Another year in the books and this Beer Fest never ceases to amaze me. It seems to get better every year. VIP is the way to go for the awesome swag bags. Those bags contain coupons for certain restaurants, koozies and other goodies. They really outdid themselves this year with the tasting glasses that resembled Stanley cups. As always I never had a favorite beer from here there is too many to choose from. They had Ohio Valley Wrestling and Vinyl Richie for entertainment again this year. Other than the rain (had my rain poncho the whole time) I had an awesome time. Looking forward to the next year as always. read more

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Wow, has it really been that long since my first visit? I had the opportunity to come back to Tailspin this year. Our tickets were general admission. VIP is available, which is an additional hour in a smaller crowd plus food and a goodie bag. Loved the socks I spotted. Oh, and special area for porta pots. There's no lack of beer or food trucks. During the last hour some folks are running out of options but that makes sense if folks are coming back for extra rounds of their fav. The variety of beers was also great. Bands were great and there were some vendors selling candy as well as a raffle auction. This event takes place during the winter season and it is almost always frigid weather. During my first visit there were tented areas that provided shelter from winds and temps - we may have also gotten to use the hangar. That's no longer the case and that means only the strong can make it through the event. Heavy coats, gloves, hats ... all are a must. I was surprised we didn't see heat lamps for a quick warm up, and especially for those working the event. Not sure this is my favorite beer fest based on this year's experience but would always recommend it. read more

Tailspin Ale Fest - Super popular! People will stop you to ask where you got it. - Festivals Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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This was our first time attending this beer festival! What an amaing fest!! There were soooo many options for beer! Lots of porta pots, food trucks and fun entertainment! I loved that the event takes place out on Bowman Field airspace. How cool!!!?? They had airplanes on display and it really added to the charm of the festival. I hate that we missed the silent disco, looked like alot of fun! There was also wine, ciders, and sours.....AND BOURBON! lol imagine that in KY. We traveled down from Indianapolis and stayed at a hotel. We got the shuttle from Against the Grain brewery which, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND! It was a few blocks from our hotel. We walked over got a delicious, heaping stack of fries and free beer sample with our shuttle pass! It makes it easy to not have to worry about parking, driving, and how to get home...we just stumble right back to where we came from! read more

I go to several beer festivals throughout the year, and Tailspin is one of my faves! (Not to mention, it's a great excuse visit friends since I live in Indianapolis!) I'm really impressed by the breweries that pour at this beer fest. Some of my local and regional favorites show up as well as ones from around the country. And there's always a fantastic variety of styles to choose from. IPAs, DIPAs, Pilsners, Stouts, Irish Reds...and the list goes on... Bowman Field is great spot for this event. The planes and helicopters add so much character. Plus, it's in an area of town where you don't have to deal with crazy congested traffic. The food trucks are fantastic! So much to choose from. And it's never a bad idea to get some food on your stomach before sampling all those beers! The worst part is the weather. It's hit or miss. Last year, it really wasn't bad. It was sunny and sort of warm. This year, it was cloudy, windy and chilly...but just as much fun! This is definitely a beer festival I refuse to miss! Can't wait until next year! read more

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This event was so much fun. So many brews to sample! It was well attended, and organized. Attending Ale Fest Spooky Edition, was even better with many interesting costumes. One of my favorite activities was the "silent disco". Dancing to my music selection with many other happy dancers was a blast! read more

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Tailspin is one of my favorite events of the year! I was a little disappointed beforehand this year because I didn't know how it would be without having the hangar opened - but I liked it! It was a beautiful day and they had a lot of tents set up. The tents had some heaters inside and most of them were warm. There were some that had low hanging ceilings and they felt a little claustrophobic. The variety of beer was awesome - there was literally something for everyone. They had a Silent Disco (who doesn't love that), ax throwing, music, and food trucks. I made my way through the line very quickly - which was a surprise for me. But I waited until 3:45 to check in because I didn't want to stand in line for ages. It was worth it for me because everything went very smoothly. It's a great event! read more

