Minors Welcome with Parent at 20th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival
Greetings,
HEADLINE: Minors Welcome with Parent at 20th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival.
The decision by local government, the dedication of event organizers, and the responsibility of all that attend is a combination of common sense and personal responsibility that should not be such a surprise.
In a few short minutes, with a steady hand and a good search engine, anyone can find too many internet sources offering specious statistical information bolstering their particular bias. Unless I know exactly who posts information, and their disposition towards their presentation topic, I consider that information entertaining, if not interesting. At no time have I ever trusted a single source. (Stand alone interviews are an obvious exception.) The mass media available on the various television permutations is less reliable. Topics that demand serious attention are turned into shouting matches and personality circuses. If I was to believe the media that I hear, read and watch I would be convinced that the sky will fall in a few minutes and the seas will boil in a week and the mountains will crumble and the lion will lay down with the lamb!
And so it is with great relief that I read, and cross checked the above mentioned festival. I have seen most beer festivals reduced to a race between consumers and pourers to see how fast the available beer can be consumed. TAPNY is a major exception and a major reason is the inclusion of the Culinary Institute of America and really great food on premises.
And now comes word about the Oregon Brewers Festival. This is truly welcome news. Let us hope that this is really what is happening in this good country of ours. When I see something like this getting mentioned in the press I begin looking for more examples and it takes time but they are there. In an hour or so I am going to chose three events in my area and make a major effort to attend events that advertise as responsibly as the folks in Oregon. In future issues you will get the reports.
Until beer and wine are welcome guests on the dinner tables of families in this country there will always be the thrill of the forbidden about beverage alcohol. What am I saying! Until there are families sitting around dinner tables again and talking to each other there will always be the thrill of the forbidden to seek. If that thrill is beverage alcohol, and that were the most evil thing I faced in my life I would consider myself the luckiest man in history. We all should.
Cheers!!
Peter LaFrance
