The unusual sound of whip cracks echoing across the frosty air around Kharanos aroused my dwarf hunter’s curiosity. As she ventured towards the road to Ironforge, rams ridden at breakneck speed by characters of different races and all levels flashed past. In what now seems eons ago, I stumbled on my very first seasonal event – Brewfest. Being introduced to the joys of riding and the riotous defence of the festival from the dastardly iron dwarves soon had me hooked on seasonal events.
Modelled on Oktoberfest, this festival revolves around the pleasures of ale, food and mayhem without the normal drawbacks of hangovers the next day. Each year, towards the end of September and beginning of October, the rival dwarvish families of Thunderbrews and Barleybrews and the Gordok Ogres set up pavilions at the foot of the ramp up to Ironforge while the the Orges with the Troll T’chali’s Voodoo Brewery and the Orc Drohn’s Distillery set up outside Orgrimmar. Festival foods and brews as well as souvenirs, borrowed mounts and job opportunities are all on offer.
This guide looks at the quests, dailies and achievements of Brewfest.
Quests
Brewfest – the lead-in quest from commoners throughout Azeroth directs you speak to the Brewmaster of Brewfest at bottom of the ramp from Ironforge (Alliance) or the Brewfest Organizer at Brewfest Grounds the outside Orgrimmar to the west of the Dranosh’ar Blockade (Horde).
Chug and Chuck! – Boxy Boltspinner (Alliance) or Bizzle Quicklift (Horde) wants you to hit his S.T.O.U.T robot with an emptied mug of Brewfest Sampler five times. Pick up the complimentary sampler on the table, place it on your toolbar, click the sampler to drain the mug making sure you are facing S.T.O.U.T as you throw. (Awards 10 Brewfest Prize tokens.)
The dwarf Goldark Snipehunter (Alliance) or the Goblin Glodrak Huntsniper(Horde) offers 2 quests:
Catch the Wild Wolpertinger – catch 5 wild Wolpertinger with the Wolpertinger Net. You can only see these creatures while drunk or wearing Synthebrew Goggles (which, if you ask him, Goldark or Glodrak will supply). The goggles simulates being drunk (including misting of vision, slurring of speech and loss of balance) but helps you see the wild wolpertingers which are to just east of the Brewfest grounds, around the Ram Racing tents and (for the Horde) the Dranosh’ar Blockade. Target and throw the net when within range, waiting 2-3 seconds for the beastie to be bagged. Rewards experience and the Wolpertinger pet.
Pink Elekks on Parade – zap 3 pink elekks (must be drunk or wearing Synthebrew Goggles to see them) at the beer gardens east of the Warrior’s Terrace Darnassus, outside the entrance of Exodar and outside the Gates of Stormwind (Alliance) OR at the base of the western lift to central Rise of Thunderbluff , outside the gates of Silvermoon and in the courtyard of the Ruins of Lordaeron above Undercity (Horde). Rewards 10 tokens.
Catch the Wild Wolpertinger and Pink Eleks on Parade are wry allusion to delirium tremens that can result from long years of dedicated heavy drinking as the brain begins to crumble. Fortunately in this case the goggles reproduce the effect without any longer lasting effects.
Neil Ramstein (Alliance) or Ram Master Ray (Horde) offers the following quest:
Now This is Ram Racing … Almost – Ride the borrowed Ram at 3 different speeds for 8 seconds each (within the time limit of 4 minutes). You will be off and riding as soon as the quest is accepted. Place the Ram Racing Reins on the tool bar and click on the reins to get the right speed (trot, canter, gallop). Maintain your speed by continuing to click at the right frequency while avoiding excessive fatigue – which, if it reaches 100, will slow you to a walk for 15 seconds. (Each second of canter adds 1 fatigue while each second of gallop adds 5 while apple barrels cancel fatigue.)
There are apple barrels placed at 5 different locations that will replenish your ram’s energy if you ride close by them. For the Alliance they are at the back of Ram Riding tent, just near the crossroads bridge, midway between the crossroads and Kharanos (on the east side of the road) & at the southern end of Kharanos. For Horde they are at the back of the Ram Riding tent, in the Dranosh’ar Blockade just east of the archery range, beside the road halfway between the Goblin and other barrel and just south of the Goblin at the western end of the Blockade. There are also an additional couple of apple barrels behind the beer vendors stands in the main Brewfest area (for both Alliance and Horde).