This was my first year going to Tailspin and I was absolutely blown away. I feel like Bowman Field is an awesome place to hold this event, or any event like this for that matter since there is plenty of space, it's centrally located in the city and you don't have to deal with the crazy downtown traffic or parking, and in my onion it was cool to get check out a local small airport and get a peak behind the curtain of flying enthusiasts. We didn't take advantage of the shuttle service and just drove ourselves however there was ample space to park and the parking situation as a whole was very organized. Once we got in line, it was rather long, however it moved quickly and took us maybe 10-15 minutes to get through the gates where we were then handed a small taster glass and a punch card to present at each brewery table when you tried a beer. We did not know where to begin and just veered to the left and went in counter-clock wise rotation. I honestly probably tried 20 beers once the day came to and end. There were a lot of IPA's which seems to be the "cool" thing right now however don't fret if your not a beer enthusiast and prefer your standard larger beer. There were so many breweries to choose from and each one had a good selection for all beer drinkers alike, even ciders for your Gluten Free enjoyment. The festival also had other vendors like Food Trucks and some small entrepreneurs selling items like hot sauce, which we purchased, even got a few for gifts! We didn't eat at any of the food trucks because by the time we made our way over to them the lines were pretty long and it was towards the end of the festival so we just decided to walk across the street for Sushi. All in all if you have been wanting to go to a Beer Festival I would 100% recommend checking this one out. Hopefully COVID wont ruin our prospects for attending again in 2021 read more

This was my first year attending Ale Fest, thanks Emily so very much! Overall, what a great event. Bowman field was the perfect place to host with ample room and more than enough breweries to check out. Upon entering, the line appeared rather long but moved very quickly. Once in, you are handed a taster glass and a punch card. For myself, that punch card was plenty and some to try all the delicious brews to be had. There were so many breweries, I was stuffed well before my card was even half full. I loved the variety of what all the breweries had to offer. There was porters, stouts, and sours oh my. However, I definitely diverted back to my trusty Yuengling Hershey chocolate porter, so dang good! As far as food, there were plenty of options. My go to was fish and chips and the enormous pretzel for $10. I definitely look forward to this event next year! A good time indeed! read more

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I've wanted to go to this event since it started and this year my wish finally came true. My biggest question going into this beer fest was: "Will this beer fest dethrone my favorite beer fest... Brewfest at Louisville Slugger Field?" While this fest was awesome in dozens of ways, it's hard to defeat LIBA's Brewfest. I do have to start with a big thanks to Yelp. I still can't believe I won VIP tickets. Unlike Brewfest, this beer fest can be pricey. When it comes to any of these events, I normally wouldn't bother with VIP tickets. For this event, VIP = $75 while normal tickets = $45. Although I won these tickets, if I ever attend again... I'll easily pay the extra $30. You get quite a few more perks with the VIP tickets. The most notable is that you get in a hour earlier. That extra hour makes all the difference. People are there for VIP hour, but once the official event starts.. the crowds increase. To give you an idea, if I made it around through most of the beer in the first hour, but if I would've tried 20% more I could've made it around through all of those beers twice. When it comes to beer, you're covered. If I had to make a guess, I'd guess 30 to 40 beer vendors(if not more) The website claims many more, but I was all over that place and there were quite a few on the website that I must've been completely blind for or they didn't setup. Most of those vendors had 2 beers to try while a few of them had 4-6 different kinds to try. The card you're given will give you 40 beer samples which is way more than you'll need. Those samples might be increased by a majority of the volunteers not even crossing off your card when you get samples! That's a weird thing to bring up, but honestly if you're going to have 40 samples to begin with and that amount increases when your cards aren't marked off... the event needs to be longer than 5 hours! How about starting it at noon and letting it go until 8 or 9PM? There's so much beer! Many breweries from around the country and region are there. There is also a local beer tent for our local favorites. I tried most things, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a few sours in the 7.2-9.5% range. High percentage sours? Now you're talking. They also have food trucks on hand. My one complaint and one that I'll likely make as a tip on this page so that hopefully one of the event organizers will see: MORE PORT-A-POTTIES NEEDED! During the first hour, it was fine. After the crowds came... torture. I remember waiting in line for 30 - 40 minutes one time. Rent more of them. With that much beer and that many people... there's no reason for there to only be that many port-a-potties. The odd thing is that there's plenty of room for them to add on to the amount of port-a-potties. PLENTY OF ROOM! Overall... if you want to get drunk... really drunk, then make this fest a destination. Live within walking distance or be ready to Uber/Lyft/Cab. The people are nicer here than at other beer festivals I've been to. That goes for the crowd and the volunteers. This year was warm. February isn't normally this warm so I'd guess that previous years have been cold. This fest would be perfect with more restrooms. I know that some of the allure of Tailspin is being at Bowman and around the planes, but honestly this fest would thrive somewhere like Waterfront Park, The Yum, or any other downtown venue. read more

