The Motley Brews beer fest at the Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip was a real winner. I've been to a few beer fests, and I've drank a lot of micros in my life. It was nice to see such a good (albeit small) selection of quality beer in one place here in Las Vegas. \n\nTo start, the price was nice (at $35) though I won tickets from Yelp, I did have a few friends pay for the entrance. After having experienced this, I would definitely pay for this event in the future. My only complaints about the event were at the beginning. First, we arrived about 1:30 (the event started at 1pm) and we waited in line until almost 2pm. This was not conducive to getting the most out of the experience. Second, the security check was worse than any concert I've been too, and rivals an airport. I was amazed. You would think that the President of the USA was in attendance, or you would be exposed to state secrets. \n\nAs for the beer...the selection was nice! From the typical, Sierra Nevada, to the local Joseph James. There was also a nice mix of international beers as well. I was excited to see a few breweries I've not had the chance to experience before (Knee Deep), and others that I have developed a deep love for (Squatters & Wasatch). I was able to try a few new favorites (Red Tule from Buckbean) and drink old favorites (1554 from New Belgian). I found the people pouring the beer to be very friendly, and the ones who were from the breweries were all having a very good time. I also didn't have to wait in line for more than 2 minutes, which was also very nice. \n\nThe other things...the atmosphere was nice, and I enjoyed having the many football games on. I didn't watch too much, as the beer and friends took precedence, but it was nice to have them around. The food line was long, but the food I had was decent (cheese and veggies). However, the food area closed about an hour or so before the event ended. It seemed that that was the opposite of what it should have been. The food should have been opened an hour or so into the event, so that people could eat up until the end to help their stomachs and sobriety. \n\nI will definitely hit up a Motley Brews event again, and would definitely go to an event at the Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip again.
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