It was a sold out crowd at the inaugural craft beer tasting event Hops in the Hangar at the Delta Flight Museum. The event featured brews, live music, and barbecue with the proceeds benefiting the Delta Flight Museum, which works to restore and preserve the history of Atlanta’s hometown airline.

The event took place in the hangar where guests were surrounded by the history of Delta including exhibits displayed in luggage carts, on a portable bar built by Delta engineers, on handcrafted bar stools, on interactive monitors, and on a screen playing classic movies like Airplane. Craft brews from 24 local and national companies were on tap and appetizers from LowCountry Catering were passed while live music filled the hangar. Soft drinks, water, and peanuts and pretzels were handed out from actual pilots and flight attendants dressed in current and throw-back uniforms.

Each guest was given a beer glass and a map and set loose to enjoy the evening. If there was one complaint about the event it would be the lack of passed appetizers. Guests really had to pursue the servers with trays to ensure they got a quick bite, or else it could be a while before they were seen again. Only the VIP guests were treated to their own area complete with a spread of pulled pork, smoked turkey, mac and cheese, coleslaw, and pasta salad. Also, all of the food shut down at 9, but the event ran until 10, which really didn’t make sense.

Now, I am sure you are wondering why I would attend an event where beer was being served. Honestly, I was there for the company and the barbecue, which I thought would be set up like an actual catering where guests could make a plate. Since that wasn’t the case and I was starting, I went over to the VIP area to speak to a catering manager who not only made me a plate, but confirmed the gluten-free status of their offerings. Kudos to LowCountry Catering for their attention to serving their guests with food allergies/intolerance.

It was also disappointing to learn that only VIP ticket holders had access to the second level where guests could tour the inside of planes. Even as the night was winding down, there was still no access for general ticket holders.  Some of the companies ran out of beer too, but my friends appeared to be pleased with the selection and left feeling pretty darn fine.

All in all it was a lovely event and one that I would enjoy attending again.

Disclosure: Admission to Hops in the Hangar was provided as a result of a media invitation. I received no compensation for this review. In no way did this influence my opinions and views, which are derived from my experience at Hops in the Hangar.