Festival Prep

Festival Basics

• Saturday, October 12, 2024
• 1:00 – 5:00 PM
• Boom Island Park, Minneapolis
• Event Capacity: 2,500 – 3,000
• Boom Island Park on Google Maps

#AutumnBrewReview

Member Discount Tickets

All participating breweries and brewpubs get 4 staff tickets for free. All Guild members can purchase member tickets at a discounted price. The code to access these hidden tickets is included in our weekly Guild emails. Tickets grant access to private food, beer, and bathrooms, and as such are extremely limited. Please do not share this code with friends or family.

Festival Timeline

Friday, October 11, 2024

• Optional Keg Drop-Off: Our small reefer truck will be available for you between 12:00-5:00 p.m. Friday at the park.
• Optional Early Set-up: 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
  • Bring your own hand trucks or carts for load in/out.
  • There will be minimal security in the park overnight; set up early at your own risk.
• Member Meeting at Bauhaus Brew Labs: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. RSVP Here.

Saturday, October 12, 2024

• 8:30 – Load in Begins
• 11:00 – Ice Delivery Begins
• 12:30 – All Breweries Ready to Pour
• 1:00 – VIP Entry to the Fest
• 1:30 – GA Entry to the Fest
• 5:00 – Festival End
• 6:00 – Load Out Complete
  • There is no official afterparty for ABR.

All Registered Breweries and Brewpubs

56 Brewing
9 Mile Brewing
Alloy Brewing Company
Arbeiter Brewing Company
Back Channel Brewing
Bad Weather Brewing Company
Bald Man Brewing
Barrel Theory Beer Company
Bauhaus Brew Labs
Bear Cave Brewing
Bent Paddle Brewing Company
Blacklist Brewing Company
BlackStack Brewing
Boom Island Brewing Co
Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative
Brühaven
BŪCH Hard Kombucha Seltzer
Castle Danger Brewery
Chanhassen Brewing Company
Dangerous Man Brewing
Dual Citizen Brewing Company
Duluth Cider
Elm Creek Brewing Co
Fair State Brewing Cooperative
Falling Knife Brewing Company
Fat Pants Brewing Co.
Fish Dream Brewing
Forgotten Star Brewing Co.
Freehouse
Fulton Brewing
Gambit Brewing Co
Garphish Brewing Company
Giesenbräu Bier Co.
Gluek Beer
Goat Ridge Brewing
Gravity Storm Brewery Cooperative
Haggard Barrel Brewing
Headflyer Brewing
Heavy Rotation Brewing
Hoops Brewing
Imminent Brewing
Inbound BrewCo
Indeed Brewing Company
Insight Brewing Company
Invictus Brewing Company
Iron Exchange Tavern and Brewery
Jack Pine Brewery
Lake Monster Brewing
Lift Bridge Brewing Company
Little Thistle Brewing Company
Lost Saint Brewing Co
Luce Line Brewing
Lupulin Brewing
Mana Brewing
Mankato Brewery
Minneapolis Cider Company
Modist Brewing Co.
Montgomery Brewing
Moose Lake Brewing Co
Nouvelle Brewing
OMNI Brewing
Outstate Brewing Company
Paddlefish Brewing Co.
Pryes Brewing Company
Rail Werks Brewing Depot
Sociable Cider Werks
Spiral Brewery
Steel Toe Brewing
StormKing Brewpub & Barbecue
Summit Brewing Company
Surly Brewing Company
Sunken Ship Brewing Company
Talking Waters Brewing Co
Third Street Brewhouse
Trove Brewing
Uncommon Loon Brewing Company
Under Pressure Brewing
Unmapped Brewing Co.
Urban Growler Brewing Company
Ursa Minor Brewing
Utepils Brewing
Wabasha Brewing
Waconia Brewing Company
Waldmann Brewery
Wandering Leaf Brewing Company
Wild State Cider
Wooden Ship Brewing

Submit Your Info Here
Deadline: Tuesday, October 1

Why Upload Your Beers Early: Listing your beers in the festival beer app provides you with promotion before, during, and after the festival. Having the beer list early allows ticketholders to browse all the selections and note which beers they want to try. Influencers and beer blogs also refer to the beer list as they promote the fest, so having your beers listed increases the chances that you’ll be mentioned.

