Battle of the Beers!

As promised, this week we're here to review Bier Fest part 2! Last week we reviewed our time at SeaWorld San Antonio's Bier Fest event, and this week we're taking you a few states over to review Busch Gardens Tampa's Bier Fest!

We want to start by saying that the two festivals were pretty different and it's a little hard to compare them. SeaWorld's festival focused more on the beer and had a few food samplings in one area. There was a German-themed show as well as a German band that played throughout the day, so it felt like more of themed festival than Busch Gardens did. But, overall, Busch Gardens' festival seemed a little more thought out, much bigger, and more modern. From the band to the booths, everything just felt more up-to-date. And, while we didn't really get German vibes per se, we did get mini food and wine vibes, so we LOVED it!

Much like SW San Antonio's fest, Busch Gardens offered a sampler lanyard so you could try multiple things. The big difference here was that the BG lanyard worked for food and drinks. They also offered more than just beer to drink. 

Each item you choose to try equals one "hole punch" unless you want large-sized drinks. Full size beers and cocktails equals two punches. In San Antonio, each drink was one punch, but they were all sample-sized. 

The Busch Gardens festival was very spread out. Not across the whole park by any means, but, it still covered a lot more area than San Antonio. This would've been really fun and enjoyable if it wasn't a billion humid degrees in central Florida. Something about that Florida heat just makes it hard to enjoy beer and hot foods outside.

Which is why it was nice to have this Garten Gate area set up in the park. This INDOOR, air-conditioned area featured another festival booth with several beers on tap as well as a variety of flatbreads. 

The festival offered six booths with food, and most spots had at least three or more options to try. So, there was a lot to get to, but we did our best.

Chicken Kebab. This booth also featured lamb and beef kebabs. 

Duck lollipops & Summer Peach Salad with sweet-spicy Gochujang sauce

​-Holy Schnitzel Sandwich with Swiss cheese and mushrooms on a soft pretzel roll
-Currywurst Knockwurst, caraway slaw, curry catsup, and pita
-Bratwurst Sandwich served on a soft pretzel roll

Tampa Pork Slider served on a pretzel bun

Fried Cheese Curds with beer cheese sauce
(Our favorite of the festival- although it's hard to beat fried cheese)

Just like in San Antonio, there were also over 100 beers on tap at Bier Fest! This festival's booths all featured different kinds of beers, but they weren't as separated out by type of beer as San Antonio's booths. There was sort of a theme to each booth, but still, you'd see some booths with stouts, lagers, and ciders. I kind of liked how San Antonio made it very clear what type of beer was served at each booth. I know what I like, so it made it easier. 

One different thing about this festival as well was that there was more than just beer. Don't get me wrong, we love beer, and we know this is BIER fest after all. But, it was still nice to see some other options- especially because of that Florida heat thing we mentioned before. 

Frozen drinks were very much welcomed during our time at Bier fest!

Frozen Blue Margarita with Strawberry

Frozen Vodka Lemonade with Strawberry

And this beer deserves a shout out. It's Hidden Springs' Peanut Butter Deja Moo Milk Stout.
One of Brittany's favorites of the festival.

And there you have it! A rundown of Busch Gardens Tampa's Bier Fest! Overall, we had a great time. Anytime you combine food, drinks, and theme parks we're happy. That is kind of our thing, after all. Both SeaWorld and Busch Gardens did a great job with their first festival!
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Have any of you attended any of the SeaWorld or Busch Gardens Bier Fests? Or do you plan to? Let us know in the comments or on our social media pages, we'd love to hear your thoughts!