sicky Boy Brewing and I’m also certain that PINTA Barrel Brewing are also going to offer something great. For me though, the most important ones are the smaller ones as well as the ones in the ‘newbie’ zone. Their beers are rarely available in the shops so this is one of the few opportunities to try them. I’m also keeping my fingers crossed and expecting some crispy cask beers from Franconia.

Bloody Sunday…
I’m a hangover specialist! You’ve got to start working on the cure during the festival by drinking plenty of water and ensuring you’ve eaten – avoid heavy food. Take breaks between drinking and give some time between boozing and going to bed. Next day, avoid deep-fried or unhealthy foods, instead choose fish or eggs. Get plenty of Vitamin C inside you and… fresh garlic: that really helps your organism, especially after craft beer. Avoid grapefruit juice and only take aspirin if you really need think you need it.

13th Warsaw Beer Festival
24-26 March
warszawskifestiwalpiwa.pl