columbia world beer festival volunteer handbook

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Volunteer Handbook

How to be a Responsible & Knowledgeable

Beer Server

Table of Contents

Page 2

Page 6

Page 7

Page 9

Page 10

Page 11

Page 12

Page 18

Page 21

Page 23

Introduction

Beer 101 - Basics of Beer

Healthy Beer

Beer Glassware

Strong Beer

On Volunteering

Rules of Conduct

Festival Job Descriptions

Stopping Beer Abuse

Prevention Tactics

Conclusion

1 World Beer Festival Volunteer Handbook © 2009

World Beer Festival Volunteer Handbook © 2009

Introduction

Welcome to All About Beer Magazine's World Beer Festival Volunteer Handbook.

For more than a quarter of a century, All About Beer Magazine has kept the public up-to-speed onthe exotic world of great beer. Since moving the magazine from California to North Carolina, thestaff of All About Beer Magazine has hosted festivals for the Triangle community.

Our goals have been the creation of an opportunity for beer lovers to meet with brewers andbrewery representatives members and create some excitement around the world of beer and beerappreciation.

However, at the end of the day, it is you, the volunteer, that our customers will meet and get toknow. You are the face and voice of the World Beer Festival. We have compiled information to helpyou become an "instant beer expert." Read it over, study it and help the people you meet at theWorld Beer Festival come to enjoy beer like we do at All About Beer Magazine.

�ank you,Daniel Bradford, ProducerOla Nilbrink, Manager

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BEER 101 - The Basics of Beer

Beer is the simplest and most complex of beverages, all at once.

Simple enough that the first beer was probably an accident. Grain, water and wild yeast from the aircombined by chance, and fermented. Some brave passer-by tasted the foamy result, and was nodoubt amazed at its intoxicating effect (See also: �e Dawn of Religion). By 4,000 BC, theSumerians had perfected ways to replicate that miraculous process.

Simple, because it is made from as few as four ingredients: grain, water, hops and yeast.

But beer is also complex. Given those few ingredients, brewers have crafted as many as sixty orseventy distinct beer styles and thousands of individual interpretations. By varying the amounts orcharacteristics of the four ingredients, or by altering even a little the timing or temperature of thebrewing process, master brewers create today's astounding variety in the beers you drink.

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�e sweet liquor is piped into the next largetank in the brewery, the brew kettle. Here, hops(green, cone-like flowers) are added and boiledwith the liquor. Without hops, beer would besickly sweet. Hops added early in the processpreserve the beer and add welcome bitternessto balance the sweetness of malt; a dose of hopsat the very end adds the lovely floral aroma youdetect in some freshly poured beers.

�e new stew of malt sugars, hop flavors andwater is called "wort."

Cooled to the right temperature and chock fullof sugar, wort is the perfect diet for yeast, theuni-cellular organisms that do the work offermentation. Long ago, the action of yeast wassuch a blessing, yet so incomprehensible, thatEnglish brewers called it "Godisgood."

What's in Beer?Barley is the preferred grain for brewing beer(although wheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum, riceand corn have all been used). �e brewer usesmalted barley-barley that has been germinatedthen roasted. �e depth of the roasting willinfluence the beer's flavor and determine its color.

�e brewer mills the malt, cracking the grainsbetween rollers to expose more surface area.�en, just as coffee grounds are steeped inwater to extract their flavors, the malt is heatedwith water in a large kettle called a "mash tun."�e hot water pulls the sugars from the maltinto a solution known as "sweet liquor."

�e brewer rinses the malt ("sparging") andstrains it to get the last of the sugars into solution.�e malt is now "spent grain," useless for beer,but still good for baking, or for animal feed.



�e yeast is pitched in and goes about doingwhat yeast do-ingesting sugar and releasingcarbon dioxide and alcohol, as well as theinteresting extra fruity or spicy flavors weassociate with beer. Different yeast strainsbehave very differently, some throwing offflavors and aromas as varied as banana, apple,clove, pepper or apricot.

After a while, the food runs low, and theincreasingly alcoholic atmosphere becomesunfriendly: the yeast slow down, or even die.Fermentation is complete. �e "green" beer istransferred to conditioning tanks to age, aprocess that can go from a few days to severalweeks (or, occasionally, years) depending on thestyle and the brewer's passion. When thebrewer deems his beer ready, the public gets toenjoy the art.

�e Styles of BeerAmerican beer drinkers can feel a littlebewildered by the array of beers on the shelves,and for good reason. Brewers in this countryhave invigorated American beer by drawingfrom the brewing traditions of many countries-then blending and bending the styles forAmerican audiences. As a result, there areprobably more beers and a greater range ofstyles available here in the Triangle than thereare in any European capital.