The earlier, the better! The sooner you share your fest beers with us, the sooner attendees will be able to see you. 

How Much Beer to Bring: There will be between 2,500-3,000 people at ABR. We suggest bringing 3-5 half-barrels worth, depending on style, ABV, etc. If you are bringing many styles, we recommend 1/6 bbl kegs. Package is okay.

Requirements for Offering THC Samples

Note: These are the same requirements we had for APN.

>> See the MN Department of Health Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid Product Compliance Fact Sheet

Why is the Guild allowing THC sampling? We’re committed to promoting and supporting Minnesota’s craft breweries and brewpubs. By our count, nearly half of members are now producing, or planning to make, THC beverages in addition to your traditional offerings. We acknowledge the high demand and value these products offer breweries and hope you will attract new customers to your innovative products by allowing them.

APN is still a craft beer festival first and foremost, and we ask that all breweries provide their standard beer offerings and limit THC beverages to 1 to 2 offerings.

Requirements for Sampling: Ensuring that events like this remain professional, safe, and viable for the future is a significant responsibility we take very seriously. Therefore, any brewery wishing to sample THC beverages at the fest must comply with BOTH of the following requirements.

1. Submit your ABR beverage list (THC, beer, seltzers, NA, cider, etc.) by Tuesday, October 1, including all THC Beverages. 
2. Send us your Insurance Documentation by October 1: Please list the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild as an additional insured on one of the following documents, and send to Lindsey Darling (lindsey@mncraftbrew.org) by Tuesday, October 1

1. 1. General Liability Insurance Certificate that indicates you DO NOT have a cannabis exclusion.
   2. If your general liability policy does have the cannabis exclusion, you must send the additional THC product liability certificate and list the Guild as additional insured.

• Your insurance must furnish the following coverages: Commercial general liability insurance with coverage of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence and two million dollars ($2,000,000) aggregate. Such policy shall designate Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild (807 Broadway St NE, STE 14, Minneapolis, MN 55413) as an additional insured and shall be written by an insurance company rated “A-X” or better by A.M. Best, licensed and authorized to do business in the State of Minnesota. At least 13 (thirteen) days before the Event, the Licensee will provide Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild with a certificate of insurance evidencing the above requirements. The licensee will provide Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild with prompt written notice of any change in such insurance coverage. Nothing in this Section shall limit the Licensee’s liability to Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild to the limits of certified or carried insurance.

How the Guild Promotes You with ABR!

We promote all participating breweries on the festival page, ticket page, and Facebook event, as well as through:

• Radio promotions and underwriting
• Social media posts and paid advertising
• Newsletters, E-Newsletters, and digital ads on multiple large press outlets
• Press releases and TV spots
• And more!

Alert Your Social Media Followers!

Help spread the word! Tell your followers that you’ll see them at ABR. Use the hashtag #AutumnBrewReview when posting – and remember to tag the Guild so we can share it to our followers as well! When members posts about the fest to your customers and followers, it helps promote your participation and your fellow brewery and brewpub members, increasing awareness about the variety and quality of craft beer statewide.

Helping promote ABR also helps the Guild significantly. ABR is the third largest source of operating income for our nonprofit annually. The more tickets we sell, the better services we can provide members throughout the year!

