Friendfest

A few weekends ago some college friends and I went to the LA Beerfest. We were happy, enthusiastic, and focused; but none of this was directed towards the beer. My friends and I are still yearning for a steady friend circle in LA, and we saw Beerfest as an opportunity to find these like-minded individuals. We set ourselves a goal: two phone number exchanges. TOTAL, not individually, that would have been a ridiculously unobtainable goal.

It never crossed our minds that a large gathering created with the sole intention of trying as much alcohol as possible would not be the best place to make lasting friendships. Thank goodness we went to a beerfest, I can only imagine a vodka fest being a very angry and aggressive festival. But the patrons of LA Beefest were jolly and fun and LIKED BEER. We assumed that was enough to start some solid friendship groundwork, but I soon found that it was hard to find a common ground beyond the beer.

I can tell you that you aren’t going to become friends with the person at the Snoop Dogg caffeinated beer stand because you both posed with the life size cut out of the beloved rapper and you both sang “Next Episode” as you did so.

I can tell you that you aren’t going to become friends with the perv who will only allow you to have a pretzel from his pretzel necklace if you bite it off his chest. I’d rather continue my day with this taste of dried beer bubbles in the back of my throat, thank you!

And I can tell you that you surely aren’t going to become best friends with a person you recognize from your gym and have had just enough to drink that you don’t think it’s creepy to tell them.

My fellow CU grads and I knew that we needed better talking points to make this beerfest our friendfest, we needed just one more common thread with these strangers to know our friendship could be the real deal. So we gathered in the middle of the festival and did what any other former Buff would do. We sang the CU fight song. This was not the first time I’ve busted out the CU fight song at a non-CU sporting event. It wasn’t long ago that I sang the CU fight song solo after the applause subsided following the introduction of a cake at my friend’s college graduation BBQ. I was just lucky enough to have some others to harmonize with this time around.

It did not take long for our fellow buffaloes to roam towards us, and join in and with that spirited decision we got our two number exchanges! While I would call Beerfest a success, I can see this whole ‘making friends at a beerfest’ thing being problematic. It gives way to waking up the next morning with new contacts in your phone under names like “Charlie Chocolate Ale” and “Amanda Brie Cheese” to signify which beer tent and food truck you met your new friend. Then upon thinking deeper into your conversation and realizing that you bonded over your joint decision that the beer should join forces with Hershey’s for a marketing campaign and the importance of trying different cheeses on sandwiches, you have to face the harsh reality that making friends is not easy sober or drunk.