But that means that American beer lovers alsohave to make sense of a greater variety thandrinkers in any other country. German beer

drinkers won't understand the distinctionsbetween English pale ale and India pale ales;English beer drinkers won't have todiscriminate between Belgian dubbel and tripelales; Belgians won't face a choice between aGerman kölsch and a helles. Americanshoppers can face all of these choices-andmore-at a single (very good) retailer's store.

First, let's divide the world of beer according tothe yeast. �e sixty or more defined beer stylesin the world can almost all be divided by theiryeast into two broad families: the ale family andthe lager family.

Beers in the ale family are produced at warmtemperatures by a group of yeasts termed "topfermenting." �ese yeasts are active towardsthe top of the fermenting vessel. Ales are readyto drink in days rather than weeks, and theyeasts produce extra flavors in addition tocreating alcohol: fruity, spicy, or earthy flavorsare not unusual. Ales are the traditional beersof England and of Belgium.

Beers in the lager family are fermented atcooler temperatures by yeasts that are "bottomfermenting." As you might guess, these yeastsare most active at the bottom of the brewingvessel. �ese beers need to be conditioned orcellared ("lager" in German) for several weeksor more to reach peak drinkability. �e lagerbeers are the traditional beers of Germany, theCzech Republic and central Europe.


More roasting. �e next darker beers areporters (which are ales) and the rather rareschwartzbiers (which are lagers). In keepingwith the differences between the two families,porters will have a lot more spin-off flavors-fruity, even coffee and chocolatey notes-thanthe schwartzbiers, which will be malty (sweet)but still very clean.

Like any classification system, this one ignoresa lot of inconvenient diversity in order to fitexamples into a neat model. We omit the beersmade with grains other than barley, such aswheat; the hybrid beers that are fermented atwarm ale-like temperatures, then areconditioned at cool temperatures like lagers; orthe overlap between style categories, where arobust porter looks very much like a stout. Butit is handy to know that lagers and ales bothcome in a full range of colors, strengths, andcharacters.

�e Importance of MaltNext, beers can be divided according to howlightly or deeply roasted is the malted barley-the grain base of the beer. A lightly roastedbarley will produce a very pale beer. Deeplyroasted, charred or smoked malts produce darkor black beers.

So, take lightly roasted malt and make a beerfrom it. Use an ale yeast, and the result will be apale ale, the classic English pub beer, or a bitteror golden ale. Use a lager yeast, and the resultwill be a style such as pilsner.

Roast the malt a little more, and the ale variantwill be an amber ale or a Scottish ale; if a lager,perhaps it will be a maerzen, a festbier or anOktoberfest beer.

Give the malt a little more heat, and the beersbecome darker, the color of root beer. Brownales-Newcastle Brown is a classic-are the alevariant. In the lagers, the cleaner tastingGerman dunkels-dark lagers-like Beck's Darkare the counterparts.

�e popular wisdom is that these dark beersare stronger than light beers. On the contrary,the roasting may have the effect of "locking up"some of the starches in the beer so they cannotbe fermented. �ere is less food for the yeast toturn to alcohol; the beers may be lower inalcohol, and the unfermentable material stays inthe beer, giving it a thicker texture in yourmouth. �e beers can feel rich, but actuallymay be less intoxicating than a Coors.

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Healthy Beer

�e hops in beer have antibacterial properties.Brewers have exploited this property for overfive centuries, relying on hops not only for thebalance they contribute to a beer's flavor, butfor the hops' power to preserve. Hops alsocontain phyto- (plant) estrogens, andcompounds that aid sleep.

But aren't these health benefits cancelled out bythe weight a beer drinker gains? After all, thatprominent overhang isn't called a "beer gut" fornothing, is it? Well, beer may be getting theblame for the company it keeps: we might aswell call that a "nacho gut" or a "buffalo wingsgut." Given that alcohol does stimulate theappetite, making a peanut binge more likely, afilling beer might be a better choice of drinkthan wine or spirits.

In terms of calories, a 12 ounce serving of mostcommercial beers contains around 150 calories,about the same number as one of those dinkypots of fruit yogurt. "Light" beer will save youanother 50 calories, a trade-off many beer loversare unwilling to make for the loss of flavor.

�e key here is, of course, moderation. In theUS, moderate intake is generally defined as onestandard drink a day for women; two for men.(In Europe, three to four drinks a day isconsidered moderate, an interesting difference.)At these reasonable levels, beer is a wholesomecomponent of your diet, as well as a welcomeaccompaniment for meals, recreation and socialoccasions.

When we toast one another, it never strikes usas strange to associate alcohol with goodhealth. After all, as far back as we have records,there are accounts of revelers raising theirtankards to their leaders, their gods, and eachother's well being.

