Confession: I love everything Iowa State Fair.
Although a few of my friends and life-long Iowans do not share my same passion, it is truly a guilty pleasure for this non-native. Visions of butter cows, rock bands, fried foods on a stick, and blue-ribbon livestock flood my daydreams annually as July melts away into August. It’s a chance for me to put away my highbrow inhibitions and venture deep into the only place where I can step in animal crap and still feel good about myself at the end of the day. Hot or cold, rain or shine, give me all of it.
So when the opportunity presented itself earlier this summer to volunteer my time working a shift pouring some of Iowa’s finest craft beer offerings at the Iowa Craft Beer Tent, one of the most popular new(ish?) spots at our famed fair, of course…I jumped.
My “nine-to-five” consists of sitting behind computer screens running calculations and drawing in AutoCAD, and outside of this blog, I have no direct connection to the craft beer industry (I would argue that even with this blog I have no direct connection to the craft beer industry). I enjoy drinking craft beer and writing about relevant beer-related topics that interest me, but as far as a paid or endorsed industry connections: nada.
Needless to say, spending one (7+ hours) shift talking all things Iowa Craft Beer while serving thirsty fair-goers gave me an eye-opening firsthand view of the world from the other side of the bar.
I’ve been visiting the state fair for over ten years and without a doubt, this was some of the most fun I’ve ever had while attending. The experience was both tremendously satisfying and extremely rewarding for a beer geek like me…
(Lynn Demaray Photography // Source)
…and I can’t wait to do it again next year!
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