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This was a super fun event! I had been one time before and it was located in the hangar so I thought it would be the same this time. As a result, I left my coat in the car, so I wouldn't have to worry about lugging it around the event. That was a huge mistake. It was freezing but, luckily the beer helped keep me warm. There was a huge selection of beer and I got to try a bunch I hadn't had before. There were several food trucks available as well. I really appreciated the pretzel necklaces and free water. The silent disco is also a favorite of mine, so I'm always appreciative of any event that includes one. All in all it was a great time and I definitely plan to attend again in the future. Next time I'll wear a coat though. read more

I've been to beer festivals all over the country. They're almost all the same. Except Tailspin. This one is exceptional and worth the trip (hell, even people from Alaska have come for it). In addition to the beautiful World war 2 era airplane hangar the festival is located, and obviously the beer, the silent disco, and other vendors (cigars, ax throwing, and more) make this a great beer festival. read more

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I was working most of the day at the Yelp booth, but that didn't stop me from getting to enjoy the event a little! I really think the unseasonably AMAZING weather had the most impact on my high rating of the event. I'm not sure it would have been nearly as enjoyable had it been cold, dreary or raining/snowing! But 70 degrees and sunny is the perfect day for beer and food and live music and hanging out with hundred and hundreds of your other beer-loving friends! So many breweries and so many beers to choose from! A strong showing from Louisville beer makers. You got 40 beer samples, which is absoLUTEly more than enough, even if you spent the entire 5 hours here! My favorite from the sampling's were the grapefruit beer from Traveler, the creme brulee beer from Southern Tier, the mint chocolate dark beer from Tin Man. I danced my butt off to the live music all day long. And I indulged my sweet tooth with a doughnut from Hi-Five and indulged my carb needs with poutine from the Celtic Pig. I think it says a lot about the event that I was working the whole afternoon/evening and still had a spectacular time! read more

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Fun experience! It is nearly impossible to try every beer, but we made a valiant attempt! This was first year attending and I will definitely be back. The food truck selection was great too! And they also had two free photo booth options... one was more like a photoshoot with a backdrop and the other a traditional photo booth. The one with a backdrop prints out the # of pics of the people in your group so you each get one. Recommendation- bring gloves and dress warm, your hands get super cold holding the beer glass. read more

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Fun event! Only big thing is, quite far out there (walking through the rain after a 10 minute Lyft ride is not necessarily my idea of fun). There were some logistical issues getting into the event (four different lines of people funneling down into one main line), but it was pretty cool to explore the airplanes with drinks in hand! So many breweries, both local and national, as well as fun entertainment throughout. If you can handle the cold (not that many warming towers, and open metal hangers aren't necessarily conducive to preserving warmth), definitely check it out! read more

I've been to many, many wine festivals but never a beer festival. Same concept though. Stand in crazy lines, get a sample and drink that while waiting in the next line. I will plan for the VIP hour if I go again next year. I liked that there were pretzel necklaces and a photo booth. I won a book at the library booth (which kind of made my day!) Braxton's continues to be a favorite of mine. The silent disco was hilarious to watch as well. I had a good time and look forward to attending again! read more

Pros: Great Beer Selection and cool backdrop. Also cool that they were taking pictures with free prints. Silent disco was fun Cons: Bought an $80 Beer Stein only to find out when I got home they were made in China. Also they used to give out souvenir glasses but this year they were plastic which was a letdown. read more

Tailspin is my favorite beer fest in Louisivlle. Bowman field is such a unique spot for a beer fest. They go all out--it's such a fun production and you can tell so much time and energy is spent making sure every detail is perfect. There are usually about 200+ taps from all over. Everything from sours to stouts to lagers to IPAs and so much more, there is something for the beginner to expert. I found my favorite sour two years ago--Ommegang pale sour ale--so good!! The silent disco is always a blast. It's usually in February and the weather can be a bit chilly but rain or shine, cold or hot, it's always a good time. Last year they brought everything outside under tents but usually it's inside the hangers which is really neat. read more