Beer, being based on grain, was traditionally awholesome household product, like bread. Beerwas the healthful mealtime beverage for youngand old alike and a source of valuable nutrients.It was certainly safer than drinking plain water.Brewers didn't realize they'd stumbled on themost fundamental of public health measures,but by boiling the water during brewing, theykilled off some very nasty bugs that couldotherwise have killed the drinker.

Over the past two decades, a growing list ofmedical studies have demonstrated thatmoderate drinkers tend to enjoy better healthand lower mortality than either heavy drinkersor total abstainers.

Beer has no fat, no cholesterol, no caffeine, nonitrates, and very little sodium. It is full ofvitamins, as anyone knows who has purchasedbrewer's yeast as a source of B vitamins.Depending on the style and the brand, it is alsopacked with iron, potassium, magnesium, andphosphorus. Dark beer is an excellent source ofheart-protecting flavinoids.


Beer Glassware

consider sending the glass back and asking forone at room temperature. �is is a living beer,not a frozen margarita. As soon as beer hits afrosted glass, the temperature of the beerplunges, and cold is as effective a killer of tasteas holding your nose.

Guideline three is cleanliness. Any residue fromgrease or detergent will kill the head on a beer.A glass that is "beer clean" is one that is beingrefilled with beer: the first pour clears the lasttraces of anything unwanted, and the next beershould be perfect. Hang onto that glass!

Beyond these basics, what does a glass reallydo, besides distinguishing your drinking stylefrom your dog's?

Beer and glassware have evolved together.Once, murky beer was hidden in opaque claymugs. �e first affordable glass drinking vesselsarrived on the scene around the same time asthe first bright, pretty beers. For the first time,a beer could appeal to the eye-as well as thenose and the tongue.

�e shape and thickness of the glass affect thetemperature of the beer and the size andretention of the head, and these influence theflavor you perceive.

�ere aren't a lot of rights and wrongs inthe world of beer, fortunately. If youenjoy the beer you're drinking, you'vefound the right beer for you, whether it'sa domestic or an import; a light lager or asturdy stout.

But there are ways to make the right beertaste better, and one way is to choose aglass that lets you appreciate all theelements of the brewer's work.

�e first guideline in selecting a glass isthe simplest and will do more to bringout the best in your beer than anythingelse: do select a glass. Only glug a beerdirectly from a bottle if you don't reallylike beer: the only sensations you'll haveto experience will be wetness and gas.Anyone who has had a terrible coldknows that, without smell, there is verylittle flavor to enjoy. A glass-any glass-allows the carbonation to lift the beer'saromas to your nose, and the aroma ishalf the pleasure.

Guideline two of glass selection is almostas easy and will contribute nearly asmuch to your enjoyment. If someoneserves you a beer and a frosted glass,



from the University of Leuven in Belgium saysno. Trained tasters determined that light-flavored lagers did indeed taste best in thefamiliar narrow glasses. Likewise, rich alesfared well in glasses with a wide brim thatallowed a head of only a couple of centimeters.However, the dense heads promoted by someglasses-particularly those like the thistle thatnarrow near the top-seemed to trap someflavor components in the foam, to thedetriment of taste.

So, should you ignore the best promotionalefforts of your favorite brewers? Of course not.Certainly, stock up on a couple of basic shapes,and be confident that these will take good careof your beer.

But don't ignore the appeal a beautiful glass hasfor the other senses. �e fragility of thethinnest possible pilsner glass; the architecturalsolidity of an Art Deco chalice-these are theperfect marriage of taste, character and design,and glasses worth having.

Temperature first. A thick-walled glass willmaintain the temperature of beer longer. (Sowill a glass with a handle, which protects thebeer from the warmth of your hand.) Incultures that prize cold beer, glasses are eitherthick, as in the case of many wheat beer glasses,or, if thin, the glasses and portions are smalland frequently replenished.

�e relationship between glass shape, foam,aroma and flavor is trickier. A glass that is deepin relation to its width will allow the formationof a thicker head; it can focus the fragrance ofmore delicate, aromatic beers. A shallower glasswith a wide mouth limits the depth of the head;more of the beer is exposed to the air. �esechalice-like shapes are traditionally associatedwith stronger, more vinous ales.

Between these two extreme profiles-long,narrow and straight-sided; and shallow, wideand cupped- lie a great variety of designs: tulip-,thistle-, flute-, and barrel-shaped. Do you reallyneed a different glass for every beer? Research

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Strong Beer

�e bad news-if we can put it that way-is thatthese are beers that demand greater knowledgeand responsibility on the part of bothconsumers and servers. Most of us enjoy beerbecause we love sitting around with a couple ofpints at social occasion. Not so with these bigguys. Treat a Belgian triple in the same way youtreat a mainstream beer and you'll miss thebetter part of tomorrow.

