Good times on tap for 15th annual Brewers' Jam

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Todd Steed, right, and the Suns of Phere play at a previous year's Brewers' Jam. This year's event will feature around 57 craft breweries from East Tennessee and across the country.

If you're thinking about attending the Oct. 22 Brewers' Jam and haven't gotten your tickets yet, put down your mouse and head for your car.

That's because the majority of tickets, which were sold online, are already gone. But a small number of tickets ($40 for drinkers, $15 for designate drivers) are still available at several venues around town, including Barleys, The Bearden Beer Market, Disc Exchange, Downtown Grill & Brewery, Leaf & Ale, Public House, Three Rivers Market and Westland Market and Beer Gallery. Tickets for the event will not be sold at the gate.

Brewers' Jam coordinator Kris Lutz said the cap on tickets is intentional to give participants and brewers more time to interact.

"We used to not have a cap (on tickets), but found that it was too crowded and people spent too much time standing in line." By limiting tickets, folks "have more elbow room and can spend more time talking to brewers" about their craft.

The jam, which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary, will feature around 57 breweries from across the country, 26 of which are new to the event. Eleven of the brewers hail from Tennessee, including the Woodruff Brewing Co., Marble City Brewing Co. and Underground Brewing Co. (all from Knoxville); Smoky Mountain Brewery (Gatlinburg); Depot Street Brewing (Jonesborough); Terminal Brewhouse (Chattanooga); Gerst Beer, Yazoo Brewing and Hap & Harry's (all from Nashville) and Blackhorse Pub and Brewery (Clarksville).

Lutz said there will be six food vendors on site offering "a little bit of everything. Everybody is selling different types of food, and we have (options) for vegetarians."

Musical entertainment for this year's Brewers' Jam are local bands Kelsey's Woods, the Barstool Romeos, the Black Cadillacs and Cutthroat Shamrock

Lutz said organizers take participants' safety very seriously, and will not only have plenty of water on hand to keep folks hydrated, but also several ways to get people home safely.

Two cab companies (Red Star and Royal Taxi) will offer discounts and a Zingo service will be available. For those new to Zingo, a driver with a foldable scooter packs his or her bike in the trunk of your car and then drives you to your destination, leaving by scooter once you're safely at home.

Brewers' Jam is a fundraiser for Community Shares, which marks it 25th anniversary this year. Community Shares is "dedicated to supporting Tennessee social change organizations in order to promote a more just and caring community," according to its mission statement. Local organizations that benefit from Community Shares include Jubilee Community Arts, Ijams Nature Center, the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley, the Tennessee Healthcare Campaign and the Tennesee Scenic Rivers Association, among many others.

For more info on Brewers' Jam, including a full list of participating brewers, go to www.knoxvillebrewersjam.com.

© 2011, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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