May 17, 2011

Marty Morris’ 25-year relationship with the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) began somewhat improbably. Even she had doubts when her then-husband, John, suggested they attend the nascent event in 1988. After all, she was pregnant. Nevertheless, John convinced her that she could have a few sips here and there and serve as a designated driver, and she relented, hardly suspecting the many years of GABF fun and service that lie ahead.

Although she may have been reluctant for her first GABF, Marty already appreciated good beer. In fact, her taste for flavorful beer dates back to a student trip taken to Hamburg with a friend as part of a program called People to People, which brought American students to Germany. Her host family introduced her to the joy of ales, and she vividly remembers the Eschenbacher Pilsner she had upon arriving at the airport.

When the 1989 GABF came around, her daughter Lennon had been born and Marty was ready to immerse herself into the world of craft beer. Before long, she had offered her services as a volunteer and quickly became part of the tight-knit community that helps make beer lovers’ dreams a reality every autumn.

Early on, she was a regular at the Stoudts Brewing Company table, pouring beer alongside the brewmaster. “I love that family,” she explains, referring to Stoudts, “And I loved their Maibock too!” In the early nineties, when most brewers simply bottled their wares, Marty was pouring Stoudts for GABF attendees out of champagne bottles—there was lots recycling to do after the tasting ended in those days.

As her experience grew, Marty’s role at GABF expanded and evolved. For several years in the mid-90s, she was a festival employee, working to coordinate the volunteers. During that time, the craft brewing industry was experiencing explosive growth, which sometimes translated to growing pains for GABF. Marty recalls making hundreds of phone calls to confirm volunteer shifts in the days before email made mass communication more efficient.

After several years coordinating volunteers, she stepped back into the role of a GABF volunteer, returning to her roots with the event, in a lower-key capacity. Whether pouring beer, working the information booth, or selling merchandise, Marty is a GABF Jack (or Jill, rather) of all trades. In recent years however, she’s settled on her favorite role, that of a competition steward. “It’s been great to make connections with brewers on a personal level,” she remarks, “because it brings me back to the feeling I got in the early days, when I was pouring beers with Stoudts and other brewers. It’s really just a big family.”

 

Indeed, brewers, staff and festival volunteers alike are an extended family, and many of them saw Marty’s daughter and son, Duane, grow up. Her kids have now reached an age where they can volunteer alongside their mother at an event they’ve heard much about over the years. Although Lennon has yet to find a beer to suit her palate—“We tried everything!” exclaims Marty, “Fruit beers, wheat beer, you name it”—she has taken a shine to the fun atmosphere. On the other hand, Duane had his beer epiphany last year with a Peanut Butter Beer from the Sandlot, and Marty hopes to get her strapping young son a spot working the shipping docks soon.

It’s no surprise that her kids have taken to GABF, as Marty’s enthusiasm is palatable. The years of volunteer service have only strengthened her love for GABF, even when the work becomes hard: “At the end of the festival, when everyone is tired, we sometimes look at each other and wonder, ‘Is it worth it?’” Marty says, “But then we smile and know we’ll be back next year. It’s just way too much fun.”

This is the first in a series of profiles of the volunteers that make GABF possible, the Faces of the Festival. Stay tuned for more stories. If you have a volunteer in mind you would like to see featured, email Spencer Powlison.