Everyone who participates in the UMMO by volunteering in some capacity can participate in most of the piss up events. No friends, family, or loved ones can participate unless they have volunteered in some capacity. These are events for all the volunteers to get a chance to unwind and have some fun and drink a bunch of stuff you wouldn't usually get to have. Last year's inaugural pissup was a great success so we are making it better this year.
Sober cabs, as always, are welcome as we'll have some soft drinks on hand. Additionally, we'll have some chow and such to help temper the deliciousness of the great stuff we will be drinking. As always, feel free to bring any home brew you'd like to share.
Please remember that alcohol is being served and this is basically a bar setting and with that comes some degree of colorful language. The UMMO reserves the right to bounce anyone excessively drunk or abusive, etc, etc. Let's just have fun.
Enough with the drivel, on to what we'll actually be doing.
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Kristen England - 2012 UMMO Organizer
Cellar Beer Tasting
The main event of the evening. This is an idea I stole from my buddy Jeff Halvorsen. It's actually very simple yet brilliant. I also am surprised he came up with it. It's a shared 'cellared beer' tasting. We'll then have a few pouring stations and announce what we are pouring and who brought it. The person who brought it gets the first pour. All beers will be available for everyone to try as we'll be doing away with the 'tasting' system we did last year. Inasmuch, the vetting process will be much more rigorous so please outdo yourselves and bring some great stuff. In order to participate you must bring a COMMERCIALLY made beer, cider or mead (or a few) to share. As was already said, these are not to be ordinary brews but special ones that you have either been saving or always wanted to try. These beers will be vetted and listed below as we get them. Everyone that wants to participate must email here and say what they would like to bring. 100% RSVP ... No walk-in's allowed so plan ahead. Any unopened beers will become property of the UMMO. Don't be cheap! Its time to crack open that archive case and bring some really great stuff. It was a great event last year so lets make it even better this year. A very important point here. NO HOME BREW ALLOWED. If you do bring homebrew to share with others (and please do) it won't count towards this event.
Hoptastic Tasteatorium
Some of the best brewers in the Twin Cities bring you a plethora of hoppy libations. You'll get to taste many different beers with different hops and a play along tasting game to see if you can spot which hop goes where. See if you are up to the challenge of how much you actually like your 'favorite' hop!! Finally the people will choose their favorite beers and the winners will receive bragging rights and their their lower 'participants' will be ridiculed for the remainder of the evening/life.
Big Ass Glass Swap / Get These Damn Things Out of My House...Thing
All of us have way too many glasses than we could ever possibly need. Here is your chance to give your child a non-glassfilled drawer to sleep in or a minute of respite from your nagging special person. Bring as many of your glasses as you'd like to donate to the cause. If you like a glass there will be plenty there to choose from. Footed, non-footed, your favorite jam jar, etc etc. Any questions please email Al Boyce. He'll give you exactly what you need....
Face-2-face Beverage F eedback
Our competition has one of the most experienced number of judges in the world. Inasmuch, we're putting them to work. It's a great opportunity for you guys to have a direct conversation with someone with experience who will give you unabridged feedback on your brews. Beers that are entered in the UMMO are more than welcome. The judges will know their assigned categories and will excuse themselves if your style corresponds to their judge assignments. This is something that is going to be very fast paced. It will only last about 30 minutes at the very beginning of the evening. Be ready, sit down, taste, listen, answer questions and most importantly thank them.
If you want to participate, here is what you are expected to bring:
- Your brew: Beer, mead or cider. MAXIMUM of two.
- Entire recipe information: Grist, hop, mash, fermentation temp, notes with specific data (OG, FG, etc).
- Some way to keep notes of the discussion no sense in taking someone's time if you aren't going to write down their comments.
- Peaceability: this not the time to stand on ceremony and get pissy and argue with these judges. If you know better, then you don't need them to begin with.
- Commonsense (seriously) The brews you bring are ones you actually want feedback on. Recipe or problematic. They should not be brews you want to share to show how good they are. They should not be brews that have been sitting in your basement for 5 years and you are just getting around to seeing what that 'flavor' is because of sloth. They should not be brews that are experimental to the point of absurdity meaning a beer made with rain water filtered through Hawaiian lava rocks and fermented spontaneously with home grown tomatoes would be out. As I said, commonsense.
- Sign up by emailing Al Boyce.