If you were unlucky enough to step outside this past Saturday, you might have realized it was a bit warm. Despite what seems like the most mild summer in the history of Texas, August has been determined to remind us that this time of year is supposed to suck.
See Also: Scenes From BrewFest 2013
It certainly wasn't the type of weather that fills you with the desire to stand on the streets of Dallas and swill beer till your eyes cross. And yet, by the time the sun had fallen behind the skyline, nearly 3,800 beer nerds had descended upon the Arts District with the intentions of carefully evaluating hundreds of beers getting drunk. Judging by the pictures from the event, most of them had a good time.
If you attended the first BrewFest, you know the event has matured during its short, three-year history. After Brew at the Zoo, which featured women in form-fitting costumes dressed as lions and zebras (not that there's anything wrong with that), pink flamingos and other birds and creatures, the event moved to the Dallas Arts District for its second year. It's stayed there since, and surrounded by beautiful buildings that hold the city's finest art collections, the event feels more mature. It's BrewFest all grown up.
As the temperature dropped, spirits rose. (Or was it the beer?) And as the O's took the stage, they rose even further. Michael Peticolas had the smarts to hand the two musicians some of the locally crafted beer that bears his name, and their announcement of the fact only caused more beer to come. This leads me to offer two pieces of advice that will undoubtedly make your life better in the future. Don't miss BrewFest next year, it's a lot of fun. And start a band -- you'll never be thirsty again.
Not that everybody had a great time. As the O's wrapped up, a guy in a stripped shirt was ushered through the crowd by a woman who had clearly had enough of BrewFest. "I haven't tasted everything," he mumbled, as his feet drew a strange, zig-zag pattern across the pavement. She was towing a boat through the mud, and was visibly pissed about it.
You can't please everyone.
Read on for our favorite photos from the event, and see the full slideshow here.