Sample Social Posts

• Will we see you at Autumn Brew Review? Stop by our tent at ABR on October 12 in Minneapolis for some of our favorite fall selections. Tickets are limited! Get yours at www.mncraftbrew.org/ABR! #AutumnBrewReview
• We’re looking forward to the #AutumnBrewReview fest on October 12! We’ll be bringing [beer list]. Stop by to try them out! Tickets are limited; get yours at www.mncraftbrew.org/ABR!
• We have a blast at #AutumnBrewReview every year! Will you be joining us? Stop by our tent at ABR on October 12 in Minneapolis for some of our favorite fall selections. Tickets here: www.mncraftbrew.org/ABR

Festival Map for Breweries and Vendors

• The Brewery Check-In Tent, where you get your wristbands and glasses (do this AFTER grabbing your registration bag on your booth table)
• The Hospitality Tent, where you can grab refreshments before and during the fest (bring beer to share!)
• The water spigots in the pavilions (please get all water needed BEFORE the fest starts; the water trucks are for attendees only!)

LOAD-IN & PARKING

• Festival Map for Breweries & Vendors
• Bring your own hand trucks/carts and staff for all load in/out. No vehicles can drive on the park grounds.
• Saturday load-in opens at 8:30 AM and must be complete by 12:30 PM.

Saturday Set Up

• Arrival & Parking: The MNCBG has reserved a limited amount of space parking lots for brewers, sponsors, vendors, and volunteers. These lots open at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and will be monitored by security for check-in.
  • • Boom Island Lot: ONE VEHICLE may park in this lot. Use this lot for unloading your kegs and equipment. A parking pass is given at entry.
    • Additional Parking Lots Map
  • Walk directly to your booth to begin setting up.
    • Need a paper map of the fest? Swing by the Brewery Check-In Tent to grab one!
    • Your booth will have a Booth Bag taped to it. Your Booth Bag contains a card with your brewery name on it, your comp wristbands, ice tickets, instructions, and more!
• Glassware: Bring the card with your name on it to the Brewery Check-In Tent. We’ll give you four glasses in exchange for your card.
  • Bring additional purchased tickets to this table at this time. We will scan additional staff tickets and issue you more wristbands and glassware.
• Ice: Starting at 11:00 AM, volunteers will begin delivering ice to booths in golf carts. Ice can also be picked up directly at the ice truck. You must exchange an ice ticket for a bag of ice at the cart or truck. Ice tickets are in your booth bags.
• Water: Water for booth use is located at the three picnic shelters (blue water drops on map). Please get all needed water from one of these locations BEFORE the festival starts. The water truck taps are for drinking ONLY, and will not be open until the festival starts.
• NA Tent: If you volunteered to bring NA beverages to ABR, please drop them off at our NA tent on Saturday by 12:30 PM. Please return to the booth at the end of the fest to collect unopened product!

The Fest

Sampling

• We will have ~2,600 attendees. Plan your samples accordingly.
• The legal beer sampling size is 2oz and will be marked on the festival glass.
• NA ticket holders will be wearing a [ pink wristband ]  and using plastic cups. DO NOT SERVE these attendees alcohol.
• We will announce “Last Call” at 4:45 p.m. Pouring must stop at 5:00 p.m. SHARP.
• The brewery/brewpub exhibit must be staffed during all active hours; a booth cannot be left unattended.

Hospitality Tent 

• A hospitality tent will provide food, water, coolers for shared beer, and private bathrooms for brewery staff.
• Only people with a brewer/vendor wristband will be allowed to enter the hospitality tent.
• Please bring beer to share!
• Bathrooms and beer are available all day Saturday.

Merchandise Sales: Merchandise sales are allowed at Guild festivals. Reminder: NO THC or alcohol sales of any type (vouchers, coupons, etc.). There will not be an ATM at the festival; please provide your own hotspots/internet if you plan to accept cards.

Trash and Recycling: Please try to contain any trash or recycling to keep the park clean and prevent trash from blowing into the river. We will have dumpsters placed throughout the festival grounds, and you are welcome to bring your own small trash can to gather waste at your tent. If you are bringing temporary tattoos, packaged giveaway items, or anything else that will create waste, please be clear with attendees on how to dispose of the trash. If you are bringing packaged beer, please remember a container for your tent.