Opens up:
There and Back Again – On your borrowed ram, pick up a keg from Flynn Firebrew on the southwest ridge in Kharanos (Alliance) or the Lost Goblin Bok Dropcertain on the east road towards the docks at the western end of the Blockade (Horde) and return it to Amberstil or Driz Tumblequick 3 times (within 4 minutes). Try to maintain a canter or gallop in a circuit that goes past each of the apple barrels. It is more important to pass close to the apple barrel so that you can maintain speed than to get close to Flynn or Bok who will toss the barrel at a distance. Gives 10 Brewfest Tokens. Once this quest is completed the Brew for Brewfest daily becomes available.
A New Supplier of Souvenirs – For Alliance, take the voucher Pol Amberstil gives you and hand it in to Belbi Quikswitch (the gnome standing on the crates) for Alliance. For Horde, Driz Tumblequick gives the voucher which should be handed into Blix Fixwidget. This quest gives a souvenir Overflowing Brewfest Stein (Purple in 2011).
Other significant events during Brewfest:
Tapping the Keg – Twice a day (6:15 morning & night server time) High Tinker Mekkatorque (Alliance) OR Shadow Hunter Vol’jin (Horde) proceeds down from the capital to give a speech to a (mostly) admiring audience and to tap the Festival Keg. Once the keg is tapped you will get a 2 hour long experience boost.
Coren Direbrew – This 85 Elite Boss with 83 adds is available on the Dungeon Finder for 84+ level players during Brewfest. One of the party needs to speak/insult to Coren to start the fight. Direbrew drops epic 365 trinkets and, on the first encounter each day, the Keg-shaped Treasure Chest containing 23-27 Justice Points and the chance of the Super-fast Brewfest Ram or Kodo mount or the Direbrew’s Remote He also drops the quest Direbrew’s Direbrew on the first encounter for the festival.
Direbrew’s Dire Brew –on defeating Coren Direbrew for the first time, loot Direbrew’s Dire Brew and hand it in to Ipfelkopfer Ironkeg outside Ironforge OR Tapper Swindlekeg. Rewards 40 tokens.
Once the initial quests are completed the way to accumulate tokens is through completing the dailies.
Dailies:
This One Time When I Was Drunk – successfully defend the three Festive Keg (marked with purple arrows during the event) from the Dark Iron Dwarves attacks (roughly every half hour) by chucking Complimentary Brewfest Sampler at them. Every so often the Super Stein (a large mug) will spawn. Clicking on it will put you in a spin, shooting out mugs in all directions at the Dark Iron dwarves. The Dark Irons will leave once the three kegs are dry OR if 365 of their number are injured (whichever occurs first). If at least one Keg is left by the time the Dark Irons leave, a cog (Dark Mole Machine Wreckage) will be left behind which offers the daily for the next several minutes (whether or not you have been part of the defence). Click on the cog and hand in to the Boxey Boltspinner (Alliance) or Bizzle Quicklift (Horde). The more players defending, the more likely the Dark Iron dwarves will be defeated. Rewards 10 tokens.
Bark for the BarleyBrews OR Bark for the Thunderbrews (Alliance) – Spread the word about Brewfest outside the Bank, the Military Ward, the Hall of Explorers and the Mystic Ward in Ironforge (within 4 minutes). Rewards 15 tokens.
OR
Bark for Drohn’s Distillery OR Bark T’Chali’s Voodoo Brewery (Horde) - Spread the word about Brewfest outside the Auction House in the Valley of Strength, the Valley of Honor, the Valley of Widsom and the Valley of Spirits (within 4 minutes). Rewards 15 tokens.
Brew for Brewfest – return as many kegs as you can within the 4 minute time limit – receiving 2 tokens and an extra 30 seconds for every keg you return.
The Brewfest Tokens can purchase Brewfest clothing, membership of the Beer of the Month Club, different kinds of hops to transform your mount, a companion pet – the pint sized pink pachyderm & the Brewfest Keg Pony - & beer supplies.
Achievements
Many of the achievements consist of consuming festival food or brews or other items that can be obtained through vendors with gold or tokens or (in the case of Brew of the Year) by sampling each of the 12 offerings of the Brew of the Month club. Others revolve around different feats will smashed and/or the defeating the Dark Iron dwarves intent on disrupting the festival. Only 6 (marked with a *) are now needed for the meta-achievement and title Brewmaster.
Strange Brew – drink each of the 9 named beers listed (the list differs between Horde and Alliance). These brews can be purchased from the vendors at Brewfest or the Beer Gardens of the other capital cities. The highest level requirement for the brews is 65. (This achievement is not needed for Brewmaster.)
Drunken Stupor – Fall 65 yards without dying while completely smashed during the Brewfest Holiday. This achievement is a variant of Falling Down – with the addition of being completely smashed – and requires both the necessary liquid refreshment and a good place to jump such as the side of the Scyers lift or in the middle of the bridge in Shattrath. Any misjudgement results in death by misadventure.
