FOSDEM

As every year, there will be a FOSDEM beer event on Friday night before FOSDEM (22 February 2008).

Unlike previous years, this year's event will take place at the Delirium Café, in a beautiful gallery near the Grand'Place in Brussels. In addition to the enormous variety in beers, the new location also has enough room to cater for the enormous crowd of geeks we tend to be.

While coming over to Brussels to attend FOSDEM, don't miss this great opportunity to taste some of the finest beer in Belgium (and, hence, in the world).

When?

Friday 22/02 from 17:30 onwards, but feel free to join the party at any time of the evening. We will be there until the bar closes (well after midnight).

More, cheaper beer

Beer at the Delirium Café is significantly cheaper than at our previous location. We also negotiated a 10% discount on all draught beer. There are 25 different draught beers available. In addition to these, there is a cellar full of normal and specialty bottled beer. The beer menu on the Delirium website, while perpetually out of date, gives a good indication of the wide selection available.

Improved beer distribution algorithm (v3.0)

A significant problem at previous beer events was keeping the beer distribution going during rush hour. We're confident that this bug has been fixed with this edition.

Initial contribution

We will have a running tab for all the draught beers. When you arrive at the bar, find someone with a bright yellow FOSDEM staff tshirt and hand them an initial contribution of € 20. You will be given a tag (sticker of some sort) indicating to the bar staff that you are on our bill.

Order at the bar

Order your beer at the bar. The bar is long (25 taps!) and will be sufficiently staffed. During rush hour, extra staff will be provisioned. You're welcome to order multiple beers at once. The staff will help you carry it back to your group. Empty glasses will be collected.

Still thirsty?

When the initial contributions run down to about 10% of the bootstrap value, FOSDEM staff will roam around for more funds. Your initial contribution of € 20 is good for about six draught beers and perhaps some munchies (roughly). If you are still thirsty, any contributions will be gladly accepted.

Closing time

The Delirium Café has no fixed closing time. The beer distribution algorithm will run until funds run out or until 01:00, whichever happens earlier. FOSDEM staff is expected for set-up at 05:00 Saturday morning and do need some rest. You are of course welcome to stay at the bar, paying as you go, if you like.

Specialty beers

To keep things simple, only draught beers at the main bar are on the common tab. If you'd like to try some bottled specialty beers, you can get them downstairs on your own bill. We are awaiting confirmation to have the 10% discount apply to bottled beers too. Watch this space. Regardless of the discount, prices are quite reasonable.

Munchies and real food

There will be a selection of munchies available at the main bar (on the common tab). For more filling sustenance, there are a variety of restaurants and snackbars nearby. FOSDEM staff will be happy to give suggestions and to point you in the right direction.

A note of caution

Unlike some other beers, Belgian beer is not just colourful water. Some beers contain significant volumes of alcohol and will give you a pounding hangover. FOSDEM staff is not responsible for any hallucinations you may experience as a result of this event. :-)

Be there!

A lot of work has gone into making this beer event the best ever. We've taken into account the suggestions from last year and are confident that this edition will be a blast. Bring your friends and join us for a great evening out!

Contact and location

If you manage to get lost somehow, despite this handy little map, call Philip. He might not be able to help you find the way, but he should be able to find someone who can! :-)