COC and Safety: Safety of staff, attendees, and vendors is of utmost importance. Attendees, volunteers, or event staff who create an unsafe environment for others may be removed from the event at the discretion of the event organizers. Please read our MNCBG Code of Conduct. A reporting tool will be available to all festival attendees, staff, and volunteers via a QR code/link in the fest program, app, and signage.

Load-Out

• Keg Removal: All kegs must be removed by the end of the event. Any kegs left behind in the park or in the reefer truck after the end of the festival will be placed outside the truck, at the risk of the brewery.
• Trash: Please dispose of any trash/recycling in the containers provided throughout the fest.
• NA Tent: If you brought NA beverages to our NA tent, please return to the booth at the end of the fest to collect unopened product!
• Load Out: All breweries must be loaded out by 6:00 p.m. Plan to cart your equipment/kegs back to your vehicle: you cannot drive onto the park grass for load-out.
  • Please be mindful of pedestrians exiting the festival grounds.
  • There is no official afterparty for Autumn Brew Review.
• No Overnight Parking: Vehicles CANNOT be left overnight in any nearby parking lots. Please plan safe transportation for your staff, gear, and vehicles after the fest.

Answers to FAQs

Can we still register: Registration is closed. If you’re not registered, but would still like to be at ABR, please reach out to Events Manager Lindsey Darling to see if we have space.

When will we receive fest details: All festival details can be found on this Festival Prep page. We will email breweries three times in the lead-up to the festival. Emails are sent to the person listed as the festival main contact when you registered.

You can expect the three emails to be sent roughly on this timeline:
1) Initial Planning Details – early September
2) Full Fest Details – mid September
3) Final Reminder – week before fest

Will there be help unloading my kegs/prepping my booth on Friday and Saturday: No. Your staff is responsible for loading/unloading your kegs from the Reefer Truck and setting up your booth. Please bring all people/carts/gear needed.

How much space will we have: You have a 10×10 designated space at the festival. You can set up within this space however you like, but please do not bring additional 10×10 tents or other decor/materials that impact your neighboring tents.

How do attendees find us/our beer: The festival map will be available in the fest program at entry, via the QR code placed throughout the fest, and on the beer list.

How much beer should we bring: There will be around 2.500+ people at ABR. We suggest bringing 3-5 half-barrels worth, depending on style, ABV, etc. If you are bringing many styles, we recommend 1/6 bbl kegs. Package is okay.

Can we bring THC products: THC/CBD beverages can be poured at ABR. Please see the “Requirements for Offering THC Samples” tab in the Pre-Fest Tasks section; breweries that do not comply with these requirements will not be allowed to pour THC at the fest.

Can we pour non-beer beverages at our booth: Yes! You are welcome to pour samples of NA beverages, hard seltzers, cider, etc. in addition to beer. We, and attendees, would appreciate you bringing a selection of your NA beverages to our designated NA tent as well! Any non-beer beverages, including NA, should be included in your beer registration form.

Conditions for Festival Cancellation

The health and safety of festival workers and attendees is of utmost importance to the Guild. The following conditions would cause us to cancel a festival:

1. Extreme Weather: Our festivals are rain or shine. But extreme weather that risks injury would cause of us potentially cancel (or delay) a festival.
2. Hazardous Air Quality: The festival will automatically be canceled if air quality is anticipated at 300+ AQI for the date/location of an outdoor event. Guild staff and board may also decide to cancel an event at 200-300 AQI. Air quality cannot be assessed very far in advance, but we will warn event contacts and the public if conditions are concerning in the days prior to the event. The final assessments and communication will take place the morning of the event. You can monitor the AQI for an area using this tool.
3. Communicable Disease or similar Public Health Emergency
4. City or State Declaration: The Guild will comply with any state of emergency or other declaration from city or state officials that requires the cancellation of our event for the safety of attendees or the community.