Handle these beers with respect. �ey shouldbe consumed in smaller quantities. �ey can bewonderful with food. In the evening, they'reperfect after-dinner beers, either with dessertor as dessert.

A beer festival is a great opportunity to trythese new beers, since they tend to beexpensive and can be hard to find. A festivalalso offers an occasion to talk to a breweryrepresentative or a server about the traditions,food pairings, and brewing techniques andflavor profiles of these unique brews. �ese aretrue sipping beers, so treat them accordingly.

In August 2005, two and a half years of veryhard work brought about a major change toNorth Carolina laws. �anks to efforts by NCbeer enthusiasts, distributors and retailers, andthe organization Pop �e Cap, the maximumalcohol content permitted in beer was raisedfrom 6% to 15% ABV (alcohol by volume). Wejoined the 45 states that permit the full range ofbeer styles.

Since then, hundreds of new beers haveappeared on our shelves. �ey represent styleswe were not permitted to enjoy: Imperialstouts, doppelbocks, and a host of Belgianspecialty styles. �e new beers have expandedthe beer market, and-most importantly-theyhave raised the visibility of good beers of allstyles and strengths.

�e good news is that these new beersrepresent some of the most distinctive andunusual profiles in the world of brewing.Higher alcohol content comes from theaddition of more malt, which in turn requiresthe use of more hops to balance the flavor.Some of these beers are fermented withmultiple yeast strains; others can be laid downlike wine and aged. �e results are beers ofcomplexity and depth unknown in loweralcohol beers.



On Volunteering for the Festival

Again, thank you for being part of our festival.

Being a Volunteer has a couple very simple fundamentals. First and foremost, this is about havingfun. You will meet some of the finest brewers and brewery reps, plus the most dedicated beer loversfrom here and out of state. You will be their principal festival contact. You will influence how theyremember the beer festival. So have fun. Second, our event is built around responsibly enjoyingbeer. We've given you a lot of information about beer and its enjoyment. Use that to your advantageand make sure everyone has a pleasant time. Finally, be professional. You are representing theoldest and largest beer magazine, and two people with deep roots in the specialty beer culture. We hope you will represent us well by being prompt, taking care of your space, executing your role;the sort of things that make a huge difference in the overall experience of our event.

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Rules of Conduct

4. Take care of yourself.A. Dress comfortably, but neatly, and wear

good shoes for long hours on your feet.B. Drink plenty of water and be sure to

take advantage of the free foodprovided by the festival.

5. Talk beer.A. Read the Volunteer Handbook.B. Read the Festival Program.C. Read All About Beer Magazine.D. Talk beer, talk beer, talk beer.

1. Ensure that our customers avoid excessiveconsumption of alcohol.

A. Only provide one two-ounce sample ofyour beer per customer. Only onesample. Only two ounces. If yourproduct is over 6% ABV, feel free topour a one-ounce sample.

B. Educate our customers: talk about yourbeer with patrons as you pour samples.

C. Only pour into official festival tastingglasses, only pour to two-ounce pourline. Do not pour samples into otherglassware.

D. Encourage patrons to take a break frombeer: several restaurant booths sellaffordable food; we provide free non-alcoholic beverages; and the music andmerchandise areas offer a change ofpace.

2. Establish a positive atmosphere.A. Always be helpful and informative.B. Avoid confrontations. C. Keep your booth space clean and

organized. Appearance is important: anattractive space encourages responsiblebehavior.

3. Take care of your colleagues.A. Be a good neighbor and help out other

Brewers and Volunteers when needed.B. Be alert to any potential safety issues

and notify a staff person immediately.


Festival Job Descriptions

7. Pour patrons 2 ounces of beer only. Pourinto festival glass only. If you see patronsdrinking in other glassware ask them todump it out in front of you it is againstfestival rules.

8. Pour only to patrons who have a wristbandor badge labeled STAFF, BREWERY STAFF,PRESS, or BREW CREW. If there is a patronwithout a wristband or badge labeledincorrectly, contact your captain.

9. Bottles should be placed in recycling binsnear table. If bin is full, contact yourCaptain and request that they empty it intolarge recycling container.

10. If beer runs out at your booth contact yourCaptain for another assignment.

11. If you need a break, contact the VolunteerCaptain for a back up Volunteer. Please berespectful of their time, other Volunteersmay need bathroom breaks.

12. At end of session, take all beer out of tuband away from patrons. Do not leave tableuntil all festival patrons have left. Do notgive any person, including Volunteers, abottle of beer to take home. �e beer is theproperty of the World Beer Festival andtaking it is considered theft. Even if abrewer gives you beer, you are not to acceptit. You will have a chance to sample beers atthe Volunteer party.

