It's that time of year again. Leaves begin to change in Elywnn forest from emerald greens to the burnt autumn colors that signify the beginning of a month full of achievements just waiting for us in World of Warcraft.
One of the most fun achievement sets in Warcraft has to be Brewfest. Patterned after the old German celebration of Ocktoberfest, weeklong celebration makes for one helluva party. If you're looking for something to do during Brewfest, you've come to the right place. With drinking, eating and partying, it's going to be hard to tear me away from WoW this week. Brewfest begins September 20th and runs through October 4th so the week gives you plenty of time to complete the achievements.
Celebrated by both Horde and Alliance, Brewfest is set up as a competition between breweries. Bringing casks and kegs full of the best brews, the Ogres and Dwarves battle for suds supremacy. Adventurers are invited to tip their mugs to the exotic brewers until they are dizzy with delight.
You're going to want to pick up a couple of variety six packs and taste those. You'll be sure to get credit for the achievements that way. Also, snag the pub food for another achievement. The food is good for some buffs and so is the brew. Pick up a bunch of pretzels, some cheese and you have the makings of a great party.
Thunderbrew Stout is one of my favorites. It's a fairly mild brew but still has enough hop to give you a bite if you over indulge. And what is Brewfest if not an excuse to indulge your drinking and Ram Riding habit. You will want to try out all of the brews offered and stock up because it could be a year before you get a chance to swallow these lagers.
Drink too much and you'll get hammered in a hurry. If you plan on spending Brewfest plowed, you might as well do some of the weirder achievements.
Gather your Brewfest buds and head to Dalaran wearing your lederhosen and dance under the influence. You'll pick up the achievement and no doubt attract a lot of attention, especially if you're a Tauren. I will pay gold to see a Tauren in those cute little shorts.
There's always cliff diving for those taking "Falling Down Drunk" to new heights. Kind of a strange objective, fall 65 feet while drunk without dying. I suppose this wouldn't work well in the real world so there's going to a lot of takers on this I'm sure.
Not into cliff diving? Check out the Rams then. And there's always the quick trip down to Blackrock Depths and defeat the nasty Coren Direbrew. The mounts aren't a guarantee, but it is worth a shot. There's always the hops for each faction that will turn your mount into a Brewfest Ram. It works like the Preserved Holly so no need to tell you to stock up for the year ahead.
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The Brewfest vendors have some seriously silly stuff for you to use your tokens on. I really dig the Belbi's Eyesight Enhancing Romance Goggles. They'll make any scruffy Troll look like a sexy Blood Elf or some nasty little gnome become a sexy Human. Except that isn't how the goggles work. On the Horde side, you'll see everyone as a female Orc. On the Alliance side, everyone is a male Gnome. It's kinda like that song, "I went home with a 10 and woke up with a two."
The Wolpertinger is a great addition to any party. Make sure someone in your groups picks up this wonky little pet. He's pretty freaky and a definite icebreaker in any party.
,P>I'm a firm believer that guilds should partake heavily of Brewfest. I mean, c'mon what's better than your mates, beer and some good food. If your guild hosts players over 21 (if you aren't and you do this, seriously, I don't want to know) why not gather a party? Not just dive to into the WoW pretzels and beer but tell your friends about some good food and suds at their local Ocktoberfest celebrations. It makes for some good chat and you can always throw in reviews on Seasonal craft beers that are coming up.If your group isn't legal yet, how about some sausage and potato salad on vent? The guy or gal that can stuff the most Brewfest food into his mouth at one time ought to be entitled to some gold. Pretzels and hot mustard need to come into play here as well. You could give out exotic pets or more Thunderbrew based on who can manage a microphone and food at the same time. Hot links need to go for extra points cause it can get difficult to chat when your throat is on fire. I'm not even going to go into all the stuff you can do with sauerkraut.
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Guild chat can be dull. Talking about the latest Raid schedule gets lame after the ninety-fifth time so open it up a bit and you might be surprised. You can pick up some good tidbits and promote good guild relations in the meantime.
Compare achievements between guild members. Find out who has the most Preserved Hops or who got their Wolpertinger first. Guilds could award gold or some nice cheese to members who collect the most hops. I like the idea of a guild dance party in Dalaran. It promotes a sense of togetherness that is an important aspect in any guild function.
In the capital cities there will be keg tapping each morning/night. You need to pick up a stein and fill it up in order to indulge in the festivities. It's a good way to get your group going each day. Nothing better than a little beer for breakfast or as a nightcap. It's bound to keep the ol' blood warm in the cool chill of the day.
The brewmeisters of Brewfest definitely have a great idea to start the fall with. Get out, get some good food and gather your friends.