Great event no matter what your beer tastes. Highly recommended. +Too many Brewers to count including most of my favorites. IPA's Stouts Sours Ciders Pilsners Etc... +The lines (where there were any) were small and quick. +Several food trucks, so there were plenty of options. +Staff was friendly and helpful. -Weather was cold and wet so with the open-style venue there was a little battling of the elements. February in Kentucky... Could have been 80 degrees, could have been 20. -Would have liked a few more sit-down areas. -A bit of a walk from the Uber drop-off to the venue. Its hard to get quick enough bathrooms for an event like this. They did ok, including a fast-paced pee trailer. Will probably do one of the buses next year. read more

Sweet baby Je-zus! This place is crazy packed even on a snow filled day! Come for the VIP event and still crazy busy. One of my favorite beers was from Boulevard Brewing company. They have a Belgian sour-yumo! Fun times! read more

We go every year. Have never missed one. Really wish it was still in the hangar. Always fun. Always a good variety of breweries. read more

Tailspin Ale Fest - Festivals Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

We go to Tailspin every year. We moved to Louisville almost 4 years ago, so this was our fourth fest. We love it. We buy the VIP tickets every year and we feel that the extra expense is totally worth it! You get a full hour before the GA ticket holders come in and we get the vast majority of our tasting done in that hour. There are no lines and it allows you to meander around to seek out the beers you want to try. This year, the cider bar was a great addition. I also thought the Leo booth where you could make a pretzel necklace and the church table that provided bottled water were both great ideas and I hope they continue as the snacks and water are definitely needed! The food truck options were also good this year: Celtic Pig, 502 Cafe, Straight Out the Box, Mellow Mushroom and Red Top hot dogs. I was with a group of 4, so we tried all but Celtic Pig, which we had last year. The food was good and hit the spot! We will continue our tradition and see you at the fest in 2018!!!! read more

Tailspin Ale Fest - Festivals Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

I love this fest! Huge selection of breweries and beers, great food trucks, excellent music, planes, and a silent disco! I have been going for a few years now and it's always a ton of fun! I take the shuttle now too, it's just so much easier. read more

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My brother and I have been going to this festival for 7 years!! It just keeps getting better and better!!! Great local and beers from all over and the food trucks rock!! I just wish they could still hold it in the airplane hanger still. read more

There's great beer, great music, great food, and plentiful port-a-lets. It's conveniently located in the middle of the city and makes you feel like you're in a modern Casablanca. What more do you need? Okay, fine, a bit more info: you will get more than enough booze in you here, I promise. I recommend the VIP if you want to try everything as the popular stuff tends to run dry early. But if you aren't picky, you can drink all day without stopping. The lines are usually not too bad, even toward the end, although even with all the bathrooms, you want to get in line before desperation level. We'll be back again and again. How could we not?! read more

Woah. Buddy. There were so many beers and brewers that I honestly lost count of the beers I had and had not had yet. Additionally it was too cold to document the beers I'd tasted on my trusty app. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the VIP tickets (totally worth the price). The food trucks were clutch (we had Red Top Gourmet Hot Dogs and Mambo) I wish that I had a stomach for more food because I would have sampled everything. Positives: plenty of restrooms, too many beers to count, lots of fun stickers and brewery swag, live music, food trucks Negatives: Cold. There is no way the actual temp was 10-15 degrees warmer in that place because BOTH doors were wide open and bejeezus all the cold air was funneling its way in. I planned for it too, flannel-lined pants, flannel shirt, down vest, coat, two pairs of gloves... still cold. My lord pump up the HEAT. read more

The event was marvelous! Hands down one of the best beer festivals I have ever attended. For $75 there was all the food, beer, liqour, cocktails and entertainment one can handle. They also had a couple of very good bands. The only draw backs were parking (although shuttles were available) and ridiculously cold temperatures (which is not in control of organizers) read more

Tailspin Ale Fest - Pin up girl day the festival - Festivals Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

What a great venue. Very organized, well layed out benefit. Food, music, and beer! They had it all. I volunteered and had a blast! Everyone was friendly and fun! I met 2 lady's that actually filled the card! Cheers to you! The weather was chilly-but the porter beer helped warm you up! Great event-looking forward to next year.... read more

Was super lit. Got a lot of free merch. Lots of things to buy. Great beer, great people and great food.