Pourer1. Enjoy the festival while educating your

customers.2. Check-in at Volunteer Check-in and get

your assignment. 3. Go straight to your booth. Familiarize

yourself with the area and what needs to bedone prior to opening to the public. Forbottled product, fill beer tub with beer (tubsaccommodate 3 to 4 styles of beer) and ice(delivered by the brew crew). For kegs,make sure keg is iced down and tapped andpouring properly. If there is any problemwith the setup please notify your captainimmediately or flag down a brew crewmember.

4. Redeem food coupon, grab a bottle of waterprior to the start of your shift.

5. Explore the beers that you will serve. �isvery small tasting sample is the only beerthat you can consume while working thefestival. Bartenders are not permitted todrink and neither are you. It is against thelaw to drink alcohol and serve. Captainswill come around prior to the start of thefestival to collect your sampling glass.

6. A rep from the All About Beer Magazinemay request beers to be used in a beertasting presentation. Please give them theirbeers after seeing his/her list.


We've outlined the tasks for each category of volunteer. However, the important aspect ofvolunteering is that you are a member of a team of volunteers, all collaborating to deliver the rightsort of atmosphere, the right sort of experience.


7. Collect beer glasses from Pourers prior tothe start of the session and return allglassware to Volunteer Coordinator.

8. If a Volunteer needs a bathroom break,contact the Coordinator for a backup.

9. If recycling bin is full of bottles, empty intolarge recycling container.

10. Monitor your Volunteers. Large pours areprohibited. �is is the number one priorityfor the Pourers.

11. Pourers, and brewery representatives, are toonly pour into festival glass only. �is willwork against the 2-ounce pour, acornerstone of the Festival. Also, if you seepatrons drinking in other glassware askthem to dump it.

12. If the Pourer runs out of beer, contact theVolunteer Coordinator to find anotherassignment for them.

13. Last call is 15 minutes prior to close ofsession. Go around your section and remindall Pourers and Brewers that all pouring isto cease in 15 minutes, reminding them it islast call. Make sure all pourers remove theirbottles of beer from the table and stash themin their case boxes behind their booths.

14. Make sure your Pourers and brewery repsclean up their station. At the end of theafternoon session it needs to be presentablewith beer back in the cases, all trashremoved, and the appearance straightenedup. At the end of the evening session thetrash and recycling goes in front of thebooth and the unopened beer stackedbehind the table.

13. At the close of the session, check in withVolunteer Coordinator to receive your AllAbout Beer Magazine form. �is must becompleted and returned to the Coordinatorat this time to receive this benefit. If you donot check out, you will not receive aninvitation to the Volunteer Party.

14. For evening session pourers only: at theclose of the event, please bring the dumpbuckets, beer bins, table cloth and bar towelto the brew crew area located by the backgate prior to exiting the ballpark.

Volunteer Captains1. Enjoy the atmosphere and take good care of

your Volunteers.2. Learn how to use the communications

system.3. Captains are assigned regions to assist the

Pourers. Make sure you have an updated listof the names and booth numbers for theVolunteer crew that you are in charge ofmanaging.

4. Assist Volunteer Coordinator if help isneeded checking in the Volunteer crew.

5. Go meet your Volunteers, introduceyourself and remind them of your role astheir captain. Remind Pourers that theymust not consume beer or you will need toescort them from the festival. Bartendersare not permitted to drink and neither areyou. It is against the law to drink alcoholand serve.

6. Redeem food coupon and get a bottle ofwater prior to opening gates.

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7. Make sure bathrooms stay clean.8. Return to the Volunteer Coordinator to pick

up your sampling glass and fill out your All About Beer Magazine form. If you donot check out you will not get an invitationto the Volunteer party.

VIP Host1. �ese are our special guests. Treat them well.2. Find out what needs to go to the VIP area at

the time of check-in and start moving itemsto the tent and setting it up to open at 12noon. Your job is to make sure thebeverages are stocked and the area remainsclean and presentable. �is area is cateredso the only food you are responsible for isthe cheese and cracker station. Make surethis stays stocked for patrons.

3. Also, at least one person in this group isresponsible for greeting and guarding theentrance and making sure only VIPs enterthis area. VIPs will have a wristband. Novendors, no bands, no Volunteers allowed.Only festival staff and VIP labeled only andBrew Crew if they are delivering product forthe tent.

4. �e person at the gate is to make sure noone leaves this area with a full glass of beer.Only a 2 oz pour in the festival tasting cupis allowed to leave the VIP area.

5. �ere are three beer stations setup at theVIP area. One Volunteer per station. Youare allowed to pour a full cup in the VIP.


15. Inform Volunteer Coordinator of anyoneyou had problems with so proper action canbe made.

16. Return radios to Volunteer Coordinator.17. Check out with Volunteer Coordinator to

receive your All About Beer Magazine form.�is must be completed and returned to theCoordinator at this time to receive thisbenefit.

