This seems like the perfect venue/opportunity for home brewers to submit beers. All of these creations can be considered art, albeit drinkable art!

At first glance, it would appear that only one vendor is used to provide beer for the event; the only vendor capable of providing on a large scale would inherently be The Big Guys. Still, this seems like an unsatisfactory explanation. Why couldn't a distributor offer both macros and micros? Smaller food stands provided such alcoholic beverages as mojitos, margaritas and vodka lemonades. There would seem to be a market for good beer at the event. Maybe you should try and get a permit for a booth next year, Rob!

Maybe local brewers don't see Artscape as a good place to show off what they can do. If that is the case they are missing out on a really good advertising opportunity.

Totally agree with the comments above. Really no excuse for this and hopefully next year, the local breweries will see Artscape as a great way to get the product out there and push harder to do so.

Seriously? Walk a few blocks to Brewer's Art if you wan't good, local beer.

@ "Beer" - and everywhere else if you want, bad, corporate, foreign-owned beer?

I used to work the local breweries beer stands when they had them at artscape a few years ago. I believe there are two reasons why they are no longer there: 1) there where a number of people that wanted large brewery beers (Coors Light or Bud Light type beers) and would complain that there were no other choices. 2) it all comes down to money. A major brewery is willing to pay a lot more for the exclusive right to sell their beer. The organizers are all about the money and pushed the local breweries aside.

I have noticed the same thing with the Fells Point festival. It is not the same as it has been in years passed. It is gotten too expensive for an artist or craft maker to set up a stand to try and sell their works. So instead we have (what seems like) a hundred vendors selling the same chicken on a stick, egg rolls or pita sandwich.

Many local breweries would LOVE to be able to present their wares at venues like Artscape, the Flower Mart or HonFest but simply cannot match the money that the big guys and their wholesalers can pay out to obtain the exclusive pouring rights. Most of these events are at least partially funded by "sponsorships," including pouring rights, and what is a drop in the bucket to one of the "big three" is four years of marketing budget for even a large microbrewery.

I do recall that for several years, there were Baltimore Beer stands featuring Clipper City, Wild Goose, Oxford and DeGroen's beers (there ay have even been Brimstone at some point). This goes back about 10 years or so. I would guess that they were outbid by the big guys.

I feel fortunate that the sponsors of Hampdenfest are determined to keep a local beer for their exclusive, and that they have chosen Brewer's Art beers.

Cheers,
Volker
Brewer's Art

I went with my wife on Saturday and much to my dismay saw only the $5 Coors Light and $6 Killian's et.al. Luckily at the top of Mount Royal by the stage was a small cart which sold 24 oz. cans of Molson Canadian (and Ice) for $7. Not bad considering, but it didn't occur to me until much later that I should have brought my own cans to drink while I sit and listen to music. Next year!

Too bad Anheuser Busch didn't get the sponsorship so we could atleast enjoy Redhook Ales. I went to the Aberdeen Ironbirds game last night and enjoyed Long Hammer IPA all night. There were four Redhook Ales on tap and a stand that had Yingling. $4 for a 16 once glass.

That should be Yuengling.

I was thinking the same thing... Why don't they include the culinary arts in Artscape? It would be great if there were an area where local chefs, restaurants, and breweries could introduce us all to their craft. What an amazing experience that would be!

Is there a Taste of Baltimore?