Fidelity 2022
World-Class Beer Festival in the heart of Dublin.
It’s a running joke now that while everyone was desperately missing travel during lockdown, I missed beer fests. But I mean it. Beer fests are my absolute favourite event - from having dozens of beers to choose from, to connecting with other beer-folks, I revel in them.
Fidelity was the first beer fest that I’ve been to (of significant size) since I moved here in 2018 and boy am I glad I went this year. Back in SA, beer events made up the bulk of my non-work, non-family life, and moving countries + covid set me back a few years in really finding my tribe here. That being said, through Covid, when everything went online my own connections to the community really grew - first through the National Homebrew Club, then through the Beer Ladies society, and then further afield with Twitter and Instagram. It culminated in co-creating the Beer Ladies podcast and starting up a small design shop for beer merch. Fidelity was the first time I’d meet a lot of these people that I’ve been interacting with digitally in real life. We even met a fan or two of the podcast! It was gas, as the kids say.
The fest was spread over 2 evenings: Friday and Saturday from 6pm - 11pm. Initially, I wondered whether that was a good model, as I’d never had a beer fest start so late. But given the heat wave, we’re experiencing, that was probably a good call. It was in the Round Room at Mansion House on Dawson Street, another 1st for me. It’s a large.. ahem, round room with the most beautifully lit up ceiling (looks like the night sky). The breweries were set up around the perimeter with an internal square too - making the browsing a bit like a donut.
Upon entry, we received a beautiful stemmed glass for our unlimited 100ml pours. This was also new to me - the model. I’d always been to fests where the cover charge was just an entrance fee, and you’d still buy tokens/pay cash for beer. Not Fidelity. Small pours but all-inclusive which was an absolute steal at ±€70 a head.
The variety of breweries on Saturday was awesome to see. We saw beer from Estonia, Denmark, the UK, USA, Sweden, Poland, Spain, Germany, and Norway as well as a good representation from Ireland. I started the day with a loose plan to stick to the lower ABV styles, lots of sours, saisons, wild ferments, and lagers. I didn’t plan much more than that, and it was probably more fun that way. In fact, after my first beer (Mexican Lager from Boundary Brewing, UK) I just went with the flow and followed suggestions from fellow fest-goers. Mostly, that went well, although there was a smoked Helles that I tasted on recommendation and that was just not my vibe.
It’s a small thing, but one I really appreciated at Fidelity. There was a set of water stations set up close to the bathrooms, where you could rinse your glass between tasters (removing that onus from the breweries, but also ensuring clean pours every time) and have water between beers. It was foot-pedalled so we didn’t need to deal with grubby taps and so I took advantage of that by rinsing and then drinking a little water between beers. I think that saved me a lot of headaches the next day…
Here’s the beers I checked in on Untappd on the day (bold for my faves):
Boundary Brewing, N.Ire - Notable Utterances (Mexican Lager)
Donzoko Brewing, Scotland - Yuzu Rice Lager
North Brewing, UK X Bundobust, UK - Pineapple & Coconut Lassi Sour
Third Barrel, Ire - Shut Up Juice (Juicy Pale Ale)
Jackie O’s, USA - Primary (Mixed Ferm Saison aged in wine barrels)
Land and Labour, Ire - Spon 4 Year (Gueze)
To ØL, Denmark - Ordinance (Wild ale with cherries)
Cerebral, USA - Inhabited Form (Foeder-fermented dry hopped lager)
Wylam, UK - Keepers Ale (Old Ale)
Left Handed Giant, UK - Early to the Party (apricot & passionfruit gose)
Mescan, Ire - Baltic Porter
Gipsy Hill, UK - Smokes Helles (sorry… this wasn’t for me)
Other Half, USA - DDH All Citra Everything (Imperial IPA)
Oddity, Spain - Safe Distance (NE-DIPA)
Coolhead, Finland - Tarte Tatin (Bourbon Barrel Aged Pastry Sour)
Whiplash, Ire - Surrender to the Void (DIPA)
So as you can see, I got less and less concerned about my style plan as the night went on, LOL. I certainly tasted a few more beers, like the exceptional Boysenberry mead from Superstition Meadery, USA, but failed to check them in.
After the fest, a few of us went around the corner and drank even more, but stuck to Guinness this time. I swear it was those that made my Sunday very unproductive. Although I heard that the volunteers and brewers had their own afterparty which may or may not have included hot tubs ;) I think I’ll have to volunteer in 2023…
Fabulous showing from Whiplash, the host brewery of Fidelity - a truly world-class fest with enough variety to satisfy any beer nerd. Bravo!
Edited to add: see more posts about Fidelity from The Beer Nut, Lisa and Simon :)