If you haven't been then you must go so we can be friends! This is always a blast and the food trucks are fantastic! I also got free sunglasses from yelp to go along with samples of so many delicious craft beers from KY and around the country! read more

So, I am eating my breakfast at the Hilton in St. Mathews which was a part of the Hotel package I purchased for my wife and myself for Tailspin Ale Fest. Let me say this first, Tailspin delivered exactly what they said they would deliver with the hotel package. Checked in at 12:30 at the hotel, the staff could not have been any more professional and polite, it was truly a pleasure checking in. The shuttle to the event left right on time, very nice shuttle bus, and it dropped us off at the entry point where we stood in line and right at 3:00 pm, they let us in. Getting a beer was very easy and with several tents it broke the crowd up in an orderly manner. The band that played 70's music was awesome and made for a perfect addition. The YELP table was awesome as usual with their dedicated staff showing people the benefits of YELPING and sharing insights on how fun it is to be a part of the group. When the evening ended right at 7:30 our shuttle picked us up in the same spot right on time and delivered us right back to our hotel, where we had a bite at the bar and then ventured out with Uber to complete the evening by visiting our favorite places. Tailspin you delivered. Now only 2 small things to improve on. 1. Evergreen Liquors- when you sponsor an event you should be able to answer questions about it. When you can't, you should not become rude and arrogant about questions you can't answer, you put your name on it so have some knowledge. Your customer service is seriously lacking. 2. Tailspin could have used about 20 to 30 more port a pots. With that being said, I will do this next year and I will get the hotel package. It was everything they said it would be. Great job to the people who put this together. read more

Tailspin Ale Fest - Tailspin - Festivals Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

This is one of the coolest events ever! We used the shuttle system which made things so much easier and safer! I 100% recommend it! Bundle up and be ready for an awesome time!! read more

Tailspin Ale Fest - Tailspin 2018 - Festivals Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Tailspin is a MUST go to event. This was my second year going. I am not a fan of IPAs, bourbon beers or craft beers and I still have a great time. Workers are friendly, food trucks are awesome, and the beer selection is huge. Plan to go back every year ! read more

I am so glad that Tailspin came back to Louisville this year. Despite the terrible rainy and cold weather, the Executive Hangar was packed with all manner of Louisville's beer nuts - hipsters, jocks, preps - it was like I was back in high school again! :-) The amount of breweries there for you to sample is humongous! Larger breweries like Sweetwater and West 6 and smaller breweries that are too numerous to name. The people manning the booths (particularly the smaller breweries) are generally fairly knowledgeable about their wares so you're getting schooled while getting a buzz. This is my second time at Tailspin, with last year being it's inaugural season, and I plan to attend for as long they will have me! read more

Tailspin Alefest was great this year. I liked the layout better than last year. The multiple tents worked well. Did not miss the hanger space at all. The VIP tickets are well worth the extra cost. Free bottles of water provided (very important at a beer festival). Awesome variety of beers for all tastes. The shuttle service from various points around the city is well worth it. I only wish it ran an hour or two longer and that they had twice the number of porta potties than were there. See ya next year! read more

Awesome time. Plan to make it an annual event. Thanks to Claire and Wes for getting the VIP tickets.

The TailSpin Ale Fest is just awesome!! A great time to hang out and try so many beers! We come early and stay late. read more

Tailspin Ale Fest - Festivals Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

This was my first year going and it was a blast!! This is definitely an annual event. read more

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One of my favorite events at Louisville. How else to spend a wintery day but bundled up in a warm airplane hangar on a private airfield. The selections are great, and they do not run out of beer as quickly as other festivals do. I was sad to miss it this past year but will enjoy it for years to come. All around an amazing time! read more

This was my first time attending and volunteering at Tailspin and I wasn't sure what to expect. What a BLAST! I poured for Moerlein Beer and enjoyed chatting with all the people who stopped by my station. I had plenty of time to try other beers too and so glad I did! Mexican Radio was the bomb. And it was great trying some old favorites (West 6th and BBC). Can't wait for next year! read more

Tailspin Ale Fest - Had a blast volunteering at the Tailspin Ale Fest on Saturday! - Festivals Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Absolutely a must experience!! It was stupid crowded this year and took a long time to get in because the freakin hurricane wind ripped a hole in one of the tents forcing some vendors to set up outdoors. Fortunately it was warm even with the wind. Although it was packed, the lines moved quickly. The biggest problem of the event was deciding which awesome food truck to patronize. The beer selections were diverse with quality vendors. The earlierTailspin this year was just as amazing. Let's hope we get to have at least two of these events again every year. This is one of, if not the best brew gig of the year around here. read more