Beer Festival Must-Haves

Beer festival season is in full swing across the country. A veteran of many festivals, I've found some to be more restrictive than others about what attendees are allowed to bring in. The best ones have no restrictions on my two festival must-haves: water and food.

More and more festivals are getting wise to the fact that when drinking beer one should also make sure to drink plenty of water. To that end more are allowing water bottles to be brought in and/or having plenty of water stations planted throughout the festival area. Either is fine with me as long as I have easy access to plenty of water. Not only is remaining hydrated important but so is keeping my glass free of any residual flavors or aromas from the last sample. Pro tip: drink your rinse water.

Festivals that also allow food to be brought in get huge points from me. Most won't make people remove pretzel necklaces but it's the heartier, easy-to-nibble-on foods I prefer like meat, cheese and nuts. I've found those foods have some staying power and help offset the alcohol intake. When combined with enough water they make for a much more pleasant post-festival experience.

I'm aware that I'm a little obsessive about carrying my own food and water. Many people are fine rolling with the punches and being content with whatever is available. Do you take your own food and/or water to festivals when it's allowed? If so, what are your preferred snacks or water vessel (bottle, Camelback, etc.) for beer festing?