I don't think there's any way to rate Huna Day less than five stars. It's definitely one of the country's supreme beer festivals, and I'm so glad my friend talked me into joining this year.
Everything about this fest was perfection. Attendees are treated like cattle to enter, but in a way that actually works and doesn't feel stuffy. You walk up to the wide open field across from the Raymond James Stadium (where the Tampa NFL team plays), show your wristband to be scanned, let security browse through your clear NFL-approved purses, and grab a taster cup.
Once in the queue area, the hype is SO strong. When the gates open, a field filled with beer lovers shuffles inside. And the best part? The lines are generally minimal unless you want some of the crazy stouts (Three Sons, Wakefield, Toppling Goliath come to mind). Especially if you're like me and actually attending the stout festival for the amazing sour selection. Far and wide, booth after booth, just juicy, tart, fruit-forward sours galore (450 North, Ology, Rare Barrel, Crooked Stave, Casey...). Beer nirvana.
Potentially even better than the best part? It's not a rushy-rush festival. I loathe 3-hour long beer fests because then you try to cram in too many tasters in a short period of time, get sleepy drunk, and don't want to do anything the rest of the day (or maybe that's just me). This one is five hours long general admission and comes with four food samples from area food trucks. I selected pizza, mac and bacon grilled cheese, bacon-cheese tots, and a brisket slider for mine -- all of which were consumed in the trusty shade tent. By the end of the fest, I felt satiated, full, and not at all drunk despite trying 47 tasters. (Yes, forty-seven. Beer fest record for me...beating my previous 35.)
My only grumble is the four-bottle Huna purchase requirement. I'm not a stout drinker and Huna doesn't have the hype it used to, so being forced to stop by Cigar City and haul four big bottles of stout home with me is not ideal. I'm also still mad because one of the four broke post-airline inspection (they didn't secure it like I had done) and my entire luggage smelled of stout. However, I did reach out to Cigar City directly and explained why I felt they should offer an option without buying four bottles. They said they'd take it into consideration. I hope they do.
But even with the bottle purchase system, this festival blows most others out of the park. The sheer quantity and quality of samples was insane in such a great way. Definitely one of the best afternoons I've experienced thus far in 2019. read more