If any of these conditions are anticipated in the days leading up to the festival, the Guild will communicate with all festival main contacts via email to warn them of the specific conditions that would cause cancellation. If we have to cancel a festival, the Guild will communicate first using social media, followed by emails to all festival main contacts and other stakeholders.

Festival Terms & Conditions: Please read the Festival Terms and Conditions below and our General Event Terms and Conditions and save them for your records.

Space Reservation: Reservations for exhibit space at this event will be accepted upon submission of this form. The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild shall endeavor to assign exhibition space that best suits the layout at the event site, subject to availability. We reserve the right and have sole discretion, to assign exhibition space for the event based on overall effectiveness. Brewery/brewpubs may not assign or sublease their space to any person or entity.

Participation: Brewery/brewpub participation in Guild festivals are contingent on active MNCBG membership status and up-to-date membership dues. The MNCBG reserves the right to terminate brewery/brewpub booth reservations and reopen brewery/brewpub booth space availability to other interested MNCBG members if your membership is inactive.

The MNCBG does not offer participants any form of financial compensation to join its festivals or events, including stipends for beer unless explicitly outlined in the registration. Participants are responsible for any costs incurred, including travel expenses, accommodation, and other personal expenses related to their participation at the event.

Set-up, Staffing & Tear-down: The brewery/brewpub exhibit must be staffed during all active hours; a booth cannot be left unattended. No brewery/brewpub will be able to leave before the event’s official end at 5 p.m. Breweries/brewpubs must be moved out no later than 6 p.m.

Breweries/brewpubs are responsible for communicating all participation requirements to the festival staff, including set-up/tear-down policies. Brewery booths that do not abide by festival rules may be removed from the festival and barred from future festivals.

Care of Exhibit: The brewery/brewpub is responsible for the orderly presentation of its exhibit and for cleaning within its exhibition space. The brewery/brewpub is also responsible for booth cleanup at the end of the festival.

Intoxicating Beverage Samples: Samples must come into the event with an invoice from a licensed brewery, brewpub, or distributor indicating that the alcohol samples are for the specific MNCBG event.

Beverage Rules: Every brewery/brewpub sampling beverages must comply with all governmental regulations (including Federal/State/County/City/Town health departments) concerning storing, preparing, and distributing beverage items. Additionally, such breweries/brewpubs must provide a hand-washing station in their booth or supply booth workers with rubber gloves. They must be worn at all times that a worker may handle open beverages. Individual servings must not exceed 2 ounces of beverage.

The brewery/brewpub may only distribute free samples of a beverage that is made or sold in the ordinary course of business of that brewery/brewpub. MNCBG reserves the right to terminate the distribution of any sample if it violates Federal/State/County/City/Town laws relating to food-and-beverage handling or if deemed necessary for public safety reasons. All requirements for THC beverages listed above must be completed.

Cancellation: If an MNCBG event or any part of an MNCBG event is canceled or rescheduled, under no circumstances shall MNCBG be liable for costs or damages incurred by the brewery/brewpub as a result of such cancellation or rescheduling, whether due to cause(s) beyond or within the control of MNCBG.

Code of Conduct: Discrimination, intolerance, harassment, or violence of any kind will not be tolerated within our organization, membership, or events. Attendees, volunteers, or event staff who create an unsafe environment for others may be removed from the event at the discretion of the event organizers. Please read our MNCBG Code of Conduct. A reporting tool will be available to all festival attendees, staff, and volunteers via a QR code/link in the fest program, app, and signage.

Photography, Audio and Video: By signing this contract, the brewery/brewpub grants MNCBG permission to photograph and/or record audio and/or video of the brewery/brewpub exhibit and staff, both inside and outside of the brewery/brewpub booth, and to interview the brewery/brewpub or their staff about this MNCBG event. Brewery/brewpub grants MNCBG a perpetual nonexclusive license to use this content containing brewery/brewpub likenesses and/or statements in all MNCBG products in print and online, promotional materials, and audio and video advertising.