Why You Need To Attend The Jungle Jim’s International Craft Beer Festival

Craft Beer Joe

7 years ago

Jungle Jim's International Craft Beer Festival

There is no shortage of craft beer festivals; especially during the summer months. Cincinnati sees a huge influx of events as soon as the weather starts to warm up. One event that always gets a ton of attention is the Jungle Jim’s International Craft Beer Festival.

Who Or What Is Jungle Jim’s?

If you aren’t from Cincinnati then you are probably wondering who is Jungle Jim. He is the founder and owner of one of the craziest places you could imagine shopping. He has an amazing story and started his company in 1971 as a street side fruit stand. You can read all about his story here.

Fast forward to today and he operates two large stores in the Greater Cincinnati area. These stores carry just about every type of food or drink that you can name and thousands you’ve never heard of. They also host events, cooking classes and have the wildest decorations. The original Jungle Jim’s International Market is in Fairfield, Ohio which is just north of Cincinnati. The more recent location is in an area called Eastgate. Both of these locations are enormous stores that boast one of the best craft beer selectiona in town. In addition to a huge craft beer department, both locations have a tasting bar where you can get a glass of beer to enjoy while shopping and/or fill a growler to take home. And yes, that picture is from their Fairfield location but don’t worry the animals are fake.

He draws customers from the entire region because of the wide selection of items that he carries including international foods. And they do more than just beer festivals. They offer Bacon & Cheese, Wine, Cigar and many other festivals throughout the year. Learn more on their website.

Jungle Jim’s International Craft Beer Festival Details

The Jungle Jim’s International Craft Beer Festival is a two night event that features over 100 breweries and more than 400 beers. So you could say this is a serious beer festival.

Location: Oscar Event Center @ Jungle Jim’s International Market – Fairfield

Date: June 16 and 17

Time: 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm. (Beer pours begin at 7:30)

What’s Included: Drinker tickets include admission, beer samples, a beer tasting glass and picnic style food. Non-Drinker tickets include admission, picnic style food, water and soda.

Purchase tickets here

Check out the list of beers that will be available on Untappd. Be aware that the list will continually grow as the event approaches so keep checking back to see what else gets added.

Watch this quick video to see more

Why You Need To Be There

The Beer

Seems obvious but there are few places where you can get 3 hours of access to over 400 beers. Make sure to keep an eye on their Untappd page where you can see what beers will be available.

And not only are there are ton of beers but there is a huge variety of beer. If you love IPAs, they have IPAs. Maybe you enjoy stouts; there will be plenty. And what is even better is it gives you a very low risk way to try new styles. For example, many are curious about sours but don’t want to invest in a bottle. This setting is ideal for trying it.

The People

It’s about more than just beer. I talk about it all the time and events like this are a perfect way to live it out. While meeting new people in a crowded room can be daunting, it can be a lot of fun to meet others and get their opinion on the beer that you are trying.

Quite often, you will end up waiting in line so take advantage and get to know the people waiting with you. It will help time pass; if nothing else. It’s about having a great time getting to know other craft beer fans.

The Venue

Jungle Jim’s is an amazing store. Each department is large enough and offers enough variety that it could be its own store. They offer an olive bar; yes a whole area dedicated to olives. Hundreds of different cheeses can be found in there. And they have the largest selection of hot sauce I’ve ever seen. Specifically, they are well known for offering lots of international foods. And all of this is displayed in a fun and entertaining way.

The festival will take place in their event space so I recommend showing up a few hours early and walking through the store. You will be amazed at what you can find there. For most people, they can’t wait to come back for another visit.

My List Of Must Try Beers

Here’s a quick list of a few craft beers that I hope to get my hands on:

Off the Beaten Path – Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery – Athens, OH
Stardust To Stardust – North High Brewing – Columbus, OH
Night Velvet – Warped Wing Brewery – Dayton, OH
Old Wooden Tooth Stout – Taft’s Ale House – Cincinnati, OH
Barrel Aged Stuff Stout – Triple Digit Brewery – Cincinnati, OH

Yes, these are all Ohio craft beers. There will be many from outside of the area but I can’t deny that I love my local beer.

Conclusion

Craft beer festivals are a lot of fun; especially if you have a plan. So make sure you check out my Seven Ways You Should Prepare For A Craft Beer Festival.

Can’t make it to their craft beer festival? No worries, these guys know that celebrating craft beer is a year round activity. Check out their website where you will find weekly pint nights and multiple other events.

Jungle Jim’s International Market is wacky place that you must see and experience to understand. My hope is that you get the chance to check them out and hopefully attend one of their events.