Brewers Hospitality Host1. Be a great host. �ese are the people that

made the beer possible!2. Find out what needs to go to the hospitality

area at the time of check-in and startmoving items to the tent and setting it up toopen. Your job is to make sure the food andbeverages are stocked and the area remainsclean and presentable.


4. You are not allowed to drink. If caughtdrinking you will be escorted out of thefestival and never allowed to volunteer again.

5. Also, at least one person in this group isresponsible for greeting and guarding theentrance and making sure only Brewersenter this area. Brewers will have a badgethat says brewer on them. No vendors, Nobands, No Volunteers, No brew crewallowed. Only festival staff and brewersonly. Ask to see Brewer's identification.Festival patrons are not allowed in the tent.

6. Keep area clean. Place empty bottles in therecycling bin. Stay at the tent until thePolice have cleared the festival.

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Entrance Gate Volunteer1. Greet the patrons! Set the atmosphere for

them.2. Redeem your food voucher and grab a water

prior to arriving at the gate assignment3. Go to gate you have been assigned. See map

for identifying gates. Be at your gate no laterthan 45 minutes prior to the start of thesession.

4. As soon as you arrive check your inventory.�ere will be an inventory sheet posted atthe gate. Please check the list with what isavailable at your gate. If there is adiscrepancy please contact your Captain ora festival staff member and they will resolvethe issue.

5. Familiarize yourself with your job. If you arewristband person, please practice. It isimportant that we get these people in asquickly as possible and we need these to goon quick. �ey don't have to be perfect juston the person. Please only give programs topatrons who want them. Otherwise theywill end up on the ground. Don't placeprograms in tasting cup. Ticket scannerstaff will be trained. Make sure all ticketsare scanned and valid.

6. Remain at your gate until Gate Manager,comes to give you further instruction. Somegates will shut down after the first rush haspassed through. �e Volunteers workingthese gates will be sent on anotherassignment.

7. You are not allowed to drink. If caughtdrinking you will be escorted out of thefestival and never allowed to volunteeragain.

8. Keep area clean. Place empty bottles in therecycling bin. Stay at the tent until thePolice have cleared the festival.

9. Make sure bathrooms stay clean.10. Return to the Volunteer Coordinator to pick

up your sampling glass and fill out your All About Beer Magazine form. If you donot check out you will not be invited to theVolunteer party.

Beer Presentation Area1. Arrive an hour and a half prior to start of

session and check in with the VolunteerCoordinator.

2. Move to the area and introduce yourself toAll About Beer Magazine staff. Get list ofbeers from AABM staff. Check yourprogram to find the beers. Go to the Pourertable, show them the list and ask for the beer.

3. Make sure you have plenty of pitchers.Pitchers can be found at the brew crewstation. Draft beer will be gathered inpitchers.

4. Return to the area and chill the beer in a tub. 5. Redeem food coupon and get a bottle of

water prior to opening gates.6. Bartenders are not permitted to drink and

neither are you. It is against the law to drinkalcohol and serve.

7. At the end of the shift(s), return to theVolunteer Coordinator and pick up yourglass and complete your All About BeerMagazine form.



Brewers & Vendors Check-in

Description:�is is the location the brewers, food andmerchandise vendors receive their badges forentry into the festival. �ey also receive t-shirts, cups, programs, and other importantinformation.

Check-in Process:�e brewer/vendor/media is greeted and giventheir badge for entry.

Issuing a Badge• �e badges will be located in envelopes

alphabetized by the company they arerepresenting, for example Big BossBrewing, based out of Raleigh will have anenvelope with the number of badgescorrelating to the number of staff theysigned up. �e outside of the envelope willhave the staff names, the badgesthemselves will not have the name of theperson, only "Big Boss Brewing". �e firstperson to check in under a certaincompany name, for example the firstperson to check in under Big BossBrewing will receive the one and only VIPbadge per company and a VIP foodvoucher. �is only applies to Brewersother vendors do not get VIP status.

• Ask to see the person's id to verify theyare on the list and that they are 21 years ofage or older.

• After issuing the badge, mark off orhighlight the name of the person whochecked-in.

7. If you are reassigned to another task, at 30minutes prior to the end of the sessionplease return to your assigned gate to checkbags to make sure no one is stealing beer orstealing signs. No one can leave with beerin their glass.

8. For evening session Volunteers only. Oncethe public has left, please remove signs fromfencing and place under the table at yourgate. Also, take dump buckets and empty ingray water holding tank located by foodvendors. Do not dump beer in streets this isagainst the law.

9. Once the public has finished exiting, lockyour gate and return to the Volunteercheck-in to receive your festival tasting cupand form to All About Beer Magazine.

