Beer School is the part of the festival people tell their friends about. It is a set of short, guided tastings led by brewers and Guild experts, and it is included free with any drinking ticket. No sign-up, no upcharge, just better-informed pours.
This year's sessions
The program opens at 2:00 pm with The Texas Lager Revival, a four-brewer, four-pour look at how a hot climate built a cold-fermented obsession. At 3:00 pm, Hops 101 walks a guided flight through the aromas that define an IPA, so you can finally tell a Citra from a Mosaic.
At 3:30 pm, the Brewers Panel brings six Texas founders together to talk about opening a brewery in this state: the water, the heat, and the daily work of staying independent. It is candid, funny, and the closest thing the festival has to a town hall.
How to make the most of it
Seating at the Beer School tent is first come, first served, so arrive a few minutes early for the popular talks. Pace yourself across the day, drink water between sessions, and treat Beer School as the spine of your schedule rather than an afterthought.