The Mayan’s Got This One Right – Hunahpu’s Day

The world did not end in December of 2012, just like the Mayan’s never said it would. What the Mayan’s did say, however, was that there was this kick-ass hero named Hunahpu who’s dad got killed, turned into a cacao tree, birthed a princess from his pod-head which then gave birth to him and his twin brother, who then went and defeated the Dark Lords and avenged the slaying of his dad and uncle. Our good friends at Cigar City Brewing in Tampa honor the hero each year with the release of Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout, wich is aged on cacao nibs, Madagascar vanilla beans, ancho chilis, pasilla chilis and cinnamon. This amazing beer has won numerous awards and is considered by many to be one of the best beers, period.

But it does not end with the beer.

Hunahpu’s Day has become an event in and of itself. March 9th will bring the 4th Annual celebration, and as in each previous year, it will be even bigger and better than the last. Here are some things to know (from Cigar City’s communications):

– The event is Saturday, March 9th, 2013. The gates will open at 7:50am. People can – and will – line up outside beforehand, but the event will not start till the gates open at 7:50am. ID’s will be checked when you enter the gate, so have your photo ID ready.
– Draft beers will start pouring at 9:00am. That is the earliest they can legally pour beer.
– Breakfast will be available once the gates open.
– Upon entering you will receive two wristbands: one to show that you’re at least 21 years old and the other to secure your right to purchase bottles of Hunahpu’s.
– The bottles of Hunahpu’s will go on sale at 12:00pm, or when the last wristband is handed out, whichever comes first.
– Cigar City Brewing is located at 3924 W. Spruce St, Tampa FL 33607. They are located very close to Tampa International Airport.
– The entire parking lot will be closed off and wet-zoned for the event, meaning there will be no parking on the property.
– They are also closing off all parking at the brewery on Friday, March 8th. This will give them time to get set up and make sure everything is ready for Saturday.
– Expect very limited parking. Car-pooling or cabbing it are highly advised.
– Parking will be available at the Sears & Roebuck Building just down the street from the brewery at 4005 W Spruce St. There will be plenty of signs and staff to help with parking. This goes for both Friday and Saturday.

– Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout is $20 per bottle.
– There is a 3 bottle limit per person for the first 4,000 people to receive wristbands.
– There is a 2 bottle limit per person for the next 1,000 people to receive wristbands.
– You will receive a special wristband based on your limit for bottles. You can only have one wristband.
– The wristbands are ABSOLUTELY required for purchase of Hunahpu’s bottles and will be cut off of your wrist by an employee upon purchase. If you lose it, tough. It is non-negotiable. Wristbands are handed out on a first-come-first-serve basis while supplies last, limited one per person.
– All bottle sales will be cash only.
– The bottle limit will end at 5:00pm. That means if you have a wristband you are ONLY guaranteed to your allotment until 5:00pm. If there are any bottles remaining, you will be able to purchase any amount of bottles you want (with a limit of one case, or 12 bottles), regardless of whether you’ve purchased any before or not. However quantities are limited so there is no guarantee there will be any bottles available at 5:00pm.
– There will be several different sales points throughout the event to purchase the bottles. Exact locations will be determined and will made known on the day of the event by usage of signs.
–  There will be  special tokens for sale for $5 a piece. These tokens will be good for ANY purchase on Hunahpu’s Day, excluding food trucks and non-affiliated vendors. This means you can use $5 tokens to purchase any beer, bottle, merchandise, etc., of equal value, inside the tasting room and outside. So in essence, a $5 token is equivalent to a $5 bill. There will be several booths selling tokens scattered around the lot. These tokens will be redeemable on Hunahpu’s Day only.
– There will be many beers on tap just for the occasion. Not just Cigar City, but guest beers as well from other breweries and homebrewers.
– No growler fills at all the whole day. If you want growlers for the weekend, get them filled on Friday.
– No sample flights or free samples of beers.
– The tasting room will accept credit cards. Of course, with the sheer amount of people who will be ordering beers, but here is some friendly advice: use cash if you can. It’ll be easier for everyone!
– All draft stations outside of the tasting room will require tokens only. Absolutely no cash.
– All chairs and tables from the tasting room will be removed to prevent people camping in there. There will be plenty of places to sit outside however. You can bring chairs and are encouraged to do so.
– In addition to the tasting room, there will be several other places to get draft beer on the lot.
– Attendees are encouraged to bring bottles of beers from home to share with others. However please remember to throw away any bottles you don’t want to keep.

There is more information, including maps and whatnot at the Official Hunahpu’s Website.

Now, for some “trust me” advice:

– Wear sunscreen. It does not matter what the weather report is calling for. Make no mistake, it will be sunny for at least a part  of the day, and you will be drinking. The last thing you need to add to your day-after recovery is a sunburn. Trust me.
– Drink lots of water. Seriously. For all the same reasons you are wearing sunscreen, you should keep yourself hydrated regardless of how much beer you are drinking.
– If you are drinking, do not drive. Period. There is simply no excuse to get behind the wheel if you have been drinking. Even if you think “I am fine” or “I need my car”. The second you get behind the wheel after drinking, you put yourself and everyone else at risk of injury or death. It is simply not worth it. Get a cab. Call a friend. Bring a designated driver. We want to see you back again next year.
– Don’t be a jerk. I always see complaints about the bottle limit or the times or the tokens or whatever. Get over it. The demand is high, and so the good folks at Cigar City want to be sure everyone gets a chance at having some. Everyone is there to have a good time and drink some great beer. There is no reason to be “that guy” (or “that girl”, for that matter) who is complaining because they think they should get more. This is one of the best beer events in the country. Feel privileged you get to participate.

Everyone is still anxiously awaiting the taplist from Cigar City, so as soon as it is released, I will post it!

Cheers!

~ by Sean Nordquist on February 18, 2013.