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Volunteer Job Duties(you will be asked to do one of the following):• Handing out badges accordingly• Wrist-banding• Handing out goodies

Important Info to give Merchandise & Restaurant Vendors• Unloading Merchandise/Equipment according

to instructions.• If asked, they do not get a t-shirt.• If they have a problem with their electricity or

water source call the Electrician programmedin the Nextel phone and request he go to theirbooth.

• �ey do not get any VIP badges.

Problem SolvingIt is possible that you will have someone cometo the Check-in with a problem/question thatyou do not know the answer. Please direct all of these inquiries to the Beer Coordinator.

Wristband VendorsNext, the person will be wrist-banded. Allvendors must have wristband and badge toenter through the gates.• (1) sample glass per person. For brewers

give them one with a menu and scheduleof food that will be available in thebrewers' hospitality tent. For merchandise,restaurants and other vendors just givethem a sample glass.

• Program• T-shirts: these are for brewers only, no

exceptions. �e first person to check-infor a brewery is given all the shirts thathave been ordered for that brewery. �eshirt sizes will be located on the outside ofthe envelope. No switching sizes.


Stopping Abuse of Beer

Promote eating while drinkingWe provide food from different restaurants at afull range of prices, each restaurant includingone item at a low price.

Free non-alcoholic beveragesWater is provided throughout the festival.

Different zonesBeer, food and entertainment are located indifferent zones, making it difficult, with two-ounce servings, to continue drinking while ineither of the other zones.

Enforce the rulesPolice officers with experience in handlingcrowds, fire marshals, and security staff are onsite to enforce the law and the festival rules ofconduct.

Educate VolunteersWe provide Pourers/Volunteers withinformation about beer and alcohol to preparethem for the festival. All servers attend amandatory training program on preventingabuse and dealing with intoxication.

ID checkAt the gate, we only admit people with a validpicture ID, and we turn away people who arealready intoxicated.

Free educational materialsWe provide educational material to support thefull enjoyment of beer, including All About BeerMagazine. We also host educationalpresentations and tastings at the All About BeerMagazine booth.

Enforce two-ounce servingsAll people involved with pouring beer topatrons are required to stick to the two-ouncepour rule.


What are our tactics for preventing inebriation?

Our number one objective is fostering enjoyment, not abuse. We have gathered together a series ofstrategies to ensure that. We provide Pourers with the following information about beer and alcoholto prepare them for the Festival. We also provide the Volunteer training on preventing abuse anddealing with intoxication issues.


�e Responsibility of Beer�ere is a world of difference betweenappreciating beer and guzzling beer. �ebrewer's art is a fine, subtle process seeking tocreate a distinct beer. With very few exceptions,brewers do not seek to augment the alcoholcontent of their products. To do so, they wouldrun the risk of brewing a rough, unpalatableproduct.

As with wine, beers have numerous qualitiesthat are designed to enhance their enjoyment.Understanding these qualities increases yourawareness and the possibility for truly enjoyingthe fullness of beer. Alcohol content is only oneof these many qualities.

�e alcohol content of beer ranges from 3percent to about 15 percent by volume, withmost beers being around 4 percent to 5percent. As with the other four principalingredients in beer, alcohol also has itscharacteristics. Whether it's taking the edge offa day at the office, adding to a perfect afternoonor contributing to pleasant company, alcoholcan positively affect one's life.

However, an excess amount of alcohol has itsdestructive effects. For some individuals whoabusively consume alcoholic beverages, theresults can negatively affect their life, rangingfrom painful hangovers to anti-social behaviorand personality disorders. For society it canresult in extensive damage to people andproperty.

How Much is Too Much to Drink if You're DrivingDrinking any amount of alcohol can impair yourability to drive. Chemical tests can determineyour Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). Forexample, five parts of alcohol in 10,000 parts ofblood is shown as 0.05 percent BAC.

A driver with a BAC between 0.05 and 0.07percent is presumed to be driving while hisability to drive is impaired (DWI). A driver witha BAC of 0.08 percent or more is presumed tobe driving under the influence (DUI). BothDWI and DUI convictions mean penaltiesincluding jail term, fine, public service andpossibly surrender of driving license.

What does this mean for you? We will haveplastic cards that translate rates of consumptionby gender and body weight into BAC. Forexample, an average adult male (about 150 lb.)can consume two bottles a beer in the first hour,then one bottle of beer each hour thereafter andstay at .05 BAC. �at's 12 two-ounce servings inthe first hour and 6 an hour thereafter.

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varies according to a wide range of otherconsiderations. �e amount of food in yourstomach will slow the absorption rate down.High body weight and low fat ratios will alsoslow the rate down. Taking drugs, legal (coldmedicine, for example) or illegal, can reduceones tolerance adversely. �e spacing of drinks,taking time out or drinking alternativebeverages, will also slow the rate of absorptionand keep the BAC down. In addition, little isknown about individual tolerances.