Disturbing the Peace – while wearing 3 pieces of Brewfest clothing dance while smashed in Dalaran. For this achievement you need sufficient supply of strong drink, a way of getting to Dalaran (port by mage, summons by ‘lock, hearth stone, Kirrin Tor ring or boat or zeppelin to Northrend & flying to Dalaran) and three pieces of Brewfest clothing (a hat, garments and shoes) obtained from the vendor for tokens (350 all together). Once in Dalaran with the necessary clothes and state (smashed – not just tipsy or drunk) remember to dance (/dance). It takes a little while to recover – and swimming or riding can be disorientating until some semblance of sobriety returns. This achievement is no longer necessary for Brewmaster.
The Brewfest diet* – eat 8 listed special brewfest foods B(the same for Horde and Alliance) which can be obtained from the sausage, cheese and bread vendors at Brewfest. The foods have different level requirements – starting with the Essential Brewfest Pretzel (any level) and concluding which the Golden Link (level 65).
Brew of the Month* – join the Brew of the Month club for a year by purchasing the form from Belbi or Driz and (requires 200 tokens) and handed into to Larkin Thunderbrew in the Stonefire Tavern, the Commons Ironforge OR Ray’ma who has now shifted to the Valley of Strength, Orgrimmar. Once joined a sample of the Brew of the month will be sent to your mail box each month. The sample must be consumed each month for a year to earn Brew of the Year. (Incidentally, drinking the brew will leave an empty bottle in your bag which can be thrown and smashed.) While Brew of the Month is required for the meta-achievement Brewmaster, Brew of the Year is no longer necessary.
Does Your Wolpertinger Linger?* The wolpertinger pet is obtained by completing the quest Catch the Wild Wolpertinger (see above). Goldark Snipehunter (Alliance) OR Glodrak Huntersniper (Horde) will give you spectacles which will enable you to see and catch the wild wolpertingers with the provided net.
Down with the Dark Iron* – involves successfully defending the festival from the half hourly incursion of the Dark Iron dwarves in their attempt to disrupt the festivities and drink dry the large barrels of complementary Brewfest (see above). The invaders tunnel up in their Mole Machines in the middle of the fair ground. Defeating them involves a sufficient number of players drinking up the free brew provided and flinging the empty mugs at the dark iron dwarves – especially those close to the kegs. The more mugs thrown, the more brew imbibed, the drunker the defender until balance and sight begin to desert one. If the brew is successfully defended, a cog will be left on the ground that will give the daily quest “This One Time, When I Was Drunk…”, completing which gives the achievement.
Direbrewfest* – requires you to kill the 85 elite boss Coren Direbrew. Coren and his henchmen can be found in the still room of the Grim Guzzler (reached via the dungeon finder for 84+). He drops epic 365 trinkets, mounts (both Ram and Komodo), speciality items including Brewmaiden and the Remote (see above).
Have Keg will Travel* – can be achieved either by purchasing a Brewfest mount from the vendor (100-200 tokens) or winning the mount drop from Coren Direfest. However, a simpler way is to by the fresh or preserved Brewfest hops (2 tokens for your faction’s mount, 5 for the opposite factions, 20 for preserved) which will transform your own mount into a Brewfest mount for an hour.
Brewmaster – obtained by completing 6 achievements listed above (The Brewfest diet, Direbrewfest, Does Your Wolpertinger linger, Brew of the Month, Down with the Dark Iron and Have Keg Will Travel) – awards the title Brewmaster and is necessary for the meta-achievement What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been and the Violet Protodrake and master riding.
Brewfest is a lot of riotous fun. As an ancient Hebrew poet once said the Creator gives “wine that gladdens human hearts” , it lubricates social occasions, though it is always possible to have too much of a good thing as another Hebrew sage acutely observed. After all, what’s the point of having such a good time that you can’t even remember what you did or you do something you deeply regret the next day! Or perhaps that is just the point – to forget inescapable pain, inconsolable grief or vague gnawing emptiness. Another ancient sage struggled with the emptiness and meaninglessness of life and concluded that we should work hard, enjoy the simple pleasures of life, remember that things don’t always make sense but we were made for more than these material gifts for “God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart …”
Kharin
Other pages to that might interest you:
While hanging around Ironforge for Brewfest (if Alliance), it’s a perfect opportunity to do the Cooking & Fishing dailies there.
Kharin’s Seasonal Guides – guides on each of the seasons (All Hallow’s End coming soon) and the meta-achievement What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been