Get Real

As you may know from an earlier post, I am quite a fan of craft beer. So when I discovered a Get Real event featuring the best craft beers expertly paired with artisanal dishes from NYC bars, I was unable to pass it up. I tried to get a friend or two to come with me but apparently not one friend I asked wanted or could come. I thought about calling the whole thing off. However, I had already purchased my VIP pass and decided that I was going to have fun regardless of my lack of company.Soon after I arrived at 404, I happily discovered that I was right.Walking through the glass double entry, I was greeted by a large banner billing the participants. Reading that list of bars and restaurants, I got excited. My excitement grew as I showed by pass number, got my hand stamped, and was handed my tasting glass with four tickets. The patrons with VIP passes were let in an hour earlier for unlimited tasting and food. After the hour expired, the general admission patrons were admitted and we all had to start using the tickets for tastings. The idea was to turn in a ticket every time you wanted to taste another beer. When you ran out of tickets, you had to return to the front, a staff member would assess your ability to continue tasting, and if you passed, you received four more tickets. If you failed, you were not to asked to leave, you were asked to eat more food and come back for reassessment in an hour. Just to give you an idea of how much fun the participants and patrons were having, nobody used their tickets. But thankfully, the event was really well assembled.DISCLAIMER: I documented the event with all the food and beer pairings but at the writing of this post, they have not been edited yet. I will post all of the photos here soon.The music was perfect, the food was great, and the beer was amazing. The group of people that Get Real garnered was really a great mix. From hipsters to goths, academics to Zionists, vegans to meatatarians, everybody was having a great time while not getting completely hosed. We also had a few Santas there thanks to Santacon happening that day. Overall it was a great event and I will stay tuned for more Get Real events in the future.