Know Your Limit. Your life, and the lives of others, depends on it.

�is country once turned to the courts torestrict the destruction of alcohol-relatednegligence. Negligence means that you havebeen irresponsible as a member of society andhave breached your duty to protect fellowcitizens from your own excesses, either inconsumption by yourself or in what you haveserved to others. �is is the heart of individualresponsibility, the social contract.

Every state has detailed what it considers to beendangering levels of alcohol consumption,measured in the amount of alcohol found inyour blood or Blood Alcohol Concentration.While the BAC is definitely measurable, therate at which alcohol enters your bloodstream

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Prevention Tactics

the other end of the festival. Buy time to slowdown the rate of absorption throughrecommending non-alcoholic beverages (wewill have free sodas, and water), or perhaps buysome food or sit down and enjoy the music.

If trouble should arise, call for backup. We havea chain of command from server to police orstaff member, making it quite easy to have anauthority on the spot quickly. If the person isconfrontational, simply step back from thetable, putting at least six feet between you andthe individual, and reach out to your fellowservers on either side.

�roughout 50 plus beer festivals, someattended by as many as 19,000 people, we havenever experienced a serious problem and rarelyexperienced minor problems. And those arevery easy to handle. Simple, safe and secure.

How do you evaluate a situation?We use a 1-2-3 system where 1 is perfectlynormal, 2 is showing some behavior change butbelow .05 BAC and 3 represents illegal levels ofintoxication. You can enjoy the 1s, watch outfor the 2s and report the 3s.

How do you deal with people who have chosen to abuse alcohol?First and foremost, don't be accusatory forexample using YOU ("You're drunk!" forexample). Explain the reason you can't serve theperson has to do with the risk of losing theright to hold a beer festival, should anythinghappen as a result of their behavior. Fall back toeducation and use the program we've provided-talk about your beer and recommend a beer at


Recognizing a potential problem comes from behavioral cues that you are probably already familiar with.

Consider the things that you know: • Inappropriate social and physical behavior.• Obvious physical cues are swaying, bad hand/eye coordination (watch how the glass moves to

the mouth), and staggering. • Inappropriate social cues are violations of social space (leaning in), of gender norms

(unsolicited intimacy) and verbal conventions (volume problems, unfunny jokes, etc.).

�ese are well known, easily recognized and universal. Care needs to be taken that idiosyncratic orculturally driven behavior is not misconstrued as alcohol caused. Alcohol will create a collection ofbehavioral cues not just one.


Problem Solving Strategies1. Police: Police officers, experienced in

handling crowds and drunks, are on dutythroughout the festival.

2. Volunteer Captains: A number of people areassigned the duty of Volunteer captain eachsession. Shirts that are labeled "VolunteerCaptain" distinguish them. All Volunteercaptains have two-way radios to connect tofestival staff, brew crew, police officers, firemarshals, etc. �ey are responsible formonitoring a designated section, makingsure each Volunteer booth is stocked witheverything necessary to effectively do theirjob i.e. ice, beer in addition to non-alcoholicbeverages and food for the Volunteers. If youneed to take a bathroom break and no oneelse is there to man your booth, flag downyour Volunteer Captain. If you areexperiencing difficulties with festival-goers,please also flag down your Captain, so theycan call for help.

3. Rapid Response: Communication equipmentwith two-way radio capabilities for a quickresponse link between all senior staff people,the police and the captains who directlyoversee the Volunteers.

Festival Security & SafetyOf paramount concern is the festival security.Whether alcohol is involved or not, any eventproduces its own questions of security andsafety.

Safety1. Controlled area: We completely seal off the

area, with fencing and gates, allowing no oneinside without a picture ID.

2. Complete services : We provide for all theneeds of the attendees during their stay atthe event-toilets, food, entertainment,relaxing areas, free alternative beverages.

Festival Tactics1. Serving size: 2-ounce pours only. �is is an

effective deterrent to inebriation.2. Booth spacing: By crowding booths together

it actually slows individual's ability toaccelerate consumption.

Buying Time1. Zones: Beer and food are located in different

zones, making it difficult with 2-ounceservings, to continue drinking while in eitherof the other zones.

2. Alternatives: Inexpensive food and freealternative beverages are supplied to slowdown the rate of absorption.

3. Education: �e Festival programs andVolunteer training encourage discussingbeer in lieu of excessive consumption.

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Conclusion

�is handbook is the guide to having a wonderful beer festival and becoming a serious beer lover.We thank you for helping us put on such a positive, educational event and helping raise money forlocal organizations. �anks.

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columbia world beer festival volunteer handbook

Documents

world of beer

beer lovers

theworld beer festival

instant beer expert

orseventy distinct beer

e brew

e sweet liquor

wild yeast